Brazilian soccer referee comes out as gay, hopes to inspire others
Updated On: 11 July, 2022 10:01 AM IST | Mumbai | AP
The 41-year-old Igor Benevenuto is one of the country`s main video assistant referees, and he also takes charge of some matches in Brazil`s top two divisions.
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Representation pic. Source/PTI
A FIFA-ranked referee in Brazil says he hopes his announcement that he is gay will inspire others in soccer. The 41-year-old Igor Benevenuto is one of the country`s main video assistant referees, and he also takes charge of some matches in Brazil`s top two divisions. Benevenuto said he had used his referee`s job to hide.
"Soccer was for men and since an early age I knew I was gay. There was not a more perfect place to hide my sexuality," Benevenuto told TV Globo in a show broadcast on Sunday. "Playing wasn`t an option, so I took the only road I had." Benevenuto now wants his announcement to help others. "There are many gay people in soccer," he said, adding that the vast majority still feel they can`t talk openly. "We exist and we deserve to speak about it, live normal lives."
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