"And The Truth Shall Set You Free..."

Ranked 2nd strongest middleweight in the world, Rob Kearney is a true man's

man: strong, intense, potently masculine and powerful as a superhero.

GLOBALLY-RANKED PRO STRONGMAN IS MADE STRONGER BY REVEALING HE LOVES MEN

October 29, 2014


Rob Kearney did not roll out of bed on October 20th thinking he would change the world.  He just went about his day.

Of course, one of Rob's days is a lot more – how shall I put it?  A lot more macho than the rest of us.  With his imposing shoulders and rebellious mohaked hair, Rob Kearney is undoubtedly a certain type of red-blooded man's man; the type of powerhouse that holds the rest of us guys absolutely dumbstruck.

The guy moves quite literally tons of weight each week with nothing but his bare, brute strength.  Rob's lifting and training make the rest of us gym goers look like we're playing a lazy game of croquet.  His ability to use his thick, muscular frame to make immobile objects take momentum is astounding, and even intimidating. Thousands of pounds of steel and cement obey his aggressive, almost hostile muscular force.  But unleashed, male super-strength is not uncommon to Rob.  It is just a part of his day.

Rob Kearney is like a strength hero.

But this particular Monday would be one where Kearney shifted the thinking of an entire community and stepped – quite suddenly – onto the pages of social change in the history America, and perhaps the world.  He is no foreigner to the spotlight; Rob is not only a professional strongman (yes, that means he lifts heavy stuff for cash money, folk), but he is in fact an international-level strongman competitor, competing on the world stage among the strongest human beings currently documented.  He even recently won in the middleweight division of this contest making him, in effect, officially the strongest middleweight man on planet Earth.

You see, global acclaim is not a foreign thing to Kearney.   And having managed these accolade's before age 25, he is clearly comfortable with being received with awe, envy and admiration.  He knows what it is to become an icon of accomplishment.  But what it is to become an icon of social heroism?  Yeah, that would be a new one for Rob.

Built. Mohawked.  Powerful.  Driven.

This guy has always oozed masculine intensity.

It happened in an almost silly way.  You see, while Rob's professional athletic career may thrust his body in the spotlight he is nonetheless as human as the rest of us, and he has the heart of a romantic.  And that  heart was pounding inches chest that Monday morning as he went on to Facebook and, for the first time in his life, gushed about how much he adored his boyfriend.

You heard correctly: Rob Kearney, Professional StrongMan, World's Strongest Man Champion, strength coach of some of the toughest guys around, is happily dating a dude.

“My [man-crush Monday post] goes to . . . my boyfriend! The past few months have been crazy, but throughout all of this you’ve given me a reason to smile.
So I guess this is me coming out and saying... I’m gay!!”

— Rob Kearney's Facebook Status, October 20th

As soon as his post hit, the strength and bodybuilding communities shifted a little.  It was as if Atlas himself – the original strongman – momentarily giggled with affirming glee, and the world of powerful, musclebound men became just little more progressive.

You see, it is not just the fact that Rob was casually coming out of the closet as a strongman.  I mean, it would be more than enough for the heteronormative world of strength competitors to absorb that one of the best men in the game was proudly into gaming with men. That would have been more than enough impact to make men reconsider gender models and women realize that not all that is physically rough is necessarily psychologically rigid.  But the news of Rob's "coming out" was notable for a far more historical reason.

Rob Kearney is the first self-acknowledged gay man to be actively competing in pro-level, international strongman competition.  Which means the name "Rob Kearney" is now an indelible addition to the long history of sexual equality in America and the world.  He is in a pantheon of brave souls who decided to not hide for the fear of harming their social status or career aspirations.

Coming out in any arena is a pressure-filled venture.  We often forget that this world is still rather ignorant when it comes to same-gender love and sex.  There is plenty of hate brewing – and plenty of folks who act on that hate to cause harm and instill fear in those who may love another of the same sex.  To be the first of something unique is not something we all get a chance to experience in life.  But to be the first 'gay" something can be just as frightening as it can be positive.

Rob is a romantic at heart, and can't deny

that romance with a guy is what fulfills him.

This all speaks to Rob's character as a man.  He understood that there might be consequences.  "I thought it was important to be honest," he told me.  "People need to know that one of the top strength athletes on the planet is also gay.  But I didn't want it to affect my ability to compete.  And that possibility definitely crossed my mind before I made that post."

But once made, the first reactions were overwhelming.  "I can't remember this many people being this supportive and encouraging in my life!" he raved to me.  "I mean, I have always had people back me for events, but that was nothing compared to the sheer numbers of positive messages that came to me.  It was really humbling!"

But Rob is aware that the real impact of his revelation would be felt more gradually over time.  "I am not only the first actively competitive professional world strongman," he explained to me.  "I am also a gay strength coach."

And this was where I gushed in return to my colleague.  "At last!" I thought.  "At last I am not so fucking alone!"  As most of you know, I have been coaching in the bodybuilding and competitive world for over 15 years, and am not only usually the only queer coach in the arena, but often the only out gay man in a given contest.  Period.  Having someone else step forward bravely was one thing; having it be someone with certified international athletic status is another.  But that it was someone I always already a peer with took my elation to a whole new level.

Rob Kearney is one of my strength heroes.

Read more of Rob's story here: The Next Level

******

Congratulations Rob!

Thank you for sharing your truth and helping change the ideas

of what it means to be a same gender loving person.

"Fear Eats the Soul"