Zach’s Story
I was born to a very close-knit family in Redhill, which is a small town in Surrey, England. I started playing ice hockey at the age of nine, and at 13 I was picked to play for the national team. Currently, I play professionally with the Manchester Storm, which is part of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL).
I figured out I was bisexual when I was around 14 or 15 because I started finding both men and women attractive. At that time, neither the world of hockey nor society at large were very accepting of LGBT people. So (as I am sure many people can relate to), I suppressed these feelings because I was terrified of being shunned or ignored.
Roughly 10 years later, in November 2019, I decided to come out. The first person I told was my best friend in Glasgow. I then told my family and a select few teammates and friends. Every reaction I received was positive. So, I made a quick decision to come out publicly during the EIHL’s first league-wide Pride weekend, which was in January 2020. I wanted to use the opportunity to reach as many people as I could with my message.
That Saturday, I stood up in the dressing room after our game and told my teammates that I was going to tweet about my sexuality the next day. They gave me a standing ovation, which was truly humbling, but it was their reaction the next day that will stick with me forever. The tweet exploded almost immediately and by the time of our game on Sunday, it had gone viral. When I walked into the dressing room my teammates gave me a couple pats on the back and a few “good jobs”, but then it was business as usual. To me, that was the perfect response because in their eyes I hadn't changed—I was still the same person, the same teammate.
I had been worried about losing love and respect because of my sexuality. Ice hockey is a very masculine and fast-paced sport, and my fear (based on social stereotypes) was that hockey players wouldn’t be accepting of anyone that was different from them. The response I received after coming out could not have been more different. I am certain 16-year-old me would have been more comfortable and confident with his sexuality if I'd had a role model in ice hockey at that age. So, to everyone out there who is on a similar journey, I hope this story helps you.
For more about Zach, follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
Artist Notes
“In this image Zach is featured inside a light blue cocoon, which symbolizes the ice hockey rink. On one end of the cocoon is a larva, which transforms into a yellow butterfly on the other end to symbolize Zach’s coming out. Dandelion seeds flying in the illustration represent him feeling light and free after sharing his truth.”
Published Jul 1, 2020
Updated Oct 25, 2022
Published in Issue VII: Sports