Japan volleyball player Rui Takahashi goes public with his sexuality, hopes to help others

Rui Takahashi, a 26-year-old Japanese professional volleyball player, publicly came out as gay to support others facing similar struggles in a nation where openly LGBTQ athletes are infrequent.

His brother Ran, a prominent national volleyball team member, played a vital role in his journey of self-acceptance.

Takahashi's decision aligns with the gradual increase in visibility of LGBTQ athletes in Japan, following others like Shiho Shimoyamada and Kumi Yokoyama.

He hopes his openness will serve as an encouragement for others contending with their sexual identity.

TOKYO, Sept 29 — Japanese volleyball player Rui Takahashi came out as gay on Tuesday, saying he wanted to help others struggling with their sexuality in a country where openly LGBTQ athletes are extremely rare.

The 26-year-old Takahashi, who plays in the top division of Japan’s professional volleyball league, posted a statement on social media accompanied by a black-and-white photo of himself.

In it, he said he had been “afraid to face a certain side of myself” since he was young.

“I struggled with it and ended up denying who I was,” he wrote.

“That is the fact that I am gay and that I am one of the sexual minorities.”

Takahashi said his brother Ran, who is a hugely popular star with Japan’s national volleyball team, helped him come to terms with his sexuality.

“Talking with Ran became the trigger that finally allowed me to accept myself for the first time,” he wrote.

“By putting my feelings into words, I was able to sort out my thoughts, and little by little I started to feel that it was OK to be just the way I am.”

Takahashi becomes one of a very small group of openly LGBTQ professional athletes in Japan.

Women’s football player Shiho Shimoyamada was the first to come out as gay in 2019.

Kumi Yokoyama, who played for Japan at the Women’s World Cup, later came out as a transgender man.

In June 2021, the Japanese Olympic Committee appointed transgender former fencer Fumino Suhiyama to its board of directors, just weeks before the Tokyo Olympics.

Takahashi said he hoped him coming out would help others in a similar situation.

“I would be happy if my decision to face myself and speak in my own words could, even in a small way, become a catalyst for them,” he wrote. — AFP

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26岁的日本职业排球运动员高桥瑠衣公开出柜，以支持其他在类似困境中挣扎的人们。在日本，公开出柜的LGBTQ运动员并不常见。

他的哥哥冉是国家排球队的一名优秀队员，在他自我接纳的道路上发挥了至关重要的作用。

高桥的决定与日本 LGBTQ 运动员的可见度逐渐提高的趋势相一致，此前下山田志帆和横山久美等运动员也做出了类似的决定。

他希望自己的坦诚能够鼓励其他正在为自己的性取向而苦恼的人。

东京，9 月 29 日——日本排球运动员高桥瑠衣周二公开出柜，称他想帮助其他在性取向方面挣扎的人，因为在日本，公开出柜的 LGBTQ 运动员极其罕见。

现年 26 岁的高桥是日本职业排球联赛顶级联赛的球员，他在社交媒体上发布了一份声明，并附上了一张自己的黑白照片。

他在信中说，他从小就“害怕面对自己的某些方面”。

“我为此挣扎了很久，最终否认了自己的身份，”他写道。

“事实就是我是同性恋，我是性少数群体的一员。”

高桥表示，他的哥哥兰是日本国家排球队中一位非常受欢迎的明星，兰帮助他接受了自己的性取向。

“与Ran的谈话成为了我最终接受自己的契机，”他写道。

“通过将我的感受用语言表达出来，我能够理清我的思绪，渐渐地，我开始觉得做我自己也没什么不好。”

高桥成为日本极少数公开出柜的 LGBTQ 职业运动员之一。

女子足球运动员下山田志穗是2019年第一个公开出柜的同性恋者。

曾代表日本参加女足世界杯的横山久美后来公开宣布自己是跨性别男性。

2021 年 6 月，日本奥委会任命变性前击剑运动员须山文乃为董事会成员，距离东京奥运会开幕仅几周时间。

高桥表示，他希望自己的公开露面能够帮助其他处境相似的人。

“如果我勇敢面对自己、用自己的语言表达想法的决定，哪怕能以微弱的方式，成为他们的催化剂，我也会感到欣慰。”他写道。——法新社

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