Milwaukee Brewers minor leaguer becomes first openly gay MLB player

The barriers in sports continue to fall, as Milwaukee Brewers minor leaguer David Denson has become the first openly player in the MLB.

After Jason Collins shattered the initial barrier and Michael Sam did so in the NFL, it’s now time for the MLB to open it’s arms to its first openly gay player. Davi Denson, who is a minor leaguer in the Milwaukee Brewers system, has come out as gay making him the first baseball player to have publicly done so.

Denson talked with the told the Journal Sentinel that talking with his teammates allowed him to come out as gay and be proud of who he is.

"“Talking with my teammates, they gave me the confidence I needed, coming out to them,” Denson told the publication. “They said, ‘You’re still our teammate. You’re still our brother. We kind of had an idea, but your sexuality has nothing to do with your ability. You’re still a ballplayer at the end of the day. We don’t treat you any different. We’ve got your back.’ “"

While not the first major-leaguer to come out as gay, Denson is the first player affiliated with an MLB team to come out as gay — and it’s a fantastic step forward for the sport.

Baseball has been notoriously hard lined when it comes to accepting change in its sport, but this is something that we can all support and the MLB is sure to as well. Rob Manfred has already proven to be a progressive commissioner and while it’s not going to be a pom and circumstance style celebration for Denson, it’s certainly not a barrier breaking moment for the sport that will go ignored.

Nor should it.

It wasn’t that long ago that we were wondering what it would be like when a professional athlete comes out as gay, and now it’s becoming a normal thing — which is the way life works.

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