"Describing himself as a "private person" Kortuem said Heated Rivalry had "sparked" something in him and inspired him to come out publicly. "I realised it is finally time to share a journey I have kept close to the vest for a long time," he said. He continued: "I felt I had to hide parts of myself for far too long," as he shared his experience growing up as the youngest of four boys in Minnesota where sports were a big part of life."
""I wondered how I could be gay and still play such a tough and masculine sport," Kortuem said. Unable to reconcile his sexuality with the sport, Kortuem also said there was little "positive representation in the media" and that coming out in high school in the 2000s would have been a "social disaster". In the end, he walked away from his high school team."
Jesse Korteum, a former hockey player, publicly came out as gay after attending a Heated Rivalry weekend and receiving support from The Cutting Edges. Wearing the association's jersey bridged his sporting identity and his community. He described himself as private and said the event sparked a decision to share a long-held personal journey. He recounted hiding parts of himself while growing up as the youngest of four boys in Minnesota and struggling to reconcile his sexuality with hockey's masculine norms. He feared social consequences in high school, walked away from his team, and remained closeted to teammates as an adult.
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