The first openly gay player in Major League Soccer alleges that an opponent hurled anti-homosexual slurs at him on the field.
Robbie Rogers, currently playing left back for the L.A. Galaxy, came out as gay four years ago and now says that in a recent match against the OC Blues he endured anti-gay slurs, according to NBC Sports.
In his Facebook post on the incident the player alleges that an opposing player “called me a ‘queer’ repeatedly” but also notes his own teammates stood up for him.
“To be honest my initial reaction was one of shock. This is my fourth season back in the MLS and I’ve yet to hear another player use that or any other gay slur during a game. I quickly became enraged,” Rogers wrote.
Still, despite the incident, Rogers praised his teammates and the league for being welcoming to “an openly gay person” such as himself. Rogers also noted he was pleased with himself for not overreacting and getting into a fistfight over the opponent’s words.
The 29-year-old has competed on the U.S. national team and helped the Columbus Crew to an MLS Cup in 2008. Rogers announced his homosexuality after leaving Leeds United in 2013. After signing with the L.A. Galaxy, he became the first openly gay athlete to play in professional soccer in the U.S.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.
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