Robbie Rogers Takes Soccer Field As First Out Male Professional Sports Player

Via the Advocate:

Robbie Rogers made history on Sunday as the first openly gay man to play in a game in U.S. professional sports. If there was any concern about whether fans would be supportive, it was eased as the crowd stood and cheered wildly when Rogers took the field during the second half of the L.A. Galaxy's 4-0 win over the Seattle Sounders.  This might forever become a tricky piece of sports trivia. The NFL's Jason Collins is the first male pro athlete to come out while still an active player, but Collins' season was already over.

The New York Times has more:

The crowd was typical — close to capacity, but still with room to seat several thousand more. The news media turnout was nearly normal — no local columnists and scant national presence. Only the presence of the celebrity and gossip Web site OMG appeared out of place at a soccer match. There were no discernible signs of support (or dissent) for Rogers until he stepped on the field. To some, an M.L.S. public service announcement that flashed along the stadium signage boards may have carried more resonance on this night: “Unity. Equality. Acceptance. Respect for Fair Play. Don’t Cross the Line.” “We were talking about it earlier: this is a historic night, kind of like Jackie Robinson,” Vince Grant, a Galaxy fan, said as he enjoyed a pregame beer and meal with his uncle Mike Callahan and a friend, Aaron Rice. But for a number of Galaxy fans, there seems to be less concern with the historical implications than how the acquisition of Rogers cost Los Angeles its leading scorer, Mike Magee.

VIDEO: Rogers takes the field about one minute in.  The clip ends with a post-game interview.