Former West Coast Eagles athlete Mitch Brown has come out as bisexual — making history as the first-ever male player in the Australian Football League (AFL) to identify as an out queer man.
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According to a report from The Daily Aus, Brown reached out to the publication and shared his story as someone who played in the AFL for 10 years and is now ready to disclose that he's bisexual.
"It wasn't so much hours [of contemplation]. It was a moment in time for me, and it was seconds," Brown told the Australian news outlet. "I had this feeling of peace. But, more importantly, comfort and confidence."
Mitch BrownPaul Kane/Getty ImagesBrown subsequently shared a statement via Instagram stories, writing:
"This week I had the opportunity to sit down with @thedailyaus and open up about my experience questioning my sexuality while playing footy and now, owning who I am and my identity.
Very weird feeling knowing this is out in the world but I feel confident in who I am and have amazing support around me. If this helps even one person it will have been worth it.
This isn't about me. The world needs more positive male role models, and I hope I can step up and be one."
The AFL alum concluded the post acknowledging people who helped him during this process. "Thank you to Sam, Zara, Emma, Orla and the @thedailyaus team for your incredible support in assisting me to tell this story," Brown wrote, adding: "The full podcast will be available tomorrow."
Mitch Brown via Instagram story.
Instagram (@mitchbrownie)
Elsewhere in the The Daily Aus interview, Brown recalled a time when his 19-year-old self asked a teammate how someone was supposed to know that they weren't straight.
"It was almost like, 'That's a funny question. You're being funny, Mitch.' And then the conversation just rolled on," the AFL star told The Daily Aus. "But it was made [into] a joke, and I remember how that made me feel. I swore never to bring that up ever again."
While in the closet, Brown acknowledged that he became good at lying "not just about my sexuality, but… Everything. My anxiety; my worries in life. I could bury them so deep."
