Minor league baseball player Anderson Comás has publicly come out as gay with an inspirational Instagram post.

Anderson, a pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, becomes the second active minor league baseball player to publicly come out. The 23-year-old posted on Sunday (19 February) that he is “proudly and happily part of the LGTBQ+ community.” He added a disclaimer, addressing homophobic people in the hopes to show them this declaration doesn’t change him.

“I’m also a human with a great soul, I’m respectful, I’m a lover, I love my family and friends and that’s what really matters,” he added.

Anderson notes that being a professional baseball player is his dream, and that he can be gay and a successful athlete.

“I just wanna say something to those people that say that gay people can not be someone in this life,” Anderson then explained. “I’m gay and I’m a professional athlete,” he declared.