Professional golfer Tadd Fujikawa has come out as gay making him the first out gay male professional golfer.
Fujikawa, 27, made the announcement on Instagram in honor of World Suicide Prevention Day.
“So…I’m gay,” he writes. “I’ve been back and forth for a while about opening up about my sexuality. I thought that I didn’t need to come out because it doesn’t matter if anyone knows. But I remember how much other’s stories have helped me in my darkest times to have hope. I spent way too long pretending, hiding, and hating who I was. I was always afraid of what others would think/say. I’ve struggled with my mental health for many years because of that and it put me in a really bad place. Now I’m standing up for myself and the rest of the LGBTQ community in hopes of being an inspiration and making a difference in someone’s life.”
Fujikawa told Outsports that reactions to his coming out have been positive.
“The love and support have been overwhelming,” he says.”I’m so glad that I came out. I can finally be the best version of me.”
Fujikawa kicked off his golf career in 2006 by becoming the youngest person to qualify for the U.S. Open at just 15 years old. He won the Hawaii State Open in 2017.
