Campeão de natação afirma ter sido expulso de time por ser gay: “Quero que algo mude”

Campeão de natação dos EUA, Abrahm DeVine assumiu sua homossexualidade no ano passado em uma entrevista à revista Swimming World, onde falou sobre os desafios de ser gay no esporte. No entanto, parece que esses desafios não desapareceram desde que o atleta saiu do armário. DeVine alega que ele foi expulso da equipe de natação de Stanford por causa de sua sexualidade.

Em um post no seu Instagram, DeVine disse que as pessoas afirmam apoiá-lo, mas se recusam a prestar atenção à homofobia que ele enfrentou. “Como você pode dizer que apoia a mim e a minha igualdade? Como você não vê como o Stanford Swim me tratou e me usou nos últimos quatro anos?”, desabafou ele. “Sou invisível? Puro e simples: há razões superficiais sobre minha expulsão da equipe de natação de Stanford. Posso dizer com certeza que tudo se resume ao fato de eu ser gay”, continuou.

DeVine disse que sua remoção da equipe é parte da homofobia sistêmica que foi projetada para silenciá-lo. “Sou um homem talentoso, bem-sucedido, educado, orgulhoso e gay: sou uma ameaça à cultura que mantém equipes esportivas unidas. Quero que algo mude, porque não aguento mais”, disse ele.

Confira o desabafo (em inglês)

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As many of you know, I’m an openly gay swimmer and I am the only one at my level. I want to use this post to call out some of the homophobia that I’ve experienced being an athlete, and encourage everyone to be thoughtful and intentional about changing some of the homophobic aspects of the athletic culture that exists today. While I have many specific examples of micro aggressions and outright aggressions that I’ve experienced, homophobia is ultimately much more than an accumulation of experiences. In fact, it is a denial of experience. While I feel like I’ve tried to convey this to many people, many of whom deny any possibility that they contribute it, I’ve started to ask myself: Why is it my job to educate coaches and athletes at the most resourceful university in the world? I cannot continue to try to engage people in this conversation when there is so much fragility to obscure my humanity and character, so much rhetoric to keep me silent. Everyone says they support me, and yet, for the millionth time, I am the only one speaking up. To my coaches who sport the pride flag on their desk, to the athletes who liked my pride photo on Instagram, I need you to wake up to what’s happening around you. How can you say you support me and my equality? How can you not see how Stanford Swim has treated me and used me over the last 4 years? Am I invisible? Plain and simple: there are surface level reasons I was kicked off the Stanford swim team, but I can tell you with certainty that it comes down to the fact that I am gay. This is a pattern. Homophobia is systematic, intelligently and masterfully designed to keep me silent and to push me out. I am a talented, successful, educated, proud, gay man: I am a threat to the culture that holds sports teams together. I want something to change, because I can’t take it anymore. My story is not unique. There are queer voices everywhere and all you have to do is listen. I am asking, begging for some sort of action. If you are reading this, this post is for you! Gay or straight, swimmer or not. None of us are exempt from homophobia. It is your civil duty to educate yourself. If you choose not to, it is at my expense.

Uma publicação compartilhada por Abrahm DeVine (@abrahmdevine) em 29 de Set, 2019 às 7:32 PDT