Teenage basketball player chased out of US school by boys yelling 'f****t' after coming out as gay on court
Players from an opposing team chased Dalton Maldonado's bus in cars and threatened him after he admitted he was gay on the court
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A teenage basketball player has told how he was chased out of a school by boys calling him a “f****t” after he came out in the US.
Dalton Maldonado, from Floyd County in Kentucky, had been beaten in an away game with his team from Betsy Layne High School when an opponent hurled a gay slur as they left the court.
“Hey number three, I hear you're a f****t,” the player shouted, the 19-year-old recalled to Outsports.
His quick reply - "Yeah baby, can I have your number?" – confirmed the rumours and he told his friends he was gay after breaking down in the changing room minutes later.
Dalton never planned to come out while competing in basketball leagues and had only told his parents that week.
After getting changed, he and his team made their way back to the bus that would take them back to their hotel, but some of the opposing team were waiting.
After shouting “f****t”, they tried to board the bus before jumping in their cars so they could chase him as it pulled away.
“Members of the other team were pounding on the windows of our bus, yelling ‘let him off the bus’ and screaming ‘f****t’,” Dalton told The Independent.
“I felt a little threatened at first, but more so when they started following the bus.”
The chase continued through the city of Lexington until the coach of the opposing team intervened.
Police were called to the hotel Dalton and his team were staying at and for the rest of the four-day tournament, held in December, the group had to be escorted to games.
Some of the younger players were so frightened that they returned home early, he said.
As awful as that experience was, the teenager said he shared his experience because of the way his friends rallied around him afterwards.
“My teammates were amazing through the whole ordeal,” Dalton told The Independent.
“They stuck by my side and were there for me…I had grown up with these boys.
“I knew no matter what they'd be there for me and support me - they're like family.”
Dalton said he did not want to identify the school team who chased him because he wanted to bring positive attention to the support people get when coming out, not get anyone “bashed”.
He thinks homophobia in sport is a problem “in general” but that should not stop people coming out.
“Be who you are, do what you think you're ready to do,” he said.
“If it's support you are worrying about, just look at my wall or Twitter. The world will support you, and to the people that don't…they don't deserve you in their life.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments