Ex-Montreal Impact Midfielder David Testo Comes Out As Gay

Chris Wright

11th, November 2011

19 Comments

By Chris Wright

Pies would hereby like to extend our sincerest congratulations – if that’s not too patronising – to former Montreal Impact midfielder David Testo (we say ‘former’ because Testo is currently without a club after being released by the Canadian club last month), who made the decision to officially come out as gay in an interview with CBC Radio Canada yesterday.

Said Testo:

“Living the life of a professional athlete and being gay is incredibly hard. It’s like carrying around a secret, carrying around luggage and just never being allowed to be yourself.

“I’m gay. I didn’t choose this. This is just who I am. I really do regret not having come out publicly earlier. It’s something I struggled with my whole life and whole career.”

Well. Fucking. Done. Lad.

Indeed, there’s no Earthly reason for a player to be forced to disclose something as personal as his sexual preference either way, but the fact that two gay footballers have openly come out, while still playing, in the space of eight months (Swedish player Anton Hysen came out in March) and have had their life at least partially unburdened in the process of doing so is representative of progress – a shift in the direction of the greater good –  however slight.

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19 Comments

  1. dnpma says:

    good news!
    and i really like your last paragraph. couldnt have put it any better.

  2. The swedish footballer’s name is Anton Hysen.

  3. Paul Kirkland says:

    Good on him. Hope he doesn’t get flack for it.

  4. Room101 says:

    I don’t think people really care, do they?

  5. MaxMad says:

    It’s admirable that an athlete can come and and finally declare himself as the person he is.
    I can see why it’s a burden being a professional, as you’re constantly in and around the sex you fancy, which may be discomforting for the others, but the more people who come, the more likely it won’t be as taboo in sports.

    Well fucking done indeed.

  6. Stevesy says:

    So let me get this straight (no pun intended). This website is anti-racist and pro-whatever-you-do-in-private-is-your-own-business?

    I would like to use a quote from Chris Wright to applaud Chris Wright; “Well. Fucking. Done. Lad.”

  7. Arsene Wenger says:

    i hope chamakh is next, he’s been in closet way too long.

  8. he6rt6gr6m says:

    It’s stupid that this should be newsworthy, but in this sport, ridiculously, it is.

    All the best to David. Hope he finds a club soon and continues his career without ridicule for being a human being.

  9. Jay says:

    Hold on,excuse my ignorance here,but did Montreal Impact release him because he came out?ie: He came out, thus they released him?

  10. __wowza says:

    good on him. i agree with everyone that says “this shouldnt be news” but sadly, racism and homophobia still exist in the sport.

    FYI: from what ive heard hes only come out as gay AFTER having been released from the club whose set to make a promotion into the MLS (north americas top tier) in 2012. theyve but cutting players left and right, his sexual preference had nothing to do with it, but the club itself has come out with statements supporting him (apparently a lot of his teammates knew)

  11. plainswalker75 says:

    No, they released him, then later on he came out.

  12. Mark says:

    If the congrats wasn’t patronising then the ‘Well. Fucking. Done. Lad.’ might have been a wee bit.

  13. Mr. Sparkle says:

    Good on him, this whole homophobia in football needs to end. People need to realise that performance on the pitch has nothing to do with your sexual orientation.

  14. don petronie says:

    wow…to think that last month i ended up arguing with my woman that there’s no poofs in football. i must say i am rather shocked to learn that i was wrong. well, congrats to the guy i guess, it definitely takes a lot of cojones to come out, being a professional football player that he is…

  15. don petronie says:

    oh and also i hope he finds a black boyfriend (i heard he’s a night rider) and get his crater profoundly stretched by rasheeds or jamals of this world. the brave lad deserves it

  16. Anon says:

    Ignore him everybody, and he’ll go back to his cave.

  17. werderbremen_rulez says:

    Congrats!

    Now may the others step up and follow?!

  18. Tim Lovejoy says:

    That explains the chants of “Tapette, Tapette!!!” at Impact games.

    he wasnt cut because he was gay, but because he was mediocre in 2nd division.

    good for him if it makes him feel better.

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