LGBTQ
Orlando Cruz : ‘I’m gay, but I’m also a boxer. This is my time’
Four weeks ago, just after 10 o’clock on a Saturday night in downtown Buffalo, New York, Orlando Cruz looked wistfully out the window as our car sped through the deserted streets
Four weeks ago, just after 10 o’clock on a Saturday night in downtown Buffalo, New York, Orlando Cruz looked wistfully out the window as our car sped through the deserted streets.
After a brutal day in the gym, sparring 12 rounds against four different opponents, he yearned for a fleeting escape from preparations for his first world title fight.
“There are only four gay bars in Buffalo,” Cruz said, switching from Spanish to English, “and they’re not so exciting. But … you know …”
Orlando Cruz laughed because, a year after coming out as boxing’s first publicly gay fighter, he could afford to be open. He was a month away from the fight of his life, which takes place on Saturday night in Las Vegas as he challenges Mexico’s Orlando Salido for the WBO world featherweight title, but he still loved his new liberty.
Real stories. Real impact. Straight to your inbox. Join thousands others. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter today!
Want to tell your story, send a news tip or report a correction? Contact us at [email protected]
Follow us on Facebook, X, TikTok, Instagram, News Break
Discover more from Unheard Voices Magazine®
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
New Jersey triplets graduate high school together, and two share Valedictorian honor
Harriet Tubman Museum calls for community support after break-in just weeks after grand reopening
Family of Daniel Erving calls for murder charges after evidence‑tampering arrests in teen’s drowning death
After five years of kidney failure, matchmaker finds her perfect match in her husband
Hal Williams, veteran actor known for ‘227’ and ‘Sanford and Son,’ dies at 91
Wilberforce University freshman dies after hazing ritual, lawsuit alleges
GoFundMe launched after death of Mississippi teen Nolan Xavier Wells
GoFundMe raises more than $500,000 to support family of Nolan Xavier Wells after tragic loss
Former Rutgers football captain Jamil Merrell dies at 36
Beloved Florida scholar, Kappa Alpha Psi member dies after going overboard Miami boat ride
Woody Shaw’s Avant‑Garde ‘Song of Songs’ returns to vinyl after 50 years through Jazz Dispensary’s Top Shelf Series
Kansas City’s Copper Boyz Ranch provides youth violence‑prevention through horsemanship
Nolan Wells’ family demands ‘thorough’ investigation: “What we’ve been told does not make sense”
Peabo Bryson, Grammy‑winning voice behind two Disney classics, dies at 75
OWN greenlights first-ever ‘Belle Collective’ spinoff Belle Collective: Birmingham
-
Community2 weeks agoGoFundMe launched after death of Mississippi teen Nolan Xavier Wells
-
Social Justice1 week ago
GoFundMe raises more than $500,000 to support family of Nolan Xavier Wells after tragic loss
-
In Memoriam1 week agoFormer Rutgers football captain Jamil Merrell dies at 36
-
Social Justice1 week ago
Nolan Wells’ family demands ‘thorough’ investigation: “What we’ve been told does not make sense”
-
Good News2 weeks agoNew York City security guard hailed as a hero after stopping masked robbery attempt
-
Crime & Justice1 week agoInfluencer and rap artist ‘Dream Doll Bri’ killed in July 5 drive‑by shooting
-
Community2 weeks agoPregnant Tacoma woman survives violent pit bull attack, gives birth to healthy baby
-
New Jersey1 week agoLatina Civic Action demands independent investigation after ICE fatally shoots Houston father during traffic stop