Coming Out Story

Former Australian Football League (AFL) player Mitch Brown has shared a heartwarming message to fans after coming out.

On 27 August, the athlete revealed to The Daily Aus that he was bisexual, becoming the first openly queer man in the league’s 129-year history.

Brown – who played 94 matches for West Coast between 2007 and 2016 – said he had a “feeling of peace, but more importantly, comfort and confidence” with his decision to open up about his sexuality.

According to TDA, the 36-year-old initiated the conversation with a DM over Instagram, writing: “Hey [writer] Sam [Koslowski], I played in the AFL for 10 years for the West Coast Eagles, and I’m a bisexual man.”

Brown said his time in the AFL never afforded him “an opportunity to speak openly or explore your feelings in a safe way,” describing the culture as one of “hyper-masculinity” where “countless” homophobic comments were heard on the pitch.

“When I was growing up at school, the word ‘gay’ was thrown around constantly,” he said. “For a man in Australia, [it was seen as] probably the weakest thing you could be.”

He also urged the AFL to foster a “sense of change” with more “positive male role models,” adding: “My advice to the AFL would be, let’s celebrate the players who may not be the most successful, but are the most important in our community.”

Since opening up about his sexuality, Brown has been embraced and celebrated by fans, rugby organisations such as the Gold Coast Suns, and the LGBTQIA+ community for his bravery.

After a few days of silence, Brown took to Instagram on 31 August to express his gratitude for the support and to reflect on his coming out journey.

“It has been a few days since I shared my story, and I’ve had space to let it all sink in. Before it went live, there was a part of me that was worried about the homophobia or potential backlash I might receive,” he wrote.

“What happened instead was that the story was met with an overwhelming positive response, for which I am so grateful. With that, I’d like to share a few thoughts.”

Brown went on to express his gratitude to his partner Lou for her “love, strength, and resilience”; his ex, Shae, and their two children; and the TDA team for their care and professionalism.

“I have been overwhelmed by the kindness, encouragement, and solidarity that have poured in from people across Australia and around the world,” he continued.

“Every message, every story shared, every word of support has meant more to me than I can say. I will carry that gratitude with me always.”

Brown also gave flowers to the LGBTQIA+ athletes and advocates who came before him – including Jason Ball, Ian Roberts, Isaac Humphries, Josh Cavallo, and Danielle Laidley – praising them for helping “make sport and society more inclusive.”

The Aussie talent then brought attention to the women’s division of the AFL, lauding the organisation for its longstanding history of fostering an inclusive and supportive environment in sport.

“The players are role models not only for young women, but for every young Australian who is searching for a place where they can belong,” he wrote.

“I encourage everyone to go and watch an AFLW game – you’ll see what the future of our game can and should look like.”

Towards the end of his statement, Brown expressed his hope that young people, especially queer young Australians, will benefit from his coming out – before issuing a call to action to the AFL.

“It’s time for the AFL and the clubs to commit to genuine change, embedding inclusion not just in words, but in culture, policies, and everyday actions,” he said.

“If we can make our game a place where everyone belongs, the ripple effect on Australian society will be profound. I look forward to joining the movement that started long before me, to create a safer, more inclusive sport, and society for everyone.”

You can read Brown’s complete statement below.

Jonathan Hertwig-Ødegaard has opened up about his journey as an openly gay athlete.

On 1 August, the Norwegian decathlete sat for an interview with Norway’s public radio and TV broadcaster NRK, where he discussed coming out and why it shouldn’t get so much “attention.”

“I think it’s great that you can be a role model, but at the same time, I hope in the long run that it doesn’t have to be necessary, and that it gets so much publicity and attention,” he revealed.

Hertwig-Ødegaard went on to discuss the current state of coming out as a gay athlete and how there is a “bit of a wrong focus.”

“The problem is perhaps that among athletes, people talk about ‘it’s so brave and tough’ when people come forward,” the 20-year-old explained.

“I feel that there is a bit of a wrong focus, that the responsibility should not lie with individuals. I think it is the responsibility of society at large to facilitate that people are comfortable being open about their sexuality, also as athletes.”

While Hertwig-Ødegaard doesn’t want massive amounts of attention focused on his gay identity, he did reflect on how having more openly queer athletes could have positively impacted him during his formative years.

“I think it would have helped me as a young boy or young athlete. Not necessarily to have someone to look up to, but just to see that it is completely normal to be gay and be a top athlete. Because it is,” he told the news outlet.

Towards the end of his interview, the young decathlete exclaimed that he was “proud and happy” to be gay and if others have an issue with his sexuality, “it’s their problem.”

Two weeks before his recent sit-down, Hertwig-Ødegaard made massive waves at the European Athletics U23 Championships, dominating six out of ten events and scoring 8,002 points, a personal best.

Alongside his recent feat, he is ranked 81st in the world in the decathlon rankings, has won the Norwegian Under-20 title three times, and is preparing to attend the University of Texas, where he will compete for NCAA titles.

We can’t wait to see what the future holds for Hertwig-Ødegaard. 

The husband of fashion icon Diane von Fürstenberg, Barry Diller, has opened up about his sexuality for the first time.

On 6 May, New York Magazine published an excerpt from the tech billionaire’s upcoming memoir Who Knew – which peeled back the curtains on his sexuality and longtime romantic relationship with Diane.

“While there have been a good many men in my life, there has only ever been one woman, and she didn’t come into my life until I was 33 years old,” he wrote.

“There are many complex aspects of my relationship with Diane von Fürstenberg: romantic love and deep respect, companionship and world adventuring, then disappointment, and separation, and finally marriage.”

Diller went on to say that he “never questioned” his sexuality’s “basic authority” over his life, adding that he was only afraid of the reaction of others.

“And when my romance with Diane began, I never questioned that its biological imperative was as strong in its heterosexuality as its opposite had been. When it happened, my initial response was, ‘Who knew?’” he continued.

“I’m well aware that this part of my life has caused confusion and lots of speculation. A relationship that began with indifference, then exploded into a romance as natural to us as breathing, surprised us and everyone else. It really is the miracle of my life.”

Diller went on to give insight into his first meeting with Diane in 1974 – who was married to Prince Egon Von Fürstenberg at the time.

Describing the fashion icon as oblivious and dismissive, the former movie exec recalled being confident that he would never meet her again.

However, that changed when Diller was invited to a party celebrating his close friend and agent to the stars Sue Mengers, which Diane was ironically hosting.

Before diving into his second meeting with his now wife, Diller opened up about his extensive and private dating life with men, revealing his first same sex experiences started in his teenage years, “street cruising in West Hollywood.”

“The subterfuge continued into my 20s, save one Fourth of July weekend when a guy I had met invited me to join him on Fire Island. Since I had never been in any kind of ghetto (other than a rich one), I wasn’t prepared for a place that was all guys, all the time,” he wrote.

“I had so much early career success you might have thought I’d conquered what I saw as the biggest danger in my developing life. I’d conquered other phobias, but fear of exposure still had a tyrannical hold on me, so much so that it stunted any chance of my having a fulfilling personal life.”

Diller went on to say that he locked away anything related to his sexuality, adding that he became so successful at compartmentalising his feelings that it “both ruled and riled his life ever since.”

“I never discussed my personal life, lowlight as it was, with anyone. Even though as the years went on, I began to be realistic and understood that ‘everyone knows,’ I never wanted to make any declarations,” he continued.

“So many of us at that time were in this exiled state, so stunted in the way we lived. I hated having to live a pretend life, one that was totally silent on all topics normal people talked about with each other. Of course, I could have declared my sexuality, come out as some others were doing, but I was among the many at the time who were too scared to do so.

Since coming out wasn’t an option for Diller, created and followed a unique “bill of rights” that allowed him to live within a blurred line. 

Some of the rules included never bringing a man to a heterosexual event or never doing anything that would make anyone believe he was living a heterosexual life, like having a “beard.”

“It wasn’t courage – it was simply the minimum conditions of my conduct, and I recognise it now as the opposite of courage,” Diller explained.

With his bill of rights firmly cemented in his brain, Diller attended Sue’s party.

However, his life was turned upside down when he met Diane again. Instead of having a dismissive attitude, Diller said the beloved fashion designer greeted him with a “dazzling smile.”

“As we walked, we made little asides to each other, and then, like in the gym scene from West Side Story when everyone else fades away and Tony and Maria are left along, Diane and I found our way to a sofa, far away from the rest, and we stayed there for a long time,” he said.

“There was a glow around us that was setting off sparks, accurately described by the French as a coup de foudre. Flushed and completely discombobulated, I said, I’ve got to go,’ and she walked me to the door.”

Their second meeting proved to be life-changing for Diller, who recounted their passionate escapades and the start of their official romantic relationship.

The 83-year-old also revealed that he initially kept his romance with Diane private because he didn’t know how to define it properly. However, despite staying under the radar, people began to notice that they had a profound and emotional connection.

“People started saying, ‘Huh’ What is it with this person? We thought he liked only men,’” he wrote.

Towards the end of the excerpt, Diller shut down the reports, labelling him and Diane as close friends.

“We weren’t just friends. We aren’t just friends. Plain and simple, it was an explosion of passion that kept up for years. And, yes, I also liked guys, but that was not a conflict with my love for Diane,” he said.

Read the full excerpt from Diller’s memoir Who Knew here.