Johnson with his parents in 2000, and with his mom and safe schools advocate Jeff Perrotti in 2009.
It was 10 years ago that high school football player Corey Johnson came out to his team in Massachusetts, and Corey marked that anniversary recently with an appearance at the GLSEN Boston conference. Bay Windows caught up with him and asked why his story got so much attention nine years ago:
Part of it was timing. I came out, my story was publicized just a year, year and a half after Matthew Shepard was murdered, and the country at the time was yearning for a positive story with so much anti-gay stuff going on at the time, post-Defense of Marriage Act, all that stuff. And so my story was a positive story, and it was iconoclastic, with the small-town football player. So I think people wanted to have a positive story and relate to that.
You can still email Corey at the same address he had nine years ago. He’s told me he still gets emails regularly from students, athletes and other people. Pretty amazing that his story resonates so many years later.
on May 8th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
He was a douche then and not much changes.
on May 8th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. It’s so obvious “John Doe” knows his stuff because he’s so well-known. Why shouldn’t anyone believe “him”?
on May 8th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
No, John Doe, a douche is someone who won’t even post his name so they can be held accountable for their comment, you fucking troll. What’s the matter, Corey shoot you down when you tried to get in his pants?
on May 8th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
I was incredibly inspired by the New York Times article when I read it as a high school athlete going through my own coming out process. It is probably still in my files somewhere. It’s safe to say that Corey saved lives by telling his story. He and his family should be proud.
on May 8th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
Why have a girlfight? I personally can’t stand the guy but no need to hide out to state your mind (and no he definitely didn’t shoot me down- he didn’t have a chance).
on May 9th, 2009 at 7:10 am
How about all of you settle down, okay?
Great!
Corey was an inspiration to gay athletes or teen then, and he still is now. I would love to see anyone here who likes talking crap about people they’ve never met less spoken to go back in time and fill this guy’s shoes and all the pressure he was under.
He’s got my respect, that’s all that’s important to me.
on May 9th, 2009 at 10:36 am
I don’t think the article is about popularity contests. It’s about a boy who came out in high school and the affect it had on the community.
Nate, you sound really bitter and tragic bro. You have a right to your opinion, but why waste energy being negative? And if you knew Corey ten years ago, why are you having beef with a kid in high school? If you guys are the same age I’d say this - Corey isn’t your father, you shouldn’t spend ten years being mad at a random dude.
DJ way to be peacemaker! You’re the best!
on May 9th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
jay your right- I should clarify I didn’t write the first comment I just agree that people shouldn’t hide to state their minds. I had/have met Corey a number of times upto 10 years ago. No bitterness-Just don’t care for him wish him the best of luck. RJ let’s frame this he came out in Massachusetts not Kentucky, I think pressure is stretching it- good for him, now what about the kids across the country doing it everyday in much more discremenating locals like Alabama and Arkansas. Regardless off topic, Good luck Corey don’t like you but Noone should hide out and talk shit.
on May 9th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
@ Nate
But why do you have to mention you don’t like him ‘at all’?
on May 9th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Nate, you’re confused a bit. I would encourage you to look at the Massachusetts state polls and hearings from the early 2000s and the ones from now. More than half the state then was against gay marriage and gay rights. However, as soon as people saw that having those two things didn’t cause the devil to lurk about, people became ok with it. Of course it goes without saying that there are still people who aren’t ok with it at all.
Go back to Corey’s year, or the early 1990s, 1980s, it was not like then. The last 10 years have been great for homosexuals across America.
In Massachusetts in 2003 over 70% of people were against gay marriage.
In Massachusetts in 2008 over 85% of people were for gay marriage.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to working.
on May 9th, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Everything that was said about Corey Johnson in the Bay Windows articles from this week and from 2000 (both linked in the first paragraph of the Outsports article above) depicts a courageous and thoughtful young man whose example provides encouragement for the many boys and girls who are struggling at this moment - even in ‘enlightened’ states like Massachusetts - with very realistic fears about the consequences of coming out.
Unlike the Nates and the John Does of this world, but like most of the rest of us, Johnson is probably not a saint. But that is irrelevant to the article, and only a small person would find it worth mentioning. Instead of trashing the guy, why not think about the point he made, as quoted in Bay Windows, referring to Carl Walker-Hoover who hanged himself last month in gay-friendly Massachusetts? -
“I was a gender-conforming young man in middle school and high school that luckily in many ways was in a position of privilege, and that really helped me in my coming out, helped me in my acceptance,” said Johnson. “The reports we’ve seen of this young man [are] even though he was on the football team, he was 11 years old, he was in many ways gender non-conforming. He was in many ways not the young African American masculine image that many people had expected or society had wanted from him, and that was the reason why he was bullied. He was bullied because he was being himself, and he wasn’t accepted for that. I think part of our focus needs to be, and this is GLSEN’s mission, is making schools safe for all students, not just captains of the football team, but to any student, regardless of what position they hold in a school.”
on May 10th, 2009 at 3:42 am
OK guys I just got in from a pretty big party of ‘mos at a well off friend of a friends house. I met 4 guys, 2 in their late 40’s and 2 almost 60 who are just coming to terms w/their sexuality and sorting shit out. Think of all the life you have lived through college and subsequent years and all and these dudes are just starting out as cautiously open gay men. If these guys (and myself for that matter) had role models or examples of out men when they were in high school /college their life could have been a hell of a lot easier and had fewer casualties along the way.
Ol’ Corey Johnson just like Brian Sims were pioneers of sorts and did stick their jaws out expecting a punch and did not get any. They didnt hide from their truth and happily didn’t suffer any consequences. Some of the rest of us did get a few punches but found a way to rally.
Once more and more LGBT folks who have become prominent in their area of expertise, developed unique athletic or intellectual talents and become known to the world and particularly our families and communities will the stigma be removed from being gay and acceptance and tolerance can become the norm and not the exception.
OK, I just noticed I am working on my 2nd night cap so I hope this reads in the morning like it sounds in my head at 1AM. What got me on this in the 1st place? LOL Oh, JohnDoe. Shit dude it’s pretty easy to be nice (not mean) particularly online.
on May 10th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
What a weird series of comments. Does he have stalker ex-boyfriends or something?
on May 10th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
I live in Colorado, town has maybe 3,000 people. Everyone I have told is fine with it. One of my buddies frequently asks me questions about who I am dating and the best rubber for “butt sex”. Not sure if this is normal or not, but I was more worried about telling my mother than anyone else, and she was 100% behind it when I told her.
on May 11th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Kudos to everyone for calling out the weak and pathetic attempts by JohnDoe and Nate to diminish what Corey did 10 years ago and is still working for today.
If JohnDoe and Nate were so brave, they too have already put themselves out there for everyone to judge. To hide behind your made up email handle really shows your worst side. How sad, small and twisted you seem when you act this way.
We as a discriminated minority need to stick together and show the world we are indeed valuable to society and deserving of Equal Rights and Protections.
Corey took a HUGE chance 10 years ago by being honest about himself when there were few if any other’s out there brave enough to do the same.
He really was entering unchartered waters with no life-jacket.
If we had more people being honest and open about themselves we would all get much more respect in this world.
Congratulations and THANK YOU Corey Johnson!
on May 12th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
amazing at the hatred-sounds like some people have serious issues
