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Swedish Football Player Marcus Juhlin Comes Out As Gay

Well, we finally got our first openly gay professional football player—only not in America. Marcus Juhlin, who plays for the Carlstad Crusaders, came out as gay in the new issue of QX magazine.

Juhlin, 22, says he was inspired by the example of Michael Sam, the NFL prospect who came out earlier this year. And he wanted to send a message to all the boys and girls who feel like they don't fit in. He initially approached the magazine in December, asking in an email, "Help me close the closet door and step out into a better life without limitations."sweden-marcus-juhlin-main

As a child, Juhlin started out dancing, not tackling. "I danced the jive and swing dance," he says. "I was pretty good at it, actually, and took bronze in the Nordic Championships." He started American football when he was 12 and hasn't stopped. "I can not imagine life without football."

It was also at age 12 that Juhlin realized he was different from other boys: "It's hard to explain—I had [a girlfriend] in sixth grade, but it never felt right," he admits. "It was fun to hang out with my guy friends... Girls were boring and I know that I thought 'I can not spend a whole life with a girl.'"

His team, the Crusaders, are ranked in the highest division in Sweden and have won the Swedish championship four years in a row. They're a close-knit squad—two of Juhlin's brothers are on it—but the response from teammates about Juhlin's orientation has been overwhelmingly positive: "They all support and respect him," QX editor in chief Anders Öhrmantold told Out.com.

Homophobia in European sports has become a big issue, with several pro teams taking stances to support inclusion. This week, another American football team, the Bergamo Lions of Italy, produced a provocative PSA slamming anti-gay attitudes.

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