Former AFL Player Mitch Brown Opens Up About Life After Coming Out

Former West Coast Eagles player Mitch Brown has shared that he feels “at peace” since publicly coming out as bisexual last year.

Brown, who played in the Australian Football League (AFL) for a decade, made history in August when he became one of the first former players from the men’s competition to come out as bisexual.

Speaking on Melbourne Breakfast with Sharnelle Vella and Bob Murphy ahead of Mardi Gras, Brown reflected on how life has changed in the months since sharing his story publicly.

‘Comfort and Confidence’

“I’m a bisexual man,” Brown began, explaining that coming out brought with it “this feeling of peace, but, more importantly, comfort and confidence – confidence in who I am, my identity and confidence in sharing that.”

When asked how the past six months had been, Brown described speaking openly about his sexuality as “a form of therapy”.

“I’m going through this right in the moment, and it’s having to play out publicly, but I’m also doing it on a personal level too,” he said, adding that he now feels “a sense of peace and comfort”.

Reflecting on the experience of hiding part of himself, Brown noted:

“You’ve just got you and your thoughts… you just make up things that are not reality, and you think they’re going to be worse, and they’re not.”

‘It’s Been Really Loving and Supportive’

Brown admitted he had feared negative reactions prior to coming out. Instead, he said the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

“It really hasn’t been too bad. It’s been really loving and supportive,” he shared, while acknowledging the “privilege” he feels in receiving such backing.

He also confirmed that he had been open about his sexuality within his personal circle for years, but previously didn’t feel he had “the place to speak up” publicly.

Addressing the issue of bisexual erasure in men’s sport, Brown reflected:

“Maybe the first person in the AFL men’s competition to come out and speak out publicly should be a gay man, someone that walks down the Brownlow red carpet with a man side by side.”

However, he said he ultimately chose to speak out in order to help make men’s sport more inclusive.

“I choose to do that,” he said of continuing the conversation around LGBTQ+ visibility in sport. His intention, he added, was always to let his “authentic self” and “rawness” shine through.