Isaac Humphries: Be "Whoever You Want"

Melbourne United's Isaac Humphries has provided some unique insight into his courageous announcement on Wednesday.

“A few years ago I fell into a very dark place, a very lonely place – I couldn’t be who I am and I attempted to take my life and the main reason behind me becoming so low and being at that point was because I was very much struggling with my sexuality and coming to terms with the fact that I’m gay,” Humphries said, speaking to his teammates. 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/YTMc5bzLKc">pic.twitter.com/YTMc5bzLKc</a></p>&mdash; Isaac Humphries (@IsaacHumphries7) <a href="https://twitter.com/IsaacHumphries7/status/1592644869121404928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“I hated it about myself, I was disgusted with myself, I thought I could not be that person within our environment, within a basketball environment. It wasn’t until I was in a community that’s full of pride and happiness and joy, and it was a big wake-up call for me. Then came the big question mark of how do I be a basketball player and how do I join a new team when I’ve finally come to terms with this about myself and I don’t want to hide who I am anymore.

“I decided that if I’m going to join a team then I’m going to come out publicly and just make sure people know that you can live and you don’t have to hide just because you’re an athlete. “

>> Melbourne United Statement | NBL Statement

Humphries released the video via his social media accounts on Wednesday morning. 

He said that as an athlete, he held the responsibility of setting a good example for gay sports men and women.

“That’s my goal behind this, to make sure people know you can be whatever you want. You can be ‘Big Ice’ and be gay, and you can still be a great basketballer and be gay, you can do whatever you want – it has nothing to do with your sexuality oe who you are or who you’re meant to be or who you’re expected to be.

“We as athletes, as professional athletes, we have a responsibility to set examples for people and the truth is there are so many people in other worlds that are struggling every single day that don’t know how to get up, don’t know how to exist ad I know how that feels and I want to represent those people.

“I just want to be myself. I’ve discovered this is my purpose in life and I’m going to give it my best go.”

In an opinion piece he penned for CNN, Humphries wrote that it was during his rehabilitation from a serious knee injury that he found peace with who he was.

“Growing up in Australia I went to an all-male private school from about the age of 13, where there was an unspoken expectation that everyone was straight – and that was the end of the conversation. Throw in the competitive sports world I was a part of and there were really no avenues for me to see members of the LGBTQ+ community,” he said.

“Things didn’t change when I became a pro basketball player; LGBTQ+ representation had rarely ever been there in top-tier male-dominated sports, where it’s generally seen as a negative point of difference. Anyone who’s ever been in a locker room understands the sentiments that float around. There’s the unintentional derogatory slang, and ridiculing anything with a gay connotation.

“In LA, it was completely different. I was around some of the most successful people in the world – everyone from musicians, television and film producers, media personalities, A-list celebrities – and got to see that being openly gay can come with joy.

“For the first time in my life, I saw that people at the top of their game can be open and honest about who they are, and that came with a visceral and contagious happiness.

“So while in LA in 2021 to fix my injuries, I also got to experience more of being around the LGBTQ+ community. It was mostly through making friends who were openly gay and unequivocally themselves – shame wasn’t even a consideration.

“I learned so much about the experiences people in our community go through, and was shocked at the number of stories that were eerily similar to mine.”

Like Adelaide United footballer Josh Cavallo, Humphries has joined a small group of elite male professional athletes who have come out as gay.

He says he’s prepared to take the insults and abuse of those who don’t accept him for who he is so long as it helps widen the path for those who choose to come out in the future.

“You can be a gay man and an elite basketballer in one of the best leagues in the world – I’m living proof of that,” he added. 

“My journey to get to this point in my life was harder than it should have been, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

“Without those dark points I wouldn’t have been thrust into situations where I had to explore, discover and learn to accept who I really am.

“If there are negative aspects that come with my decision to come out I’ll take those barbs so others don’t have to; as long as it means we make progress along the way and kids in particular feel they can be whoever they want.”

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The National Basketball League is committed to continually improving its inclusivity of people with diverse sexualities and genders through its partnership with Pride in Sport.

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