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Leigh Ryswyk: First Male AFL Player to Publicly Come Out
25 Mar
Summary
- Leigh Ryswyk is the first male AFL player to publicly come out as gay.
- He played one game for the Brisbane Lions in 2005 before a stellar SANFL career.
- Ryswyk's parents expressed unconditional love and support upon his coming out.
Leigh Ryswyk, a former player for the Brisbane Lions, has publicly announced he is gay, marking a significant moment as the first male AFL player to do so. Ryswyk's AFL career included a single game in 2005 for the Lions. Following his AFL stint, he had a distinguished career in the SANFL, playing 226 games for North Adelaide and representing South Australia.
On Wednesday, Ryswyk shared his news on the GayFL show, revealing he had been out to close friends for five years. He described the significant emotional process of coming out to his parents, who responded with overwhelming love and acceptance. His mother's tearful affirmation and his father's declaration that her happiness was paramount deeply moved him.
Ryswyk believes that an active player coming out would receive widespread support from the AFL and its community. He anticipates that the AFL, the queer community, and fans would embrace such a player. His own historic announcement has already drawn attention, following Mitch Brown's public coming out as bisexual in the previous year.
