"I am gay, and I was afraid and troubled" Japanese volleyball player's "shocking coming out" → Younger brother, a superstar, becomes great strength: "For the first time, I acknowledged myself"

*This content was translated by AI.

Takahashi Rui (26), the older brother of Japanese men's national volleyball team member Takahashi Ran (25) and a teammate at Satori Sunbirds in the SV League Men's Division, made a shocking coming out.

Takahashi Rui publicly disclosed his homosexuality through his social networking service (SNS) on the 29th.

He posted a long article titled "Report," confessing, "Since I was young, I have feared and struggled with facing a certain aspect of myself, denying who I am. That is the fact that I am gay and one of the sexual minorities."

Regarding the background leading to his coming out, he emphasized the significant role of his younger brother. He stated, "Spending about two years on the same team as my younger brother Takahashi Ran was the most important thing for me, and through conversations with Ran, I was able to acknowledge myself for the first time," adding, "By putting my feelings into words, I was able to organize my thoughts and gradually come to think that 'it is okay to be myself.'"

He continued, "The fact that I could face myself up to this point is due to the presence of Ran, with whom I spent time, as well as family, teammates, team staff, and everyone involved who have supported me all along," expressing gratitude for the solid support from those around him by saying, "I sincerely thank you for supporting me in various situations."

Regarding the timing of the confession, he said, "As we enter a new season, I wanted to convey this in my own words to the fans who have always supported me at this time," and pledged, "There is no change in my commitment to do my best in volleyball and strive for my growth in various aspects."

He also left a warm message for those in similar situations, stating, "Even if the reasons or backgrounds differ, I would be happy if this act of me facing myself and conveying it in my own words could serve as even a small opportunity for those who are troubled by not being able to accept themselves."

Finally, he concluded his post with, "Although this report was sudden, thank you for reading to the end. I want to continue growing through volleyball, true to Takahashi Rui."

Netizens are sending positive messages. The comment that received the most empathy on Yahoo Japan encouraged him by saying, "It is a very courageous statement, and I think there must have been various conflicts. It feels like you have overcome painful scenes. I hope everything goes well for you in volleyball and personal matters."

Another highly empathetic post stated, "Who likes whom is entirely one's own freedom. It does not cause trouble to anyone, does it? I hope the era comes when coming out itself becomes unnecessary. However, if coming out serves as an opportunity to affirm oneself, I think that is also good."

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*This content was translated by AI.