It looks like the world of sports still has a VERY long way to go when it comes to embracing gay athletes.
Earlier today, Olympic diver Tom Daley made a HUGE announcement that he has been dating another man since the Spring!
But while some embraced the British bronze-medalist with open arms, others weren’t quite as welcoming.
Almost immediately, Tom received a ton of backlash on Twitter and a slew of homophobic messages such as these:
Tom Daley is gay.. What a shocker (not).
This will probably kill his career though. You can't Market a gay symbol.
— #Billi (@billibhatti) December 2, 2013
Tom Daley is gay! Also water is wet. Great pr stunt in time for his new t.v show
— Robbo (@moldawski) December 2, 2013
There was even this little nugget from an “anti bullying activist,” who wrote:
I can’t believe Tom Daley is gay I’m not a fan of his anymore! he’s going to hell it’s Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve.
— Castiel (@DrugFeud) December 2, 2013
Wow! Sadly, these aren’t even the worst messages as there are PLENTY more that use foul language we can’t even bring ourselves to repeat.
On the bright side, Tom has also received a ton of support who recognize the courage it took for him to share this aspect of his life with the world.
Bullying like this is still a huge issue in the sports community, especially when it comes to homosexuality. But hopefully figures like Tom and Jason Collins can prove that coming out can be a positive thing and open the doors for other athletes!
[Image via Instagram.]