A gay jock and his family

I was just made aware of this story featured in the Ottawa Citizen last month, titled “A Gay Jock Takes off the Mask.”

The article jumps right into the action: “Scott Heggart was a big, strapping teenager, who topped out at six foot
four. He played football, basketball, softball and hockey.

And he had a secret.”

Heggart is the only openly gay athlete in the Lanark Carleton Minor Hockey
League. (Photo:

Bruno
Schlumberger, Ottawa Citizen.)

He isn’t the stereotypical gay guy, so no one suspected a thing. And he had a hard time admitting to himself that he is gay, so his coming-out story is one of survival.

Here is his coming-out story on YouTube and his dad‘s side of things. His mom speaks, too, and so do his brother and sister. He asked his whole family if they had suspected anything. They all said no, although the ladies say that deep down it makes sense: they knew in retrospect.

I really like this story because it’s evidence that being gay is not just an individual thing — though obviously one’s sexuality is very intimate and personal — but it is also a family affair. Especially when you’re a kid or teen coming out, because a kid needs that acceptance and support.