Following the non-consensual online posting of an intimate video of him with a man, Jeff Molina just came out as bisexual. Although Molina’s choice to publicly identify as a part of the LGBTQIA+ community as the first male UFC athlete may not have been handled precisely, the love he has received from peers and fans has been deeply emotional.
While some people enthusiastically embraced the news, others were less so. Other times, people threatened to upload the film unless they received between $10,000 and $25,000 from Jeff Molina, using this as a kind of blackmail.
Jeff Molina worked tirelessly to have the video removed from the web. In hindsight, he is happy that he came out in the open since it will help end discrimination towards LGBTQ individuals and inspire those who are going through the same thing.In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Jeff Molina disclosed how a small dispute that led to the leak of the original video led to him being blackmailed for money:
“The person who uploaded it expected an insignificant apology from me. I believe the second post is when I first started receiving Twitter direct messages with the subject line “Send me $10,000 or $25,000 or I’m going to post this.”Instantaneously, I feel like my life is in ruins. I’m crying as I go through it.
Eventually, the overwhelming online love Jeff Molina received for his bravery warmed his heart. Added him:
“After a few hours, I had a surge in support. Receiving responses from other openly gay sportsmen, UFC fighters, and famous people who simply said, “Hey man, it’s an inspiration and it sucks on the terms that it happened, but you’re an inspiration,” warmed my heart. Your decision to come out and become the first out gay male UFC fighter is motivational.
Jeff Molina claims that wants to be recognized for his skills and inspire people with his performances
Inequality and discrimination against people based on their gender or sexual orientation still exist in today’s society. Due to patriarchy and social expectations that males should demonstrate strong masculinity, sportsmen in combat sports have additional difficulties when trying to come out.Jeff Molina, who has experienced discrimination similar to what he has, hopes that his tale may motivate others. He does not want his legacy to be reduced to becoming the first male UFC fighter to come out as bisexual; rather, he wants to be known first and foremost as a talented MMA contender.
In the interview noted above, Jeff Molina added:
“Man, I wanted to be recognized for my abilities. I started doing this when I was just 14 years old. Even though I’m not the most athletic child in the world, I train like crazy and go to the gym two to three times every day. And I didn’t want to be known for doing this. Again, this is so trivial and not who I am. If that makes sense, it’s a component of who I am, but it’s not who I am. I want to inspire others, if I can help with that.
