The first-ever gay professional skateboarder Brian Anderson revealed that he no longer concealed his sexual orientation or gender identity. He is now out of the closet for six years and has been helping others to embrace themselves.
In the Ben Raemers Foundation YouTube channel interview, Anderson opens up about his addiction, overall mental health, and how he used skateboarding to escape his problems.
For all its countercultural rebels, skateboarding has historically been party to the same homophobia in other male-dominated institutions.
Until fairly recently, many skate parks had a certain locker-room feel, with gay slurs and insensitive jokes. There is even a 1980s-era trick called the Gay Twist, a homophobic reference to it being "the gay way" of performing a particular kind of aerial.
The 46-year-old pro skater invigorates skating by being yourself with improving oneself daily - focusing on your passion and blocking what negative people say.
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