Hockey Player Comes Out As Gay In Powerful Post After Being Inspired By 'Heated Rivalry'

Recently, Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams told Andy Cohen he's been flooded with messages from closeted gay athletes thanking him for his work on the show.

Now, the impact of the Crave and HBO series has gone up a notch, with hockey player Jesse Kortuem coming out publicly after being inspired by the show.

In a Facebook post, Kortuem explained that he left the sport, where he played professionally in several leagues, in part because of the homophobia he faced.

But watching Heated Rivalry, he said, made his realize it is "finally time" to come out publicly.

Speaking to Out, Kortuem said:

"I know many closeted and gay men in the hockey world are being hit hard by Heated Rivalry's success."

"Never in my life did I think something so positive and loving could come from such a masculine sport."

"I've struggled the last few weeks to put these emotions into words, fearing the impact on team dynamics, etc."

But he did indeed find the words on Facebook. In his post, Kortuem described the rush his love of hockey gives him every time he enters an ice rink.

But that joy has always been tempered by the fear of coming out.

"For a long time, however, the rink did not feel like a place where I could be all of me. I felt I had to hide parts of myself for far too long."

Kortuem described what it was like to grow up in Minnesota as a competitive teen athlete in the sport.

"I carried a weight that did not seem to fit into that world, and I lived in a constant state of dichotomy."

Later, as an adult, he felt even more nervous about his secret.

"...revealing who I truly was to my team would change everything in an instant, their opinion of me, could bring negative attention to the team with the 'gay player', so I never took the chance."

"I spent every week in a locker room with guys I respected, yet I still did not feel safe enough to tell them who I truly was."

After leaving the sport, Kortuem fell into a handful of gay hockey leagues that changed his perspective and led to a recent tournament event where he realized he'd come full circle.

He explained:

"Standing on that ice, I realized I have finally found my peace."

That, combined with Heated Rivalry, convinced him that now was the time to publicly come out—especially as a way of being there for his fellow gay athletes.

"I want to speak to the athletes out there who are still in the closet or struggling to find their way."

"I want you to know that there is hope and you’re not alone. There is a life and a deep happiness waiting for you on your path. You will get through this, and it is going to be okay."

On social media, people found Kortuem's message deeply moving.

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Let it never be said that representation doesn't matter.