“I have listened, I have observed and I have reflected on a proper time and place to do this; but I decided that the time was now. You all are aware of what has happened in Orlando, and regardless of your opinions of the topic, a man walked into a bar and targeted people of the LGBT community and killed them, and that is the simple fact. You grow up being afraid of who are you, and then eventually you come to terms with it. And then something like this happens and you go right back to where you were. Put yourself in the shoes of the mothers, fathers and siblings of those people who won’t come home after their Saturday night out, put yourself in the shoes of people who have to watch their backs and live in fear for simply expressing who they love.”Johnson’s friend and mentor, out college football player Conner Mertens, wrote about Johnson’s decision for Outsports. “He is joining the many voices speaking out against prejudice and bigotry. This is not about attention, and this is not about politics. This is about wanting to make a positive contribution to an otherwise negative and hostile world.” And Johnson is not alone.