San Diego Loyal’s Collin Martin has no regrets – The San Diego Union-Tribune
Finding his groove on the soccer pitch.
Comfortable in his own skin and proud to be setting an example for young folks — athletes or not — who are members of the LGBTQ community on and off it.
That’s the best way to describe San Diego Loyal FC midfielder Collin Martin these days as he, the team and much of the sports world honor “Pride Month.”
Martin, now 27 years old and in his third season with the club, made the decision to come out as gay just under four years ago this month while playing for Minnesota United FC of Major League Soccer.
At the time, the decision made him the only openly gay male athlete in the five major American sports.
Since then, more athletes have felt comfortable being open about their sexuality and the sports world has made progress creating a more welcoming environment for LGBTQ athletes and fans.
“For me, it’s exciting to see the growth we’ve had,” Martin said. “I came out in Minnesota prior to a Pride game and it was great to see the community rally and when I look at San Diego right now, I see that the LGBTQ community feels comfortable coming to games week in, week out, whether it’s a Pride game or not and actually, it’s really cool that we’re doing our Pride game later on (Aug. 6). That’s a statement from the club that we’re going to celebrate the LGBTQ community year round, not just for a given month.”
While he said he has been accepted and supported by his teams, teammates, opponents and many fans since coming out, Martin’s journey has not been all smooth sailing.
In a home match in September of 2020, Martin was hit with a homophobic slur by Phoenix midfielder Junior Flemmings.
After Phoenix manager Rick Shantz declined to apologize and remove Flemmings, Loyal manager Landon Donovan consulted with his team and they walked off the field, forfeiting a match they led 3-1 in protest.
Flemmings would later admit to using the slur, was banned six games and fined an undisclosed amount while the Loyal missed out on a possible USL Championship playoff spot.
“It was: we can’t be OK with this,” Donovan said. “It was just a reaction and I wish I had been a little more measured, a little less emotional but we had to send a message about what is and is not acceptable. That’s how we make progress.”
The incident brought massive attention to the team and to Martin while sparking conversations all over the sports world about dealing with homophobic behavior.
“It was humbling to see my teammates and (Donovan) make that decision, but it was also hard,” Martin said. “For my sexuality to ever have an impact on the game I love to play, that would have been a straight up nightmare for me growing up as a kid. Because all I wanted to do was show that I am good at this game and I deserve to play. At the same time, I’m proud to be gay and never was going to allow that to hold me back, so there were a lot of layers to that whole situation.”
On the pitch, Martin is having a solid season — Donovan “arguably our best” player — and the Loyal (6-3-4) open a four-game homestand against Hartford Athletic tonight looking to snap a four-match winless streak (one loss, three ties).
At the same time, Martin continues to pay attention to issues impacting the LGBTG community, specifically a wave of recent legislation being proposed around the country aimed towards curbing education about and rights for transgender people.
“At times, it can feel like it’s two steps forward, one step back,” Martin said. “And that’s why we have to keep on pushing and not just for the LGBTQ community. For all marginalized people. I’m going to do whatever I can to continue helping to send that message.”
Notable
The Loyal SC announced the acquisition of goalkeeper Jon Kempin via loan from MLS side DC United. The 29-year-old joins the club for a second stint after playing for Donovan’s side in 2020. Kempin played in 11 matches (all starts) and recorded five shutouts in 2020.
Carter is a freelance writer.