The announcement Thursday by David Testo, a professional soccer player for nearly a decade now, that he is gay turned into big news. It prompted numerous stories across Canada, where he currently resides, and the United States, making the sites of USA Today and ESPN. But perhaps the more shocking news is that he has been open about his sexuality all along, and the people around him – in a professional sports league – respected his privacy.
To me, this is a great illustration of how progressive and open-minded the sport has become in the United States and Canada. As the former long-time director of public relations at United Soccer Leagues, where he has played for Richmond Kickers (2003), Vancouver Whitecaps (2006-07) and Montreal Impact (2007-present), I have to say that there were the usual rumors and stories about W-League players (not surprising given the unfortunate innuendo surrounding women’s sports), but there was never, ever anything about a player in one of our men’s leagues being gay.
That says a lot about the quality of person that Testo is and is a great statement about the people that surrounded him. In a world obsessed with the sexuality of its celebrities and sports stars, he basically lived a somewhat openly gay life with his teammates and coaches and it never became a news story until he himself took overt action yesterday to make it a headline.
While it is unfortunate, and despicable, that gay slurs were used during play by opposing players on a few occasions (according to this LaPresse report quoting former coach Marc Dos Santos, who estimates 60-80% of the players in the league knew Testo’s orientation), I think it is a far greater representation of the sport in this country that not a single player – teammate or opponent – threw Testo’s personal life into the limelight by talking to the media. In this day and age of electronic media, social app addiction and online anonymity, Testo played nine seasons of professional soccer without the news of his sexuality leaving the locker room and becoming a public discussion. That is an incredible display of respect and restraint.
"David Testo's declaration is in fact very personal," Joey Saputo, owner of the MLS-bound Impact said in a statement. "We knew David's orientation prior to him joining our club from Vancouver in 2007.” Regarding the non-disclosure of the on-field incidents club executive VP Richard Legendre said they all met and since Testo’s orientation was private, the club chose to respect that and did not disclose the incidents, which is likely why Dos Santos did not speak about them until Testo’s announcement.
Former teammate Patrick Leduc, in a special column for LaPresse said (translated) “Let the record (show). We knew David's sexual orientation on arrival and it had no negative effect on his relationship with the team or group performance. I have heard sports commentators claim that the coming out of an athlete could endanger the stability of the locker room. This is not (the case), at least not in the Impact. David is a professional who has greatly helped the cause of the club.”
It is not as though Testo is fringe player either. He has been a standout in the second division flight since his rookie season in Richmond in 2003, winning championships and earning numerous team and league honors. He earned a second chance at playing in MLS after going undrafted, playing for the Columbus Crew (2004-05). He was with the Impact when they won the Canadian Championship in 2008 and played in the inaugural edition of the CONCACAF Champions League, where he helped lead Montreal to its historic run to the competition’s quarterfinal stage.
Unforunately, despite the respect shown by those around him, Testo still felt burdened by the situation, clearly showing emotion visually in the video interview he did with Radio-Canada. "Living the life of a professional athlete and being gay is incredibly hard," Testo said in the interview with French-language Radio-Canada. "It's like carrying around a secret, you know, and carrying around luggage and just never being allowed to be yourself." [short video - full video]
Unless Montreal re-signs Testo to play for in its MLS debut season in 2012, his actual luggage will have to hit the road once again as he searches for a new team. He was one of a handful of players on the team with 20+ games played last season and will undoubtedly be an impactful signing for anyone next year. Hopefully, he finds that new home soon, and without a storm of discontent from the community.
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