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Tadd Fujikawa, who in 2007 became the second youngest player to participate in a PGA Tour event, is openly gay and is considered the first male professional golfer to do so. "I can not wait for the day when we can all live without feeling different and excluded," he said in a recent post on Instagram.
"I came and went for a while about my sexuality," said Fujikawa, 27. "I thought I did not need to go out because it does not matter if someone knows it. But I remember how much the stories of others helped me in my darkest moments to have hope.
"I spent too much time pretending, hiding and hating who I was. I've always been scared of what others would think / say. I have suffered from my mental health for many years because of this and it has put me in a very bad place, "he continued. "Now, I stand up for myself and the rest of the LGBTQ community in hopes of being a source of inspiration and making a difference in someone's life."
Fujikawa's career as a golfer has waned in recent years, having entered the scene as a teenager. He qualified for the US Open in 2006 as a 15-year-old amateur, and he became professional the following year, having reached the weekend at the Sony Open in his native Hawaii.
He made a dozen starts in the PGA Tour between 2007 and 2012, the latter having seen the most recent opportunity on which he made a cup on this circuit, and he played in the Sony Open 2017. Fujikawa also participated in PGA sanctioned Web.com and Mackenzie Tours, and participated in four events in Canada last year.
Fujikawa shared his difficulties with anxiety and depression in the past, claiming in a July article in social media that some recent therapy sessions had led to "improved mental health." what he said was his first victory in seven years, he expressed his gratitude "to all those who supported me and helped me continue when I was at the lowest ".
In his message this week, Fujikawa said, "I do not expect everyone to understand or accept me. But please, be kind enough not to push your beliefs on me or anyone else in the LGBTQ community. My hope is that this post will inspire each and every one of you to be more empathetic and loving towards each other.
"You Tadd man! The world could use a little more love these days, "said another professional golfer, Mackenzie Hughes of Canada. m said on Twitter on Wednesday, adding, "Keep doing things to yourself."
"The love and support have been incredible," Fujikawa told Outsports. "I'm so happy that I'm out. I can finally be the best version of me.
According to Outsports, a website that examines the intersection of sports and LGBTQ issues, Mianne Bagger, Alena Sharp and Rosie Jones have been pro active golfers. In a book published in 2010 (via Golf.com), Christina Kim, LPGA player, estimated that there were no more than two dozen gay women playing the tour at that time, out of a total of about 230 women.
"Whether LGBTQ is what you support or not, we need to liberate ourselves and encourage each other to be our best selves, no matter what," Fujikawa said in his post. "This is the only way to make this world a better world for future generations."
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