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This College Soccer Player Used TikTok to Come Out As Gay
The man behind the @closeted_fratguy TikTok account is finally stepping into the spotlight.
While most people associate popular, short-form video app TikTok with trendy dances and hilarious viral moments, the platform is also good for letting people express themselves in ways they can't always do in real life. Such was the case with Josh Leafer, a college soccer player who created the anonymous @closeted_fratguy account to document his journey with accepting his sexuality and to connect with other queer men who also find themselves in the same shoes.
And now, a year after first starting his popular social media account, Josh is busting out of the closet.
@2brosnohoes Where are my bro’s at? Who else relates to this? . Add my snap caleb_devlin #gay#bi#fyp#lgbt#foryoupage#leftonread
In a recent interview with OutSports' The Sports Kiki podcast, Josh opens up about why he started to document his journey on TikTok, and what life has been like since he revealed he was the person behind the @closeted_fratguy (now currently @2brosnohoes).
"When I made the TikTok, I was like, 'I want to put these qualities out here and just see if there’s anyone else like me,' and surprisingly that video got a lot of attention," he said. "There were definitely a lot of closeted guys who were a lot like me."
Josh also opened up about how the person he was most afraid to come out to was his father, even though their relationship now is just as strong as ever.
"Telling him really scared me, because I don’t want to lose that bond we had. Coming out, I felt like I was taking away part of his son," he revealed. "It took me 20 years to understand who I was as a person, and what being gay meant. I expected it take him some time to understand it, too. I’m giving him the time he needs, and all I can ask for his is his love and support, and he’s given it to me so far."
@2brosnohoes #duet with @out_fratguy it’s your life live how you want to not what society tells you #gay#bi#lgbtq#pride#closeted#fyp
"I’m still Josh," he said. "I’m still in a fraternity, I still play sports. It took me a little bit to realize that even though I’m gay, I can still be everything I was before. That’s what I’m trying to show people. I know other guys are going through the same fears that I went through. They’re scared of the same thing. If I can show them that I can have a successful story, then why can’t they have one, too?"
Congrats, Josh, and welcome to the family!
Raffy is a Los Angeles-based writer, editor, video creator, critic, and digital director of Out Magazine. The former editor-in-chief of PRIDE, he is also a die-hard Rihanna and Sailor Moon stan who loves to write about all things pop culture, entertainment, and identities. Follow him on Instagram (@raffyermac) and Twitter (@byraffy), and subscribe to his YouTube channel.
Raffy is a Los Angeles-based writer, editor, video creator, critic, and digital director of Out Magazine. The former editor-in-chief of PRIDE, he is also a die-hard Rihanna and Sailor Moon stan who loves to write about all things pop culture, entertainment, and identities. Follow him on Instagram (@raffyermac) and Twitter (@byraffy), and subscribe to his YouTube channel.
