I grew up with a dad who was a successful high school football coach and knew that's what my dad wanted me to get into as a young kid. There was a palpable expectation in my family. I was always athletic and always played sports but knew from a VERY young age that I was gay af and certainly different than my peers internally. I particularly LOATHED authority and direction from anyone and everyone. (That kind of personality trait doesn't translate well to organized sports...)
I moved towns at age 10 and bought a skateboard after seeing Ryan Sheckler win the x games that summer at the ripe age of 13. I was simply inspired. From there it opened doors to skate videos, Thrasher mag, skateboardrumors.com, etc.
Like someone said earlier in the thread, I knew that no one would be cool with me being gay, my family included...but I also knew that skateboarding offered an "otherness" where I could listen to weird music, wear wild clothes, and focus my attention on something that wasn't what was being "forced" on me or expected of me. It was a space where I could have SOME semblance of individuality in a culture where anyone outside the norm was a freak.
Sometimes I think I started skating for that very reason. It was a place to focus all of my attention and frustration with my situation on MY terms. No practices, games, coaches, expectations. It was something that was solely mine.
I've been out for a while but am finally starting to come out to an entire skate scene in a big city and the response has been nothing but kindness and love.
I still hear some horrifically gay slurs and homophobic bullshit at the skatepark but tbh I know it's just something that will be there for only a few more years. Shit is changing
It's an exciting time to be a skateboarder and to be honest and an even more exciting time to be gay.
Love this thread so much.