T.J. House, Former MLB Player, Comes Out as Gay
Former professional baseball player, T.J. House came out as gay in a recent post to social media. House joins the late Glenn Burke and current senior vice president of DEI, Billy Bean, as the only former Major League Baseball players to have come out publicly.House, who pitched for the Cleveland Guardians and the Toronto Blue Jays during his career, also announced his engagement to fiancé Ryan Neitzel in the post.
House said he struggled his entire career to keep his identity secret, but credited the Respect for Marriage Act for providing the inspiration to come out now.“I’ve struggled my entire life with being comfortable in my own skin,” House wrote in the post, adding that he distanced himself from many people to keep his sexuality a secret.“Today’s passage of the Respect for Marriage Act protects us to have the same rights and opportunities that each of you have,” House continued. “It protects the same benefits.
It makes us equal to you. It allows Ryan Neitzel and I to come together and create something beautiful.” House becomes only the third former MLB player to come out publicly.
Glenn Burke is generally regarded as the first out player in Major League Baseball, at least to his teammates, coaches, and the press.
