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Soccer star Jakub Jankto talks about the joys of dating openly after coming out
Jankto recently sat down for a big feature story with ESPN
Any gay person will tell you: one of the best parts about coming out is the ability to date openly. There’s no more hiding, no more clandestine meetings.
Finally, you can breath!
Pro soccer player Jakub Jankto feels the same way. In a recent interview with ESPN, Jankto says he came out so he could date men without restrictions.
“I didn’t want to hide. Maybe I’m watching a YouTube video or a TikTok, or messaging someone, or you’re dating guys, and you’re scared someone will see it,” he said. “You’re hiding your phone. I didn’t want to have to do that, that was a bad feeling. Maybe if I date a guy, I had to hide, too. You weren’t sure he wouldn’t write [about you]. I couldn’t do what I wanted with life, and I decided I had to speak.”
Jankto, 27, publicly came out as gay in February. In his coming out video, he said he wants to live an open life.
“Like everybody else, I have my strengths, I have my weaknesses. I have a family, I have my friends. I have a job, which I have been doing as best as I can for years, with seriousness, professionalism and passion,” he said.
“Like everybody else, I also want to live my life in freedom without fears, without prejudice, without violence, but with love. I am homosexual, and I no longer want to hide myself.”
Due to the dearth of out gay male pro soccer players — Josh Cavallo, Zander Murray and 18-year-old Jake Daniels are the others — Jankto’s status makes him a trailblazer. He’s the only out active player at the international level (he plays for the Czech national team).
Though Jankto didn’t come out to be a trailblazer, he quickly came to the realization that his story matters.
He says the overwhelming response to his story was heartwarming, yet also scary.
It’s been viewed more than 30 million times, making it the second-most watched video in Czech history!
“When you receive thousands, maybe millions, of messages from people saying they appreciate me and thank me, it makes me really happy, and the people were amazing,” Jankto told the BBC. “But it does put pressure on me. It’s not easy to be the first guy at my level who says: ‘Yeah, I’m gay.’”
So far, he’s embraced the spotlight. Jankto plays for an elite club in Serie A — Italy’s highest professional league.
When he appeared in his first match since coming out, fans showered him with a standing ovation. The moment would’ve been special under any circumstances, but it was especially important for Jankto.
The match was played in the Czech Republic.
“For me, the strongest moment in my career. A minute I will never forget,” he posted on social media. “3 points, great atmosphere. Thank you to all the people at the stadium! We keep pushing.”
Like many out athletes, Jankto now admits his fear over coming out didn’t match the reality.
But he can relate to the worry and angst. He wants to be a positive example for other LGBTQ+ athletes who are experiencing the same feelings.
“If you say that gay people are proud of me, I say that I’m proud of you, because I know how you feel,” he said. “I know how people feel if they have to hide something, and I wish you good luck and stay strong, because there’s no reason to be scared.”
That doesn’t mean everything in Jankto’s life fell perfectly into place. When he was 22, he had a son with his then-girlfriend, and acknowledges their relationship “wasn’t the best.”
But Jankto doesn’t want to dwell on the past. He’s moving forward with his ex-partner, and they’re working together to create the best environment for their child.
“It’s not easy, but you keep talking,” he said. “What matters is our son, him growing up; everything we do, we do for him. He is 4½ and hasn’t seen what happened.”
But when he does understand what happened, he’ll like what he sees: his dad, the soccer star, living and dating openly.
“I was like: ‘OK, stop it, I will tell everyone,” said Jankto. “Maybe it will be hard, but I will tell the world one time and I will feel OK. Now I don’t have to do those things; that’s the difference. I feel good. If I am free, I can go out, relax, listen to music, have fun. You need that.”
And we need more out athletes in our lives like Jankto.
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