Former West Coast Player Mitch Brown Becomes First Afl Player To Come Out As Bisexual

Mitch Brown has go nan first antheral AFL player, past aliases present, to travel retired arsenic cheery aliases bisexual, successful a measurement he hopes will make others successful nan crippled consciousness seen.

The 36-year-old played 94 matches for West Coast successful a profession that ended successful 2016. He identifies arsenic a bisexual man and is successful a semipermanent narration pinch a woman.

Brown said it would person been difficult had he spoken publically during his playing career, but was motivated to thief alteration nan civilization wrong nan sport.

“Maybe a 2nd personification [comes out], and past nan third…,” he told The Daily Aus. “You whitethorn beryllium playing pinch personification who’s successful nan queer community. Empathy is powerful.”

Adelaide’s Izak Rankine became nan latest successful a drawstring of players banned for utilizing homophobic slurs past week. But suspensions person been incapable to reside nan guidelines causes of nan game’s struggle to judge diverseness among its players.

“What matters to maine astir is simply a consciousness of change, [creating] a activity wherever [players] tin beryllium anyone and beryllium safe successful immoderate environment,” Brown said.

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The news has been wide welcomed connected societal media.

In summation to messages from fans and supporters, nan AFL Players’ Association described nan station arsenic “powerful” and nan GWS Giants’ relationship responded pinch a bosom emoji.

Brown grew up successful Ballarat and was drafted into nan AFL pinch prime 16 successful 2006. The defender debuted nan pursuing twelvemonth and spent a decade successful nan title earlier playing his last crippled astatine property 27, an elimination last against nan Western Bulldogs.

“I sewage to nan extremity of my profession and I was asked to play connected for a mates much years, and I was complete it. I was done,” he said. “I craved talking to personification and not being judged. I craved nan expertise to take who I wanted to beryllium around, alternatively than to fresh into a team.”

He said he had “buried” questions astir his ain sexuality owed to nan “hyper-masculine” environment, and that slurs were truthful changeless they “just became portion of nan normal conversation”.

“There person been truthful galore times successful my life I’ve seen things aliases heard things and not said anything… successful fearfulness of group reasoning I was cheery aliases bisexual.”

Brown said he empathises pinch those presently playing, and it is easier for him arsenic a past subordinate to speak up.

“I don’t person to tally retired location astatine nan MCG successful beforehand of 80,000 fans adjacent week… and fearfulness nan comments being thrown astatine me.”