Out American Soccer Player Collin Martin On How He Met His Boyfriend
Image: Collin Martin Twitter
Out American soccer player, Collin Martin revealed the story behind meeting his boyfriend and how they manage their long-distance relationship.
Martin, 28, who plays for San Diego Loyal, told Queerty that he met his boyfriend on Instagram, saying, “It’s a debate on who slid into whose DMs…”
Where It All Started
Going into more detail, Martin said, “I had ‘liked’ some of his photos and he commented on one of my stories, and then we started talking. We met when he came to my game in San Antonio. He’s from Austin, so he drove down to San Antonio, came to my game, and then after the game I met him for drinks.
“That’s where it all started.”
Talking about making the long-distance work for them, Martin said that his boyfriend has been making an effort to come to him.
“Obviously, with my schedule, I can’t really be traveling much, so he’s made a ton of effort to get out here, which has been amazing,” he said. He “will be out here for most of the summer, which is nice.”
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Thanked Teammates For Their Unconditional Support
Martin came out in June 2018 during Pride month, becoming the only out active Major League Soccer player, at the time.
In a statement released on social media, he said, “It’s an important night for me I’ll be announcing for the first time publicly that I am an openly gay player in Major League Soccer. I have been out as a gay man for many years to my family and friends, and this includes my teammates.”
He continued, “As we celebrate Pride night, I want to thank my teammates for their unconditional support for who I am. In light of my experience as a professional athlete, I want to take this moment to encourage others who play sports professionally or otherwise to have confidence that sport will welcome them wholeheartedly. June is Pride month, and I am proud to be playing for Pride, and to be playing as an out gay man.”
Tonight my team, @MNUFC , is having their Pride night. It's an important night for me — I'll be announcing that I am an openly gay player in Major League Soccer. #soccerforall pic.twitter.com/cOJQXfrBiv
— Collin Martin (@martcw12) June 29, 2018
