"Balón Amarillo, Bandera Arcoíris" Offers Insight Into An Active LGBT Athlete
Balón Amarillo, Bandera Arcoíris: El Deporte de Elite Sale del Armario (2022)
A Quick Book Review
When Víctor Gutiérrez came out as an active Olympic sport athlete in 2016, it didn't register much in the United States, other than primarily LGBT-focused news circles. Partly because he is a Spanish national, but also because he was an active water polo player, not exactly a regular top U.S. sports media headline.
A Quick Book Review
When Víctor Gutiérrez came out as an active Olympic sport athlete in 2016, it didn't register much in the United States, other than primarily LGBT-focused news circles. Partly because he is a Spanish national, but also because he was an active water polo player, not exactly a regular top U.S. sports media headline.
But water polo is more well-regarded in Spain, and Gutiérrez did make the early (but not the final) cut to make the Rio 2016 squad. (Team Spain would end up seventh in Rio.)
Since his coming out, he has become an active voice and visible presence in LGBT awareness, particularly in Spain, while still actively playing on the professional club circuit.
All that certainly provides enough material for a look into his journey from the pool to activist. Hence, his 2022 Spanish-language autobiography Balón Amarillo, Bandera Arcoíris: El Deporte de Elite Sale del Armario (Yellow Ball, "Rainbow Flag: Elite Sports Comes Out of the Closet"), which I shamefully only was able to read more than a year after publishing. (And, luckily, I can read enough Spanish!)
For those familiar with Gutiérrez from afar here in the States, this is a worthy primer on who he is and his background: a rising junior player in an macho-perceived sport, grappling with knowing he was different to eventually coming to terms with his sexuality. And, spurred by knowing that he could be the LGBT role model in sports for youths that he never saw growing up, Gutiérrez takes a fateful step into public acknowledgement that would eventually lead him to national recognition and activism.
Published in August 2022, Balón also addresses an unfortunate incident of homophobia in the pool just a few months earlier, representing the precise reason why Gutiérrez's voice - and presence in sports - matters. His sincerity and earnestness comes through in the passages, as he recognizes the moment in time and its potential in which he is living.
Plus, how often does one get to read an autobiography of a water polo player??
Since his coming out, he has become an active voice and visible presence in LGBT awareness, particularly in Spain, while still actively playing on the professional club circuit.
All that certainly provides enough material for a look into his journey from the pool to activist. Hence, his 2022 Spanish-language autobiography Balón Amarillo, Bandera Arcoíris: El Deporte de Elite Sale del Armario (Yellow Ball, "Rainbow Flag: Elite Sports Comes Out of the Closet"), which I shamefully only was able to read more than a year after publishing. (And, luckily, I can read enough Spanish!)
For those familiar with Gutiérrez from afar here in the States, this is a worthy primer on who he is and his background: a rising junior player in an macho-perceived sport, grappling with knowing he was different to eventually coming to terms with his sexuality. And, spurred by knowing that he could be the LGBT role model in sports for youths that he never saw growing up, Gutiérrez takes a fateful step into public acknowledgement that would eventually lead him to national recognition and activism.
Published in August 2022, Balón also addresses an unfortunate incident of homophobia in the pool just a few months earlier, representing the precise reason why Gutiérrez's voice - and presence in sports - matters. His sincerity and earnestness comes through in the passages, as he recognizes the moment in time and its potential in which he is living.
Plus, how often does one get to read an autobiography of a water polo player??
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