Minnesota MLS player announces publicly he’s gay

Major League Soccer midfielder Collin Martin came out Friday as a gay man, announcing his sexuality publicly for the first time, though he said it had been known for years by family, friends and teammates.

Martin, 23, made the announcement on social media hours before his club, Minnesota United FC, was set to host FC Dallas for its “Pride Match,” to support the LGBTQ community.

“Today, I’m proud that my entire team and the management of Minnesota United know that I am gay,” he wrote on Twitter. “I have received only kindness and acceptance from everyone in Major League Soccer and that has made the decision to come out publicly that much easier.”

Martin is in his sixth MLS season and second in Minnesota. He broke into the league in 2013 after one year of college at Wake Forest. He transferred to George Washington and played professionally with D.C. United.

After four seasons without much playing time, United shipped him to Minnesota in exchange for a 2018 fourth-round draft pick.

But Martin has consistently cracked Minnesota’s lineup, appearing in 11 games with seven starts last season and six games with three starts this year.

He is the second MLS player in recent years to come out during his playing career. Robbie Rogers announced he was gay in 2013 and then retired; three months later, he announced his return to the game and was acquired by the Los Angeles Galaxy.

MNUFC was the first pro sports team to sign the Athlete Ally pledge, “a commitment to equality and inclusiveness,” it said in a release. Players on Friday will be surrounded by “massive rainbow scarves” as they exit the tunnel and wear rainbow-coloured number decals.