(air whooshes)
- Hey Coach.
I've got some news to share with you.
- You're kidding me.
You got signed to the big leagues.
- (laughs) No, I hope that offer comes soon.
But, I wanted to tell you that I'm gay.
(drum resounds)
- Kyle, you know I support you.
You're one of my best players.
But this is career suicide.
(sad piano music) - [John] He's gay,
and he's being told to stay in the closet.
It happens all too often.
Just last year, actor Ellen Page spoke candidly
with Porter magazine,
saying she was told by Hollywood executives,
"People cannot know you're gay."
(drum resounds)
And in 2018,
former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jeff Rohrer opened up
about being in the closet as a player.
- Didn't want to hurt the Cowboys.
I didn't want to hurt the league.
- [John] And until recently,
in more than half the country,
you could still be fired for being gay.
Last month, the US Supreme Court decided
that was unconstitutional,
leading to protections for many LGBTQ Americans.
(logo buzzing)
- You're talking about throwing away
your chance at the major leagues.
- Why?
- [John] But this baseball coach is demanding
his player keep his sexuality a secret.
- Name one openly gay baseball player.
(dramatic music)
(logo buzzing)
- Hey, how are you? - How you doing?
Adam, good to see you.
And joining us at the Tom Sawyer Diner,
Olympic medalist, Adam Rippon.
(metal clanks)
(soothing ambient music)
Rippon is no stranger to jumping over barriers.
In 2018, he became the first openly gay Winter Olympian
to represent team USA. (crowd cheering)
The perfect person to help us ask.
- What would you do?
- [John] It's time, let's go.
- Preset three.
- We're rolling now. (tape whirring)
- Don't keep me in suspense here.
(Kyle laughs)
- Um. (exhales)
- (exhales) Oh my God, I know that feeling.
- It's that tough?
- Yeah.
- Coach, I'm gay.
- You're gay?
- I was worried about how you would take it
and the team would take it.
- [John] But how will this woman take it?
- Kyle.
This could be a career ender for you.
Didn't you want to go to the big leagues?
- Yeah, I do,
and I think I can as who I am,
being who I am.
- Kyle, I just, you know, I need a moment.
- I need a moment.
I'm gonna go to the bathroom.
- [John] And as Kyle walks away.
- I saw it coming.
I knew he was having a hard time.
He couldn't get it out.
- Do you think I'm saying the right thing here?
I'm not trying to be insensitive.
- He's right in the bathroom right now, freaking out,
because he wanted you to accept it more.
- I really like this lady.
- [John] Did you? - Yeah.
- I know it's hard.
- It's gonna be career suicide.
- Don't say that to him.
- [John] She expresses that it's crucial for him
to be mindful of his message.
- These kids nowadays,
they have so much pressure,
they want to kill themselves.
- As Kyle returns, we send Danny away.
Have Kyle make eye contact with her.
- Just give him time.
- [John] And she becomes a sort of intermediary.
- Things are different now in this world.
He doesn't realize it.
- He thinks I'm giving up my career.
- He's old school, he feels like no one has done that yet.
Maybe you can be the first.
But he says you're amazing. (laughs)
- I'll try my best.
- Oh, my God.
That's so crazy.
That's so cool to see, yeah.
- It brings tears
to your eyes. - Yeah.
- Why?
- She didn't need to say anything
and she wasn't prompted to say anything,
and she was just
so kind to the both of them.
- The owner here, he's so cute.
He tells me, "Sit over here."
He's got a surprise for me.
I don't know what his surprise is today.
- Well, it's us. (crew laughing)
I guess- (Adam laughing)
Well, surprise!
Hi there!
- (laughs) What are you doing here?
- They were actors.
- Oh, no!
Oh, no! (laughs)
Oh, my God.
And I stuck my two cents in.
Oh, my God.
- So then you're touched?
- Oh, I'm totally touched.
I feel that in this day and age,
that it's a tough situation,
and there's so much kid suicide now that I got upset
that I didn't want him to feel rejected from his coach.
- You know, our guest with us is Adam Rippon.
Did you want to meet him?
- Sure, absolutely. - We want to introduce you to,
this is Adam.
- Oh my God, Adam. - Hi.
- It's a pleasure. - It's so nice to meet you.
- Oh, my God.
Congratulations! - Well, I just have to say,
we were sitting and we were watching you,
and you were saying that the world is changing,
but it's really, it's people,
I could even get emotional talking,
it's like people like you.
- Oh, I wish there were more people like me!
- Me too! - Who are standing, you know?
- Right, who wear like a high ponytail
to breakfast every Wednesday.
- Thank you, thank you.
(tape whirring)
These kids nowadays, they have so much pressure.
They just want to kill themselves.
(logo whirring) - [John] She's not the
only one raising real concerns
about our player's mental health.
- It's hard being gay in this day and age.
I hear horror stories.
- He shouldn't stay in the closet, what you're saying?
- It'll kill him.
That will be your concern.
- [John] We're rolling again.
- If you come out with this, you're off the team.
You hear me?
You know what?
Just have your mother pick you up, all right?
- [John] And with Kyle left alone.
- Are you okay? - Yep.
- [John] This young couple
immediately offers unwavering support.
- Do you want to talk about anything?
- [Kyle] Um.
- I mean, I'm a good listener.
If you want to talk, my name is Taylor.
- Hi Taylor, nice to meet you.
- Oh my God, you're shaking.
He's shaking!
- [John] He's clearly broken down,
but she tries to build him back up.
- I have some friends that are openly gay,
and it's hard to come out about it,
but I think that that makes you strong.
You should be proud of that.
- Thank you.
- Yeah, of course. - I, yeah.
- You gotta be who you are.
- (laughs) Cool.
- It's really cool.
She is such a sweetheart.
- Were you ever told to stay in the closet
for fear that you wouldn't be successful?
- It was something that I talked about
with my friends and family,
and nobody really had a clear answer.
But when I was out, I just felt strong.
I felt like I was really,
I knew who I was.
- Are you gonna eat? Like, I don't know.
- [John] While they motion for Kyle to join them for lunch.
- You can sit with us.
- We should break it, I think, right?
- [Woman On Radio] That's good.
- [John] We head their way to tell them
they're on What Would You Do?
It's time, let's go.
- Kyle, meet Kyle.
- Nice to meet you - Nice to meet you, Kyle.
- How are you?
(girl laughs)
- We're on TV. (laughs)
(girl laughs)
- You didn't have to get involved, you don't know the guy.
- Right. - No, no.
- Being in high school is tough enough.
And if you are gay,
it's hard to be who you are,
and a coach is someone that you look up to.
(tape whirring)
- [John] We're rolling one last time.
(camera clicking)
- This is my star athlete.
- [John] Our coach is making friends.
- Nice to meet you.
- [John] Introducing this future star.
- Kyle Pollack, I'll remember that.
- [John] And while Sybil and Denise are catching up,
Kyle is breaking the news to his coach.
- I wanted to tell you that I'm gay.
(intense music)
- I lost my appetite.
- And when Coach storms out.
(logo beeping)
Look at all of them, they're stunned.
(Adam exhales)
- Are you okay?
- [John] They step in.
- He thinks I'm ruining my career.
- No. - You're not, you're not.
- I'm proud of you for having the courage to speak up
for who are you and what matters to you.
- Thank you.
- And I believe that your career is still yours.
- [John] Kyle quickly goes from a baseball coach loss,
to a life coach win. (uplifting music)
- You have to do what's best for you.
My son played baseball and he's an African-American.
And that's not big in that industry.
- No.
- But he still went out there and did it.
- Don't forget everything he said before you sat down.
He said, "Look for his name."
He believes in you.
His feelings?
That's a different thing.
- [John] When Danny returns,
they turn their coaching his way.
- You guys know where I'm coming from, right?
- Sometimes we have a picture in our minds
of what way things can do,
and this is not a perfect world,
but he's actually stronger than you realize
to come to you and say that.
So your response now will determine to him
whether or not he has your love.
- She's pretty amazing.
- That is amazing.
- Yeah, you just need a minute.
(Sybil and Denise laughing)
- [John] We have a good one in there.
- There are no gay players in baseball.
- Let him be first.
Why not?
You can be first, right, Kyle?
- I can.
- [John] Spoken with true wisdom.
- There it is.
- Time to meet these wise and patient women.
- What in the world? (laughs)
- Oh, my God. - How are you?
- What in the world? (Sybil laughing)
- They were actors.
- What?
- Yes.
(women screaming)
(women and John laughing)
- Oh, my God!
- You okay?
You were another one.
- I can't believe this.
- The fact that he would be an example,
and that shouldn't be the case, right?
There must be others.
Why do you think there are no other?
- He was afraid of of the backlash.
It's the fear of rejection,
the fear of not being enough,
so people just silently, you know-
- Suffer. - Yeah.
- It's getting better, but we're not quite there yet.
- I know, and I would say absolutely not.
Not if there would still need to be a first.
- [John] As for Adam,
being the first is a great responsibility.
- I remember being that young kid in Scranton, Pennsylvania,
who thought this would be a secret forever,
and I thought I owe it to that young kid,
to say something.
I hope that there's a time
that people don't need to come out,
but I think it's important
because I think representation matters,
and I think when people can see a little bit
of themselves in someone,
it gives them the permission
to be as authentic as they possibly can be.
(upbeat music)