September 19, 2022
Scottish Footballer Zander Murray Comes Out as Gay
READ TIME: 2 MIN.
"Zander Murray has become the first current professional footballer in Scotland to come out as gay," reports The Guardian. The Gala Fairydean Rovers forward spoke about coming out in an interview published on the Lowland League club's website on Friday.
"Murray, 30, who is in his fourth season with the club, will be the first openly gay footballer in Scottish men's professional footballer since Justin Fashanu played for Airdrie and Hearts in the mid-1990s, several years after announcing his sexuality," The Lowland League club post writes.
"The reason I have decided to this now is twofold firstly I was on holiday recently at a pride event and I have always been that closeted never to go to these things but I loved it.
"The vibe was brilliant and everyone was just being free and happy and it was great to just be me.
"I also want to help other players who are struggling with this as it isn't easy for men, especially footballers to deal with."
The post continues that Murray was afraid to be tagged in social media posts in a bid to conceal who he really was. " "Then I thought to myself 'what am I doing' this is playing havoc with my life. So at that moment I thought enough is enough. I put a post on my social media telling folk I was gay. I didn't need to sit the boys down in the changing room and tell them."
Murray, the post continues, holds the club's record for goals scores in a single season. He believes more needs to be done to help men in the game who are gay to come out and will focus his attention on trying to help other players do the same. He added: "The lads at the club have been so supportive. I have a really strong bond with everyone at the club and I have been blown away by the support.
"I would really like to look into and see what support can be given to other players to inspire them."
He continued: "Before coming out you think people will turn against you and you think the worst."
But concluded: "It's been lovely how much support I have had."