Volleyballer Turned Down For Job Because He’s Gay: “They Were Nervous About Other Teams’ Fans Being Hostile”

The 25-year-old player was rejected after finishing up the most successful year of his career.
From: NewNowNext

 25-year-old professional volleyball player Chris Voth came out in 2014 in hopes of breaking down barriers within the world of sports. Two years later, his decision to be publicly open about his sexuality has seemingly cost him a number of professional contracts.

 In the years following his coming out, Voth joined a national volleyball team in the Netherlands. There, he achieved a stellar record, snagging the league championship, the Dutch Cup and the Super Cup as a left side for Abiant Lycurgus Volleyball Groningen.

Fresh off his victorious stint on the European team, Voth returned to his home of Winnipeg this summer to work with his agent, Steve Welch, on finding a new team for the 2016-17 season. After meeting with several interested clubs, the duo narrowed it down to one and began final negotiations on what Voth describes as a “very lucrative” contract.

Just days away from signing Voth on as a player for their team, however, they suddenly withdrew their offer, saying they didn’t want to take him “because they were nervous about other teams’ fans being hostile toward [Voth] because of [his] being gay.”

 As an agent, Welch is no stranger to rejection, but says the amount of scrutiny that’s been trained on Voth’s sexuality in this latest round of contract negotiations has been disconcerting.

“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,” Welch told the Winnipeg Free Press.

“But with Chris, it has been a little strange,” he continued. “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,” he concluded.

For his part, Voth admits to feeling deeply hurt, especially as his intention has always been to be as authentic a player and individual as possible.

“It did hurt because I was being open and trying to be a leader within Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and even perhaps the world,” he began.

“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,” he continued, “instead of making me a leader, it prohibited me from getting a job, it’s a tough situation.”

Though he acknowledges that the decision has caused him to wonder about what his professional life would’ve been like if he hadn’t come out, he stands behind his choice, saying, “I still would have come out, because I think that’s the right thing.”

“I got so many messages from people about how I helped them and inspired them,” he remarked. “That was really rewarding to be able to help even one person. That makes it worth it.”

He added that while the news might’ve been discouraging at first, he’s decided to let the rejection motivate him to succeed in spite of the limitations others would like to place upon him.

“It’s like, ‘You know what? I’m going to do this anyway.’ It focused me even more and made me even more determined. Not to spite them but just to prove that you can do it. It is possible.”

Since being rejected by the unnamed team, Voth has received several offers from other professional clubs and could have a contract soon.