Professional soccer player David Testo
has said he treated his former boyfriend Shane Landrum badly.
In a wide-ranging interview with gay
sports blog Outsports.com,
Testo, who came out publicly last week, talked about living in the
closet and his relationship with Landrum, an alum of MTV's Road
Rules.
“In some respects, I didn't even
treat him like a human being,” Testo, 30, said.
Testo reportedly hid Landrum in a
bathroom when teammates dropped in and pushed him out of their
apartment during extended visits.
But the relationship slowly helped
Testo to reconcile with his sexual orientation.
“I don't think if I dated Shane I'd
be as open as I am because it forced me to tell so many people,” he
said.
He added that coming out publicly for
professional athletes remains difficult.
“Being gay to your teammates and your
organization is very different from being gay publicly,” he said.
“When you travel you have a big target on your back for ridicule.
I think that's why athletes don't come out. You put a target on your
back.”
The North Carolina native has
previously played for the Vancouver Whitecaps, the Columbus Crew and
Richmond Kickers. He joined the Montreal Impact in 2007 but is
without a contract.