Air Force defensive back Bradley Kim
came out publicly on Friday, making him the first openly gay football
player to play for a military academy.
Kim, a sophomore, came out to
teammates, on social media and in an article in Outsports.
“The biggest reason I want to share
this is to be able to reach people who are in similar situations
struggling with the same things I have struggled with,” he told
Outsports.
“I want to be that example for kids that you can be gay, you can
pursue your dreams, and you can have an athletic career.
“My dreams got me to a D1 football
program. I want to be there for people who don’t feel like they
have anyone there for them, because I was that kid growing up in high
school,” Kim said.
Kim said that in coming out to his
teammates, he received a standing ovation.
“They tell me they appreciate the
fact that I felt confident enough, and they meant enough, for me to
tell them,” he said.
Kim, who attended high school in
Washington near Seattle, said that he knew he was gay in high school
but didn't tell anyone about his sexuality.