NBL’s Isaac Humphries says gay AFL player ‘shouldn’t fear’ coming out.
24-year-old Isaac Humphries, who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) over the course of his professional career, has come out as a gay man. Humphries was born in Sydney, Australia and started his basketball career playing for the Sydney Kings. He went on to join other teams and clubs, like the Košarkaški klub FMP and the Erie BayHawks, before finally getting to the NBA by playing for the Atlanta Hawks in 2019 and for the Lakeland Magic in 2020. In recent years, Humphries returned to Australia and signed on with teams such as the Adelaide 36ers and the Melbourne United.
Australian basketballer Isaac Humphries has said he hopes his and others’ experience will show a gay AFL player shouldn’t be afraid to come out themselves. The 24-year-old was last November the first Australian male NBL player to come out as gay. Isaac explained to the Herald Sun that the biggest hurdle in revealing his sexuality was that there had been no role models before him.
“Now that I’m out, [Adelaide soccer player Josh Cavallo] is out as well, hopefully people see it. It’s not so scary and it’s not so negative,” he said at the GQ Men of the Year Awards. “You build it up to be very negative in your head. I’m sure a lot of people are in that case. I just hope people can see that the fear doesn’t have to be there anymore. I’ve done it, I’m fine, and I’m loving life.” 
Humphries explained he hopes his example would show the level of support available to other athletes who may be struggling with hiding their sexuality, including a male AFL player. “I feared it leaking. The fear is no longer there”. 
Last week, Humphries came out as gay, sharing a powerful video online of a moving speech he delivered to his club. Humphries explained at the time hiding his sexuality took him to a “very dark place, a very lonely place” and very “dark times”. But coming out allowed him to find “happiness and joy”. 
“As an athlete, we don’t have the luxury of doing anything quietly,” he said. “It has been overwhelming, very positive and full on. But it is all worth it, I get to be myself now and help others in the process”. 
He told the Herald Sun he now didn’t need to fear his sexuality being shared without his consent. “If I stayed closeted and played on a team, then I’d fear it leaking. The fear is no longer there, I can be open and myself.” He had a “network” of support around him, including close friend Dannii Minogue. The Basketballer said he’d received a lot of messages, including one from music superstar Ricky Martin.
“I’ve seen a lot of messages and the impact it’s made,” Humphries told us. “It’s overwhelming. Yes there’s an aspect of me not wanting to hide anymore. But it really is about others and kids and people understanding they can be whoever they want regardless of their circumstances.” 
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