Knocking out homophobia.

• Author: Zirin, Dave
• Position: Edge of Sports - Orlando Cruz

Orlando Cruz is my choice for a hero who is "living the values" of openness, fearlessness, and courage. Cruz is a 2000 Olympian from Puerto Rico, as well as a top-ranked featherweight. He's also, as of October this year, an out of the closet "proud, gay man."

As he said to the Associated Press, "I developed physically and mentally to take such a big step in my life and in my profession, which is boxing, knowing that it would have pros and cons, highs and lows in this sport that is so macho. I kept this hidden for many, many years."

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Cruz was caught between the deeply homophobic world of boxing and his desire to be true to himself. What tipped the balance for him, despite the risks, was knowing that the truth could give young LGBT teenagers the confidence to stand tall.

"I don't want to hide any of my identities," he said. "I want people to look at me for the human being that I am. I am a professional sportsman who always brings his best to the ring. I want for people to continue to see me for my boxing skills, my character, my sportsmanship. But I also want kids who suffer from bullying to know that you can be whoever you want to be in life, including a professional boxer, and that who you are or whom you love should not be an impediment to achieving anything in life."

Cruz didn't just come out while an active athlete. He came out before the biggest fight of his career against Mexico's Jorge Pazos. Cruz beat Pazos in a unanimous decision, bringing his record to 19-2.

The most remarkable part of the fight was not the victory, but what wasn't said. Pazos's fan base didn't engage in any anti-LGBT slurs, and the boxing world treated Cruz's decision with respect and restraint, two words not historically associated with boxing.

Cruz overcame a history of homophobia in sports. For most of the twentieth century, women who played sports were viewed with suspicion. Women's athletics were condemned as a Satanic or Bolshevik plot to make...