“I left the closet because I could not”: the gay basketball player who was proclaimed champion of Argentina with his team and celebrated it with the rainbow flag

Sebastián Vega, sitting on one of the rings of the basketball court dressing the clothing of Boca Juniors, with the ring network around his neck and extended arms holding a flag of gay pride behind his back. — Photo foot, Sebastián Vega was one of the pillars of Boca Juniors triumph in the local championship.

When Sebastián Vega was first attracted to a man, he was already in his veins and with a professional career in Argentine basketball.

The feeling was not only strange, but paralyzing; He couldn't tell anyone.

That day he began to have two lives: the one that the others saw, of a heterosexual athlete, and the internal, very private. With lies, many lies. And a great wear for appearing what it was not and that nobody realized.

Until five years ago he decided to make it public and became the first openly gay professional basketball player in Latin America.

And a few weeks ago, as the local tournament was crowned by Boca Juniors at 37, he surprised to celebrate with an unusual flag for the basketball courts: that of the rainbow.

On how he got here, Vega spoke with BBC Mundo.

How was your closet exit, or your closet outings?

It is true that of “your exits”, because there were so many times that I had to speak, communicate it, or the subject emerged again …

When I was 20 or 21, I started feeling attraction for a man and could not express it. I also didn't understand what was happening to me exactly, how I could attract a person of the same sex. It had many structures, many prejudices.

With him nothing happened, but shortly after I had my first gay experience.

With the second person with whom I linked we were a couple for almost seven years. And I lied constantly. He said “I'm going on vacation with friends” when I really went with him. Or “I'm going to sleep at a friend's house” and I went home. One lie after another.

It was a rather dark era in my life that led me to injure sports, because my head was spending energies on other things. I didn't want to expose myself with my boyfriend, he wasn't going to see me. Or, if he went, the game ended, he turned to the apartment and we didn't even cross.

Sebastián Vega about to write down a double, centimeters from the network with his right arm stretched and the ball in his hand. Next, a rival player tries to stop him with his two arms up. — Photo foot, Vega left the closet publicly in March 2020.

No one saw us outside, I prevented people from knowing or seeing us sharing, so that they could not say “Seba can be gay”. I couldn't say what was happening, but my body was undoubtedly expressing that something had to change.

At 26 or 27 I decided to start by telling my parents, which for me are the most important thing. My dad asked me what I planned to do with basketball, not because I didn't want it to be gay, but for discrimination.

Then I told my most intimate circle, my friends, and it was like: “I arrive here, it is what I need for now.” In the basketball environment it was not yet known.

It was known with a public letter in March 2020. Why did you do it?

Because I couldn't anymore. I had separated, I began to be wrong again and had reached a limit. I wanted to be me and wanted to be happy, even if I had to stop playing basketball. I didn't care. This is what I am.

But, at the same time, I felt that I was being a hypocritical. From the place he had he could help a lot of people, and he wasn't doing it.

Sebastián Vega takes the basketball ball with his right hand in the middle of a play; You saw the alternative clothing, which is preponderantly white with blue and yellow stripes. — Photo foot, The player returned to Boca in 2023.

Did you believe at any time that you were not going to be able to dedicate professionally to basketball for your sexuality?

Yes. In fact, I studied a university career, labor relations, to retire young and make my love life quietly, outside the sports field, of so much pressure. Later, when I could not solve the issue and I had so many injuries, I thought “this is not going, I will not be able to with all this, I am going to retire.”

Did you suffer discrimination in basketball?

Definitely. It is something constant that tires and hurts. One is half tanned, but there is a family behind, friends, who suffer.

Many times it is said that homophobic insults are part of the folklore of the sport, which they say so that I play badly, to get me out of the game, but sometimes I can react in a good way and sometimes in a way that does not proud me. By social networks too, the hate It is screwed.

Given so much ignorance or so much discrimination, the most important thing is to educate.

Sebastián Vega in a celebratory attitude in the middle of the basketball court, with his eyes closed and his mouth open, so he seems to be screaming — Photo foot, He started playing at age 5, already 16 was already part of professional teams.

Do insults come only from fans or also rival players?

Always from outside the court. With the players it has not happened to me and it was one of my great fears, on the part of the opposites or even my colleagues. They have not gotten there, and that makes me very happy.

Before you left the closet in the sports field, were there costume conversations that bother you?

Constantly. A lot of joke, in quotes, but they said quite hard things and having not resolved that issue, it was to put the finger in the sore all the time.

I could not speak, I could not explain, I could not defend or give my point of view. If I did they were going to say “Sos Gay”, I betrayed me, then I tried not to manifest me so that nothing is known.

One day we were in the collective (bus) going to play another city, and a debate was put together how to know if someone is a fucking (gay) -that word is used a lot.

Sebastián Vega lying on the floor celebrating the title with his teammates. — Photo foot, Vega hid his sentimental relationships for years.

I remember very clear that one said: “If I have a fucking partner in the locker room, I don't bathing.”

It was strong for me. I got to bathe quickly first and I was going quickly. Or I expected everyone to bathe, a long time ago with the phone, to go last.

At that moment it hurt me a lot. Today is something that he will have to solve, because for me it is totally natural. My colleagues understand it and there is no necessary debate.

But a lot of situations of this type led me to isolate me a lot. It was a very dark moment, I was very alone. He put a wall and did not allow anyone to enter because he did not want to give explanations. It was a lot to live the process alone and it was quite hard.

Why is it harder to get out of the closet in sport?

I remember being in my house with the computer, google “professional gay athlete”, “gay basketball player”, because I needed an example to follow, and I didn't find it anywhere.

Sport is much more backward in sexual diversity. There is a lot of pressure. In the male sport they shout you “Give him, I ran, don't be fucking, don't be fag!” As if the fucking being was linked to being weak.

Sebastián Vega celebrates the glass with his right arm, while with his left hand he holds a bottle of champagne, surrounded by his companions — Photo foot, The Argentine states that one of his fears was the discrimination from the players, but that it did not happen.

Many times they have asked: And what is Vega? The 17 is the one who is gay? But you don't notice on the court. Play strong, it clashes, goes to the floor.

I wonder what one thing has to do with the other.

Many people have left the sport for their sexuality, because they could not with such pressure. It is time for that to begin to change.

How did it occur to you to celebrate in the ring with the rainbow flag?

Last year I had thought about it, but between one final and another I forget. And this year I asked myself: what if I do? What if I encourage?

I told a friend and told me that I just wanted to give me the pride flag.

He bought it and took it to the court. I had it in the wallet, and when we left champions, the relatives at first are outside and then enter the court. A partner had cut the ring of one ring and the other was missing.

Sebastián Vega celebrates the championship with the cup in his right hand, while hugging one of his teammates with his left arm. — Photo foot, At 37, Sebastián Vega lives one of his best sports moments.

My friend was outside the court and he signaled me as saying “I have the flag.” And at times that fear came back, that fear invaded: “I don't know if I'm trained, I don't know if I encourage, I don't know if it is worth doing.” But nobody climbed, nobody cut the network, it was as if that ring was waiting for me. And I said “it's the time.”

I took courage, there were five seconds between that I thought all that, I went up to the ring with the help of my teammates, and there I sent one of the boys to look for the flag. “It has to be today,” I thought. People exploded, I started applauding me, and it was something wonderful.

You tell me and put chicken skin. It is crazy that in 2025 these things continue to happen. That today I can climb me to a ring with a flag of pride and be an act of courage … it should be totally everyday.