Handball Player Krzikalla on Coming Out: “A Sense of Liberation”

When he came out four years ago, former Bundesliga handball player Lucas Krzikalla not only changed his own life, but also the daily lives of those closest to him. “Everything became easier for my family; before, it was always a bit of a charade,” the 32-year-old told the *Süddeutsche Zeitung*.

In the past, family members had to give evasive answers whenever asked about a girlfriend, marriage, or children. “The game of hide-and-seek is over; we can all live openly,” Krzikalla said about the time since then.

Krzikalla Reports Receiving a Threatening Letter

The former Leipzig player publicly came out as gay in the fall of 2022. According to Krzikalla, his family, his closest friends, and his team at the time already knew about it before that. “But we kept it under wraps a bit,” reported the former Bundesliga pro from SC DHfK Leipzig. Today, Krzikalla plays for the Munich Panthers in the regional league.

A small gesture from the team also shows just how naturally his relationship has become part of his everyday athletic life. His boyfriend was added to the group chat for the players’ wives, as Krzikalla reported in the interview.

There was hardly any hostility after he came out. “Nothing came directly from the stands or inside the arena. There were comments on social media. The most extreme was a threatening letter sent to the club’s office,” said the right wing. The message read: “That I belong in a re-education camp and should die there.”

“It was a relief”

Looking back, the handball player considers his coming out to have been the right decision. “Because living that life of hiding was always a mental burden. It was a relief; I’d do it again,” Krzikalla said.

He also knows other gay professional handball players. “But it’s not my place to pressure anyone into doing that. After all, I made the decision for myself, and every athlete should do the same. Some teammates wrote to me saying they had doubts about whether it was right to continue playing professional sports—they couldn’t reconcile it with their conscience.”