In the Outfield with Robbie Rogers

Nico Stoerner

In anticipation of his new memoir “Coming Out To Play,” Out Front had the distinct pleasure of chatting with out soccer star and self-proclaimed “speed queen” Robbie Rogers about everything from his childhood to his favorite Disney princess. Robbie is the kind of all-American athlete you could root for on the field and take home to Momma for dinner. His book is a page-turner, his good-natured charm will win you over in a heartbeat, and he’s dreamy to boot. Here’s what he had to say:

You’ve been promoting the release of your book “Coming Out To Play.” What kind of feedback have you gotten from people about your story?
It’s been great! I love when they say, ‘I read it in a sitting or two,’ and ‘I laughed at times, I cried at times,’ and … well you know. You read the book. It’s a journey of emotions with lots of ups and downs and at the end, it all comes back to soccer.
I read the book in an hour. It was great.
Yeah, exactly. I think that’s the kind of book it is.

You liked to tag along to your sister’s soccer games as a kid. What kind of relationship do you have with your sister today?
A great one, actually — I just had lunch with her. We talk about everything, the good and the bad. It’s great to have that kind of support.

Having grown up in a Catholic household, how does it feel knowing that Pope Francis is championing gay acceptance?
I think it’s awesome, [but] I think it’s moving really slowly.

You knew early on that you were different from other kids, and it wasn’t that you were gay, but that you were a twin who lost his brother in a miscarriage. How did you come to sense this without having been told?
I can’t really remember why I felt that way … I just did. A lot of people in my family have a great intuition about stuff. I remember being downstairs and saying that to my mom, but I don’t remember why.

That was a fascinating and poignant section of the book, and it even mentioned you saying, “He gave me his speed.”
Yeah it was just instinct and intuition; it was really weird. I just “knew.”

It’s clear from your blog that you have a close relationship with your L.A. Galaxy teammates. How have they responded to your book?
They came to the book party and I gave them all books. They’ve been very supportive. They just got it, so I’ll see in a few weeks what they think.

The Denver Rapids had an offer out for you just before you came out of the closet. Do you think you would’ve been happy playing in Denver instead of the Galaxy?
I wanted to come home — that was the whole point of me coming back to Los Angeles. I love Denver. It’s a great club and the fans are amazing, but it wasn’t about anything else but me wanting to be near my family. Most of my family lives in Huntington Beach, so I just needed to be in an environment where if I needed to go
home I could.

How well do you know Denver?
That’s a great question. The last time I was there I enjoyed a few coffee shops, but I haven’t had a lot of time to hang out and explore as much as I would like. When we travel, we [mostly] just stay in the hotel room, and then go to the game. My friends went to college [in Denver] and had a great time, but I haven’t had the opportunity to really take it all in.

Do you remember any of your crushes as a kid?
No. I was so closeted, I remember watching my first gay kiss between Jack and David [on “Dawson’s Creek”] and being really surprised because I had never seen anything like that before. But I was just so scared to even open that side of me.
What personality traits and physical characteristics do you look for in a guy?
I’d say I’m a pretty mellow person so someone I could really sit and talk with and hang out with, someone I could take home to my family — kind of the normal stuff. I physically don’t have a type. More than anything, just someone I could hang with for hours and hours.

Growing up, you loved “My Little Pony,” and ironically your favorite was Rainbow Dash, the blue pegasus with the rainbow mane and tattoo, right? I did some research.
“Yeah! I think Eric [my co-writer] and I did that research at one point, too! It’s just perfect for me! A rainbow speed queen!”

I know, right? The phenomenon of “brony culture” today that both straight and gay men share is particularly interesting. What do you think that says about social progress?
So, so much. We’ve made so many strides, like the many states we can get married in. Instead of having the “gay ghettos” of the past, you find that cities and neighborhoods have become a mixed crowd. I think that’s a sign of us being increasingly more accepted. I think we’ve gotten to the point where we’re much more willing to open up, even though things are going a little too slowly.

Would you consider yourself a “brony” today?
I haven’t seen “My Little Pony” for about 17 years, I think. Maybe a little longer, so I don’t think I’m in that group anymore, but I need to get back
into it!

I’m sure they would be happy to have you! Before we close, would you mind sharing your guilty pleasure? A favorite vice?
I’m one of those people who are ‘all or nothing’ and I’ve got a sweet tooth, so when I get a craving I go to town on a lot of ice cream and cookies … really all things pastry.