How Jake Bain Defies Stereotypes On and Off the Football Field

When Jake Bain came out to his high school in October 2017, he never expected to make national headlines. During an assembly, the star student and accomplished football player stood up in front of the entire John Burroughs High School student body, bravely opening up about his sexuality and his experience on the field as a gay athlete.

“I would hear, ‘This is not a sport for gay people,’” Jake said that day. “I never gave my opponents the satisfaction that they were getting to me.”

Last year, Jake was one of a record seven openly gay college football players in the country. Since coming out, he’s appeared on Ellen, was featured in the New York Times, and has nearly 30,000 followers on Instagram, where he frequently advocates for LGBTQ+ equality and mental health awareness. Learn more about Jake’s story in our interview below, then find out how you can help make your school more inclusive!

DoSomething: For those who may not know, tell us about your story and how you became an activist.

Jake: Playing football and being gay are not two things that usually overlap. At least not in the public eye. That’s why in 2017, during my junior year of high school while being recruited to play Division I college football, I decided to come out during an all school assembly. As one of the very few openly gay people in my sport, I wanted to show every other kid out there who was like me and didn’t feel like there was a place for the LGBTQ+ community in sports that you don’t have to let your sexual orientation hold you back from doing what you love.

How did your community, teammates, coaches, family respond to your coming out?

My entire community, from my school, to my friends and teammates, to my coaches and family completely embraced me for who I was and completely supported me.

How do you hope to continue fighting for LGBTQ+ equality and advocating for mental health? What can young people do to help?

My goal since I came out has been to break down the barriers and stigmas about what it means to be an LGBTQ+ athlete, and to encourage other athletes to have the courage to also come out. The power of visibility is truly undeniable, and I believe the more people who are willing to come out and be themselves and show everyone that its okay to be gay, or bi, or trans, and still do whatever you set your mind to, the more we will start to see acceptance in environments like athletics, where there is not currently a lot of representation of the LGBTQ+ community.

What should more people be talking about when it comes to LGBTQ+ youth and mental health?

When it comes to talking about mental health within the LGBTQ+ community, it is very important to make resources available for those who need it to seek help and guidance. A big issue for a lot of the LGBTQ+ youth that I have worked with is that they feel like they have no one to talk to about the issues they are facing on daily basis, so having the proper resources and outlets for the LGBTQ+ youth is a vital part in taking care of our mental health.

(Editor’s note: Check out The Trevor Project, a 24/7 hotline for LGBTQ+ youth, or Crisis Text Line for free crisis support via text.)

Did you or people you know face discrimination around prom?

Because I was lucky enough to go to an accepting school, I did not personally face any discrimination with prom, and happily went with my boyfriend our junior and senior year. However, I personally know many other kids who aren’t as lucky to go to accepting schools, and have faced open discrimination from both the students, and the actual school itself.

What advice would you give to students who might be worried about facing discrimination during prom season because of their gender identity or sexuality?

When it comes to facing discrimination at prom, my best advice would be to just be yourself. When I came out, was it scary? Yes. Overwhelming at times? Absolutely! There were days where I just didn’t want to get out of bed because of the things that were being said about me online by people who didn’t even know me. But with the support of my friends and family, I knew that it was the right thing to do. There will always be people in your life who try to tear you down for who you are, but there will always been a much larger group of people who will love and support you no matter what. Nothing ever changes without people willing to show others that it's perfectly okay to just be yourself, regardless of your sexual orientation.

Anything else you’d like to add?

We all only get one chance at life on this earth, so why waste it worrying about what others think about you? Just be yourself. Surround yourself with people who love and support you for who you are. Follow your dreams, and don’t ever let your sexual orientation hold you back from doing what you love.