College athlete Nico Young is finding the courage to publicly live his truth and be his most authentic self.
In an emotional Instagram post to his over 47,000+ followers, the Northern Arizona University runner (who holds multiple records throughout his high school and college career) publicly came out as gay, sharing that while he has struggled in the past with learning to accept himself, he is now ready to embrace who he is and try to be a "representative and advocate for others."
"Hi, I'm Nico, and I'm gay," Young began his coming out Insta post. "This may come as a shock to some of you, but this is something I have always known and have finally decided to share with the world. I like guys, not girls."
He continued:
"Anyone who tells you that being gay is a choice is wrong. I am living proof that it is not a choice, it is something I have always known and been aware of, but have kept silent out of fear of rejection. I have struggled to accept myself, but I am becoming more proud and happy with who I am. I have realized that the only reason I never liked this part of who I am was because of what society has told me, not because of how I actually feel. This is a quality of myself as well as so many other people that should be accepted and celebrated just the same as a straight person's identity is. I want and hope to be a representative and advocate for others like me. I want anyone who is struggling with who they are to know that you are never alone, and that the people who truly matter to you will always be there to love and support you."
"If people choose to walk out of your life because of who you are, then they never deserved to be in your life in the first place," he concluded. "My name is Nico Young and I'm proud to be gay!"
As expected, many people showed their love and support for Young in the comment section of his post, including fellow runner and LGBTQ+ community member Nikki Hiltz, who came out as trans and nonbinary last year.
Screenshot via Instagam
"So happy for you Nico!!!" Hiltz wrote in a comment. "'Those who mind won't matter and those who matter won't mind.'"
Young isn't the only athlete to come out on the popular social media platform, though. Just last month, minor league baseball player Solomon Bates opened up about being gay in a post on his own Instagram account.
"Being gay in this sport, you don't know what comes at you!" he wrote. "I thank the Giants for giving me the opportunity to be myself and go out there and play the game that I love the most. I'm still in shock on what just happened. But I'm not giving up on what I want to do."
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