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Michael Sam opened up about some of his big moments of the year when he sat down with Oprah Winfrey for an interview that aired on Saturday after the documentary film about his life.
Winfrey asked Sam about the kiss heard 'round the world. Sam said he had no intention of that being broadcast around the world, but if it was, that's what two gay men look like when they kiss. He also said if someone didn't like it, they could change the channel. Bravo.
When she asked him if he would do it all again, he gave his best answer of the night.
"Absolutely. I came out so I wouldn't have to hide myself. That was me. What you saw was me. It wasn't staged. I was very emotional. And when I got that phone call it was one of the happiest moments of my life. It was three long days, coming close to the end of that, almost not being drafted. I wanted to share a moment with the one who had spent the same three days, I wanted to share a moment with him. I'm not a pretender anymore."
Bingo. This is the reason people come out – to their friends, to their family, and to the public: so they don't have to hide anymore. One one point Sam asked, did people forget he was gay? Gay men kiss. The confidence with which he owns that truth and won't back down from naysayers continues to make him such a powerful force for LGBT athletes.
For anyone who still thinks the kiss or the cake was staged, the documentary gives more context to the day and how they both unfolded. It's obvious in those moments the cameras weren't on Sam's radar screen. The cake face-mashing, surrounded by friends laughing and joking, comes across as the authentic reaction of a fun, jovial guy who just had three days of angst relieved.
Now if someone in the NFL would give him an opportunity to play…
