Dallas Fuel DPS Hyeon “EFFECT” Hwang has come out as bisexual. The South Korean born player, from a country known for its opposition of gay rights, said on Twitter that he had hidden his sexuality since his childhood.
He went on to say that he had never even hinted it to anyone outside of his family, and he said that he received criticism as soon as he came out.
“I don’t want to ‘cosplay’ anymore and only now am I able to put down this heavy load,” EFFECT said.
Despite the affectionate support from the Overwatch community, EFFECT will no doubt receive scrutiny. Suicide in South Korea is the 10th highest in the world, with 54 percent of LGBT teenagers attempting suicide, according to the Korean Health Promotion Institute.
Furthermore, with the complete lack of anti-discrimination laws for gay people in the country, the risk of coming out could lead to loss of future career opportunities.
Dallas Fuel, a team plagued with controversy, had a rocky start to the inaugural season of the Overwatch League. By the end of the year, after numerous roster swaps, they’ve finally begun to look like the team they were always hyped up to be. EFFECT has been the one variable that has stayed consistent throughout, and he continues to be a player with immense determination and skill.
