Jaguars associate strength coach Kevin Maxen comes out as gay

“I don’t want to feel like I have to think about it anymore,” Maxen told Outsports in an exclusive interview. “I don’t want to feel like I have to lie about who I am seeing, or why I am living with someone else.

“I want to be vocal in support of people living how they want to live, but I also want to just live and not feel fear about how people will react.”

“You have other coaches who have significant others, and they’re talking about their significant others,” Maxen said. “And I felt guilty that I couldn’t do the same thing, that I was letting myself down.

“I want the person I’m with to be able to share that with me.”

“… Our friendship grew with the time spent working together and us sharing a lot of similarities on our views of life, being someone that just gets it.

“It was truly an honor and extremely humbling when I was one of the first people Kevin confided to about his sexuality. I can’t imagine how hard that must have been, not knowing what my reaction would be. I remember the day he told me I was so elated for him to get that off his chest.”

“As a Black Jew who has dated both men and women, who has been a strength coach at the highest level of professional football, I’ve learned that how I look, what I believe in, and especially who I am physically or emotionally attracted to should not impact the way I or other people view my worth.

“And It should certainly not dictate what I feel I am capable of accomplishing.”