This is just heartbreaking.
Chris, we feel your pain and all we can say is that BE STRONGER THAN STRONG because eventually things will get better.
According to this article, Chris Voth has been dropped by new club team for the 2016-2017 season because of his sexual orientation. The Canadian player, who came out in 2014, is of course devastated when his agent delivered the news.
“I had a great offer lined up, I was pretty excited, and I had good references for this club. My agent told me the team said they didn’t want to take you because they were nervous about other teams’ fans being hostile toward you because of being gay. I was just, ‘Oh.’”
It would’ve been a great contract for Chris according to his agent, Steve Welch.
“The team called and specifically said it was because of his sexual orientation why they were backing out. They said it was for his own protection because other people in their country were not as open-minded as they were.
As an agent, getting rejected is part of the business. It is not uncommon to present a player to 20 or 30 teams before finding one that accepts. But with Chris, it has been a little strange. Teams seem to be really interested one minute, and the next minute I can’t get them to return my calls. Teams do research on players, and Chris is very up front about his sexual orientation. I am sure that some of these teams have decided not to take him because of his sexual orientation but just don’t want to come out and say it.”
As on he is taking it, Chris admits he is hurt but has no regrets of being out.
“It did hurt because I was being open and trying to be a leader within Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and even perhaps the world. I was trying to set an example that it is possible (to be successful as an openly gay professional athlete), you can do it. So for it to kind of do the opposite, instead of making me a leader, it prohibited me from getting a job, it’s a tough situation,” he said, noting he’s looking to play at the next level from where he had been the past two seasons.”
Chris declines to name the country of the club that dropped him and he is in the process of finding a new club.
WE LOVE YOU CHRIS!!!