U.S. track star Trey Cunningham comes out as gay

[samhexum]

In an interview with The New York Times, Cunningham said that coming out to his family in private five years ago was the “scariest thing I’ve ever done.”

Now, he is coming out to the rest of the world. His reason for coming out publicly, he told the Times, came from a track training technique he uses.

“We say our goals out loud,” he said. “If there’s something we want to achieve, we say it. Putting something in words makes it real.”

Cunningham, 25, who ran for Florida State University, said he didn’t “explore the idea” of being gay until college, attributing the slow exploration of his sexuality to having grown up in a conservative and rural part of Alabama. The hurdler called his hometown of Winfield “the sort of place where you did not want to be the gay kid at school.”

In a separate interview with Us Weekly, Cunningham said he eventually realized that “people just don’t care.” When asked if he thought coming out publicly will change anything, he said, “I’m just Trey, and apparently it’s a special thing that I like to kiss guys.”

https://www.aol.com/news/u-track-star-trey-cunningham-183548812.html

 

[56harrisond]

THE NEW YORK TIMES 
The Track Star Knew He Was Gay. Now Everyone Else Does.
Trey Cunningham said friends and peers reacted to his decision to come out with a shrug. He wishes the same was true for other men in elite sports.

By Rory Smith
July 8, 2024

Trey Cunningham found those first few phone calls excruciating. He has spent his life learning to keep his cool while out on the track, under intense pressure, in the glare of the crowd. But as he waited in the quiet for his family and his friends to pick up, waited to tell them he is gay, he found himself dripping with sweat. It was, he said, the “scariest thing I’ve ever done.”

He went through with it, at age 20, for much the same reason he is discussing it publicly now, five years later. There is a technique that Cunningham has long used in his training. “We say our goals out loud,” he said. “If there’s something we want to achieve, we say it. Putting something in words makes it real.”

That Cunningham — one of the leading high hurdlers in the world — is ready, and willing, to do that does not make him unique. He is not the first elite athlete, or even the first top American runner, to discuss their sexuality.

As one of the few active male athletes who have been comfortable enough to come out, Cunningham is, though, still a rarity. “There are lots of people who are in this weird space,” he said. “They’re not out. But it is kind of understood.”

For the last five years, that has been Cunningham’s reality, too. He had never really thought much about his sexuality in high school; he was too busy, he said, “hanging out with friends, having fun,” nursing dreams of playing for the Boston Celtics and then, almost to his surprise, discovering that he enjoyed “flinging myself at solid objects at high speed.”

It was in college when he started to “explore the idea,” but there was no sudden realization, no lightbulb moment. “It took me a while to know it felt right,” he said.

He attributes that to his upbringing. Cunningham grew up in Winfield, Ala., a place he described as “rural, quite conservative, quite religious: the sort of place where you did not want to be the gay kid at school. So I had certain expectations of what my life would look like, and it took me a little while to get my head around it looking different to that.”

The same, he said, was true for his parents. That was the most difficult call of all, when he decided the time was right to make it, and there was, as he said, some “pushback” on the news.

“What was true for me was also true for my parents,” he said. “They had certain expectations for their little boy, for what his life would be like, and that’s OK. I gave them a five-year grace period. I had to take my time. They could take theirs, too.”

That equanimity is fairly typical of Cunningham. Though he missed out on a place at this summer’s Paris Olympics at the U.S. trials last month, placing ninth in the 110-meter hurdles in a “stacked” field — “If you do well in the U.S. trials, you know you have a good shot at a medal,” he said — he is still ranked 11th in the world. In 2022, he won the silver medal in the event at the world championships in Eugene, Ore.

Despite that success, he describes himself, both by his standard and that of elite athletes, as a relaxed character. That is not guesswork, he says; he has scientific proof. His master’s thesis at Florida State University involved evaluating student athletes to establish which personality traits had the strongest correlation with burnout. He applied the psychometric test to himself and discovered he was “almost too chill.”

Whatever worries he harbored while he made those phone calls, though, proved to be misplaced. His parents were the exception. The rule was either understanding or — in the nicest possible way — something a little closer to a shrug.

He got the sense that at least some of his friends had been “waiting for me,” so confirmation did not make any difference to those relationships, he said. “I was really lucky to have a group of people who did not care,” he said.

The reaction within athletics has been similar. Though Olympic-level sports is, naturally, a cutthroat, competitive environment, he has found his sport to be instinctively supportive. Cunningham has thought a lot, over the last few years, about why that might be, and has reached the conclusion that track and field has a sort of dual identity.

It is, in one sense, the purest form of athletic endeavor, the truest measure of who is the fastest and the strongest, who can jump the highest or throw the farthest. But track is also, in many ways, a “sport for misfits,” he said.

His favorite examples are the shot-putters. “They are the strongest people in the stadium,” he said. “But they also have the most delicate footwork.” It is a discipline for that niche subset of the population who have bodybuilder arms and ballerina feet. “Track and field has something for everyone,” Cunningham said.

It also has an unapologetic single-mindedness. “The only thing that matters is whether you’re running fast today or not,” he said.

Still, few male athletes have felt comfortable discussing their sexuality openly. It is, after all, an intensely personal thing.

Nor does he particularly believe that it is something anyone should feel they have to do. He would like track and field, and culture more generally, to get to a place where “people do not have to ‘come out,’” he said, where people can “just get on with being them.”

But he knows doing so carries practical and potentially financial considerations: His profession could easily require Cunningham to compete in places where his sexuality, widely known, could place him in danger. He would, he said, have to consult his management before traveling to a meet in a country like Qatar, where homosexuality is a crime, for example.

He believes, though, that while he is neither the first nor the only active athlete of his standing to discuss his sexuality in public, doing so has value. He does not feel he has been inhibited in his performances over the last few years, when his sexuality remained a closely held secret. He does not give the impression that any great weight is being lifted by discussing it now.

Whatever stress and tension existed abated five years ago, when he made those phone calls to his friends and family. Everyone who he feels needs to know has known for some time, he said.

But that old training mantra has stayed with him. Cunningham is a writer, by inclination; he finds that putting his thoughts on paper helps him to work his way through them. But he knows that there are times when it pays to say something out loud. It helps to make things real.

Rory Smith is a global sports correspondent, based in the north of England. He also writes the “On Soccer With Rory Smith” newsletter. 

[+ DynamicUno]

Cool.  Happy for him, really.  He should be his authentic self.  The best statement in the whole interview is that people "just don't care", it's something that should be as noteworthy as his eye color or whether he prefers pancakes or waffles.

[BuffaloKyle]

So if this track star thing doesn't work out porn star could be a nice plan b.

[pubic_assistance]

13 hours ago, samhexum said:

he eventually realized that “people just don’t care.”

These dramatic "coming out" stories seem ridiculous to me for that very reason. This just isn't news anymore.

 

 

 

[+ José Soplanucas]

4 hours ago, pubic_assistance said:

These dramatic "coming out" stories seem ridiculous to me for that very reason. This just isn't news anymore.

 

 

 

No? I agree it is not worth of breaking news headlines. However, I think sports are still way behind on accepting openly LGBTQ+ athletes. It is not breaking news, but it is news. 

Plus, he is cute. It is good to know he may be available. 

Edited July 10 by José Soplanucas

[caramelsub]

2 hours ago, pubic_assistance said:

These dramatic "coming out" stories seem ridiculous to me for that very reason. This just isn't news anymore.

 

 

 

I think being that he is an athlete and he is from a small town in the deep south, still makes it newsworthy. Not everyone lives in a big city that is lgbtq affirming.

Even though I’ve never heard of him until yesterday, and think it’s a stretch to call him a “star”. I think there is more pressure for public figures and celebrities to disclose who they sleep with, being that they are in the public eye. Eventually being lgbtq will be as newsworthy as being left handed, like someone here alluded to before.

Edited July 10 by caramelsub

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

11 hours ago, BuffaloKyle said:

So if this track star thing doesn't work out porn star could be a nice plan b.

I here I was thinking Drag Race contestant with those eyebrows.

[+ Pensant]

I’m in love (lust)!

https://fordmodels.com/new-york/profile/trey-cunningham/?board=talent

[maninsoma]

25 minutes ago, caramelsub said:

I think being that he is an athlete and he is from a small town in the deep south, still makes it newsworthy. Not everyone lives in a big city that is lgbtq affirming.

Even though I’ve never heard of him until yesterday, and think it’s a stretch to call him a “star”. I think there is more pressure for public figures and celebrities to disclose who they sleep with, being that they are in the public eye. Eventually being lgbtq will be as newsworthy as being left handed, like someone here alluded to before.

Yes, the word "star" gets used a lot.  Performing in porn doesn't automatically make one a star, but it seems like most people use "porn star" to refer to anyone who appears in porn.  I prefer the term "porn performer." 

Then again, where to draw the line in terms of what makes a star is tricky.  I read a comment on a different site recently where someone said she'd never heard of Jason Mraz until his coming out made news, and my initial reaction was to think it's ridiculous that someone who has sold millions of records would be perceived as a "nobody."  But then I realized that if someone either didn't pay attention to pop music at all or pop music of a certain era, it's quite possible the "stars" of that era would be unknown.  So I can see Mr. Cunningham being a "track star" to those who closely follow the sport but to the rest of us it's "who's that?"

[+ WilliamM]

I am very lucky to know several People named Trey, they are all gay 

[dutchal]

40 minutes ago, Pensant said:

I’m in love (lust)!

https://fordmodels.com/new-york/profile/trey-cunningham/?board=talent

Lord he's gorgeous.

[pubic_assistance]

7 hours ago, caramelsub said:

Not everyone lives in a big city that is lgbtq affirming.

I grew up in a small town in Central PA. All my friends have known I swing both ways since the late 80s.

Nobody cares.

It's not just the big cities that have grown more tolerant. But yeah...there are surely pockets of bigotry left in the South.

[Luv2play]

10 hours ago, WilliamM said:

I am very lucky to know several People named Trey, they are all gay 

I only know one provider with the name of Trey and he is gay also. 

[DMICS]

I was going to post the "news" when Trey first made the announcement, but it's 2024, and I figured as he said..."who cares"?

As a Track & Field junkie I'll say this is nothing new. If you're in the sport or have been following Trey through his NCAA and professional years you knew he was gay. It wasn't a secret. 

Been a fan of his going back to FSU. His biggest achievement professionally was getting the silver medal at the World Championships in 2022. Still gutted he didn't make the Paris Olympic team this summer. After running good in the rounds he chose the worst time to run a bad race in the U.S. Trials final, and he finished 7th IIRC. 

Considering the announcement was done by the NYT my guess is this was planned months back to coincide with the Olympics thinking Trey was making the team. When he didn't they decided to still run with the story anyways. 

He's a sweetheart. Has that southern twang and yeah, he models too. Hope he can re-group and make the 2028 team in Los Angeles. 

[soloyo215]

On 7/10/2024 at 7:26 AM, pubic_assistance said:

These dramatic "coming out" stories seem ridiculous to me for that very reason. This just isn't news anymore.

 

 

 

In terms of being news, I agree. However, homophobia in sports is quite pervasive. Also, at some point, to some of use things become repewtitive, but the newer generation is fresh to many things, and it might speak to them. If we are a community, we should think about the impact on others.

[+ sync]

On 7/10/2024 at 5:17 PM, pubic_assistance said:

I grew up in a small town in Central PA. All my friends have known I swing both ways since the late 80s.

Nobody cares.

It's not just the big cities that have grown more tolerant. But yeah...there are surely pockets of bigotry left in the South.

Should a certain political initiative prevail in November, LGBTQ+ intolerance could resurface monumentally. 

[pubic_assistance]

3 hours ago, soloyo215 said:

However, homophobia in sports is quite pervasive.

I don't agree with this statement.

What facts are you basing this opinion on ? Anyone in athletics today certainly knows a few gay people. It's not the 1950s anymore.

Edited July 13 by pubic_assistance
spelling

[pubic_assistance]

5 minutes ago, sync said:

Should a certain political initiative prevail in November, LGBTQ+ intolerance could resurface monumentally. 

No politics please.

 

[samhexum]

39 minutes ago, soloyo215 said:

homophobia in sports is quite pervasive. 

 

9 minutes ago, pubic_assistance said:

What facts are you basing this opinion on ? Anyone in athletics today certainly knows a few gay people. It's not the 1950s anymore.

The veritable flood of star athletes in male team sports who have come out during their careers?

Or after them?

 

Edited July 13 by samhexum
To maintain the incredibly high standards I have established here

[pubic_assistance]

Just now, samhexum said:

The veritable flood of star athletes in male team sports who have come out during their careers?

Exactly. And I haven't read one story where everyone on the team was anything but supportive.

[samhexum]

5 minutes ago, pubic_assistance said:

Exactly. And I haven't read one story where everyone on the team was anything but supportive.

Perhaps you will when the first one does come out.

 

Edited July 13 by samhexum
to ensure maximum delight for the reader!

[pubic_assistance]

37 minutes ago, samhexum said:

Perhaps you will when the first one does come out.

Although there's been no "flood of star athletes" there have been several sports team members who came out as gay (or bi) in the last several years. Their teammates have consistently been supportive.

[soloyo215]

1 hour ago, pubic_assistance said:

I don't agree either this statement.

What facts are you basing this opinion on ? Anyone in athletics today certainly knows a few gay people. It's not the 1950s anymore.

Well, out of the top of my head, here is what I based it on:

Here:

Views of Homosexuality Around the World | Pew Research Center

WWW.PEWRESEARCH.ORG

---

Despite major changes in LGBT rights around the world, acceptance of homosexuality remains sharply divided by country, region and economic development.

and here:

Russia’s moral barometer: Homosexuality unacceptable, but drinking, less so | Pew Research Center

WWW.PEWRESEARCH.ORG

---

Nearly three-quarters of the Russian population (72%) think that homosexuality is morally unacceptable, with only 18% saying it is acceptable or not a moral issue.

and here:

Just a moment...

JOURNALS.SAGEPUB.COM

and here:

Four Homophobia in Sport: Fact of Life, Taboo Subject

WWW.DEGRUYTER.COM

---

Four Homophobia in Sport: Fact of Life, Taboo Subject was published in Taking the Lead on page 73.

and here:

Just a moment...

WWW.TANDFONLINE.COM

and here:

Just a moment...

JOURNALS.SAGEPUB.COM

Those are actual studies conducted, not the opinion of people based on their experience (which can be as valid).

Happy reading.

Edited July 13 by soloyo215

[cany10011]

Great for him. I hope that someday coming out should not be news. It should be easily accepted as declaring yourself a vegetarian. 

Edited July 13 by cany10011