Zander Murray makes history as the first Scottish senior footballer to come out as gay
Zander Murray has made history as the first Scottish senior football player to come out as gay. On 17 September, the Gala Fairydean Rover striker opened up about his coming out journey in a heartfelt statement via the club’s website. “First, it feels like the weight of the world is now off my shoulders.
The reason I have decided to do this now is twofold. Firstly I was on holiday recently at a Pride event, and I have always been that closeted [that I] never to go to these things, but I loved it,” he revealed. “The vibe was brilliant, and everyone was just being free and happy, and it was great to just be me.” However, when it came time to post pictures on social media, he declined to be tagged in photos due to fears of his sexuality being outed.
But after hiding his identity for years, Murray realised it was “playing havoc” with his life. “So at that moment, I thought enough is enough.
I put a post on my social media telling folk I was gay,” he explained. Fortunately for Murray, his Gala Fairydean Rover teammates have been nothing but supportive of his identity. “I have a really strong bond with everyone at the club, and I have been blown away by the support,” he said. “Before coming out, you think people will turn against you, and you think the worst.
