British Pro Golfer Mel Reid Comes Out
British pro golfer Mel Reid has publicly come out in an interview with Athlete Ally. Reid has won the Ladies European Tour six times.
“I protected my sexuality for a long time because I thought I had to in order to help my career and to get more sponsors,” she said.
“But then I started to wonder why these companies would want to sponsor me and have me represent them if I can’t be my authentic self.
“There is only one of you in the world and you have one life, so be the best version of yourself and be proud of who you are. That’s when you attract the right people around you to make you better, and ultimately, happier.
“The Tour is a very welcoming community and it’s rare that anyone has an issue with sexuality or openly express any issues.
“The only problem we run into is that being gay is still illegal or frowned upon in certain countries we play in.”
Regardless, Reid’s coming out has been met with praise, most notably from fellow out athelete Billie Jean King, who tweeted to Reid that she is “an incredible athlete and now a courageous champion for living an authentic life and encouraging others to do the same.”
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