Captain of the US men’s national volleyball team Erik Shoji has come out as queer. The 35-year-old opened up about his sexuality in a powerful social media video shared during Pride month.
“I am here to tell the world today that I am queer,” he opens with. “It feels scary, but freeing at the same time.
“I think personal acceptance takes a while. For me, it took a long time, and I’m working through that still every day, but I think I’m stronger, more confident and more sure of myself than I’ve ever been, and I feel that given who I am and the platform that I have that this is my moment and I’m so excited to move forward after this.”
He added that moving forward means “feeling completely free and myself”.
Speaking about coming out within the sporting world, he explained, “I think the volleyball community has been so open and accepting of so many different types of people, which is amazing to see. I hope they don’t think any different of me. I think this is part of who I am and that if they loved me before, that they’ll love me after. I’m hoping to be almost the same person moving forward, hopefully better.”
View this post on Instagram
The video sparked an influx of supporting comments, including from USA Volleyball, which wrote, “Proud of you, Erik. Your courage, authenticity, and leadership on and off the court continues to inspire us all! Thank you for being you. We’re honored to stand with you, always.”
The Volleyball Nations League said, “We’re always with you, Erik”, while Volleyball World USA shared, “We love you, Erik! Always be yourself.”
Fellow volleyball stars, including Cody Kessel, Merrick Henry, Kelsey Cook, Justine Wong-Orantes, Jordan Larson and Zehra Gunes, all similarly expressed their support in the comments.
Erik Shoji plays as a libero for both the US national team and ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle in Poland. Considered one of the best in the world in his position, he holds the Stanford record for career digs and helped his country win bronze at the 2016 and 2024 Olympic games, as well as two gold medals at the 2015 and 2024 FIVB World Cup.
Did you know that this Pride month you can support GCN by donating €1 when you shop online with PayPal? Simply select GCN at checkout or add us as your favourite charity* at this link to support Ireland’s free LGBTQ+ media.
*GCN is a trading name of National LGBT Federation CLG, a registered charity – Charity Number: 20034580.
© 2025 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
Support GCN
GCN is a free, vital resource for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.
GCN is a trading name of National LGBT Federation CLG, a registered charity - Charity Number: 20034580.
GCN relies on the generous support of the community and allies to sustain the crucial work that we do. Producing GCN is costly, and, in an industry which has been hugely impacted by rising costs, we need your support to help sustain and grow this vital resource.
Supporting GCN for as little as €1.99 per month will help us continue our work as Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.
comments. Please sign in to comment.