Tadd Fujikawa has come out gay, making
him the first openly gay male professional golfer.
The 27-year-old made the announcement
in an Instagram post.
Fujikawa, who grew up in Honolulu, said
that he hopes his coming out helps others who are struggling with
their sexuality.
“So...I'm gay,” Fujikawa captioned
a shirtless photo of himself. “any of you may have already known
that.[smiling face emoji] I don't expect everyone to understand or
accept me. But please be gracious enough to not push your beliefs on
me or anyone in the LGBTQ community. My hope is this post will
inspire each and every one of you to be more empathetic and loving
towards one another.”
“I've been back and forth for a while
about opening up about my sexuality. I thought that I didn't need to
come out because it doesn't matter if anyone knows. But I remember
how much other's stories have helped me in my darkest times to have
hope. I spent way too long pretending, hiding, and hating who I was.
I was always afraid of what others would think/say. I've struggled
with my mental health for many years because of that and it put me in
a really bad place. Now I'm standing up for myself and the rest of
the LGBTQ community in hopes of being an inspiration and making a
difference in someone's life.”
“Although it's a lot more accepted in
our society today, we still see children, teens, and adults being
ridiculed and discriminated against for being the way we are. Some
have even taken their lives because of it. As long as those things
are still happening, I will continue to do my best to bring more
awareness to this issue and to fight for equality. Whether the LGBTQ
is what you support or not, we must liberate and encourage each other
to be our best selves, whatever that may be. It's the only way we can
make this world a better place for future generations,” he added.
Fujikawa also dared his followers to
“spread love. “Let's do our part to make this world a better
place,” he said.
Fujikawa became the youngest golfer to
qualify for the U.S. Open in 2006.