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T.J. House’s Coming Out: A Look at His Journey to Self-Acceptance

Glenn Anthony ‘TJ’ House, popularly known as T.J. House became one of the few sportsmen in history to come out as gay when he made the historical announcement on Facebook in 2022. He came out after the passing of the Respect for Marriage Act.

House is a former Major League Baseball player who played for the Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays during his four seasons as a pitcher. He had a successful career in both clubs before a career-threatening injury. The thirty-three-year-old was hit in the face during the final years of his career as a baseball player, spending some time with the minors before making his final appearance.

In December 2022, the former MLB pitcher took to Facebook to announce his engagement to his long-term boyfriend Ryan Neitzel as well as letting the world know that he was finally out as gay. House became just the third man in the history of the sport to come out of the closet after Glen Burke, the former Los Angeles Dodgers player who came out back in 1982, and Billy Bean who played for the Dodgers and Detroit Tiger who also came out in 1999.

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Considering the few number of players in baseball to come out as gay, T.J. House spent more than two decades in denial wishing that he was born someone else.

“Deep down, I wanted something more, I wanted to be loved not for what I did, but who I was,” he posted on Facebook expressing his desire for people to love him as he is as well as thanking his fiancé for being part of his life.

The social prejudice and hatred against the members of the LGBTQ+ community contribute to things that cause many people to fail to come out and live the best lives. He also feared being isolated from the game as he also enjoyed playing baseball and making people happy.

However, despite having a good career in baseball and enjoying the game, the former American professional baseball player wanted more. He wanted people to love him for who he was and not because he was a good baseball player. He explained in his Facebook post about his need for true love and his struggle to be his true identity.

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“I’ve struggled my entire life with being comfortable in my own skin. I have purposefully distanced myself from people for the sake of trying to protect myself,” he wrote on social media in a long and heartwarming post alongside photos with his fiancé.

Growing up as a gay baseball player, House had to deal with the sense of rejection often spending hours alone. He witnessed the social rejection that people from the LGBTQ+ community faced every day which scared him. He knew many people who had loved him as a baseball player but turned their backs on him when they found out that he was a gay man. However, living a double life for more than twenty years is one thing that he regrets, and is finally happy that people love him for who he is.

“It’s disheartening how one simple thing can change an individual’s opinion of you in a matter of seconds. It has taken me years to wake up every morning and tell myself that you are loved for you, the one that’s deep down inside that you’ve never truly let out,” House continued in his post.

According to T.J. House, playing baseball and being good at the game acted as a blanket that covered who he was. He would play good games and make people cheer him but would finally find himself lonely whenever he went home. Therefore baseball acted as alcohol or a drug that made him feel good for a short while and eventually, he would come back to reality and become sad.

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“I’ve been loved my whole life for what I did as a career, and it carried me for the longest time. Eventually, though, it’s a bandage that covers a wound that needs fresh air to heal. You have to rip it off at some point if you truly want to get better. Shame has kept me quiet all these years, but Love has finally set me free,” he continued.

House says that part of the reason why he came out was the passing of the Respect for Marriage Act which was meant to protect same-sex marriage in the country. The bill seeks to protect people in the LGBTQ+ community from having the same rights as everyone else. They are protected against social prejudice and rejection in different professions to allow them to have a normal life.

“Today’s passage of the Respect for Marriage Act protects us to have the same rights and opportunities that each of you have. It protects the same benefits. It makes us equal to you. It allows Ryan Neitzel and me to come together and create something beautiful. It gives me the confidence to get engaged to the person I love (he said ‘Yes!’), to marry them,” wrote House.

The baseball star also expressed his gratitude to his fiancé saying that he is a special person who has made him a better person. The couple have been together for many years but could not announce their relationship until the end of House’s career in baseball. They have been seen in public together but many people did not suspect the relationship. Their engagement and announcement on Facebook came as a shock to many people while many fans congratulated the double for taking the big step to come out and be happy.

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“I have a wonderful fiancé, who challenges me daily to become a better person. To live life authentically,” wrote House while showing off their beautiful photos together.

Coming out of the closet marked a new journey for the former MLB pitcher who says that he is happier than ever. He feels loved for who he is inside rather than what he does for people.

“I’m finally healing, and days like today are what helps me continue to grow into the person I’ve been all along, one I’ve locked up for 20-plus years. Today, I am loved,” House ended his long statement. He was also glad that several people were happy for him and his decision to come out inspired many people who might still be hiding their true identity.