Rob Kearney, a professional strength
athlete, has come out gay.
In a
Facebook post using the hashtag #MCM (Man Crush Monday), Kearney
thanked his boyfriend for giving him a “reason to smile.”
“My #mcm goes to this guy, my
boyfriend, Joey Aleixo! The past few months have been crazy, but
throughout all of this you've given me a reason to smile,” Kearney
wrote in posting several photos of the couple. “So I guess this is
me coming out and saying … I'm gay!”
According to Outsports,
Kearney is “the first self-acknowledged gay man to be actively
competing in pro-level, international strongman competition.”
“I thought it was important to be
honest,” Kearney said. “People need to know that one of the top
strength athletes on the planet is also gay. But I didn't want it to
affect my ability to compete. And that possibility definitely
crossed my mind before I made that post.”
Kearney said the response has been
overwhelmingly positive.
“I can't remember this many people
being this supportive and encouraging in my life! I mean, I have
always had people back me for events, but that was nothing compared
to the sheer numbers of positive messages that came to me. It was
really humbling!” he said.