Professional Bowling Champ Comes Out

A professional bowler who was named Rookie of the Year says being openly gay while on the tour was "extremely important" to him, so that he could act as a role model for fellow gay athletes.

After passing the California bar exam in 2009, Scott Norton went on to pursue another lifelong dream of becoming a professional bowler. In his first season, 2010-2011, Norton won a Professional Bowling Association tour title and was named PBA Rookie of the Year by his peers. Norton wrote on the league's website Thursday, that his experience on the tour "surpassed nearly everything I could hope for in terms of acceptance."

"I am very proud and happy with who I am and who I have become as a person," he added, "and I would hope that this will empower other gay athletes – past, present, or future – to come to terms with the truth about who they are and love themselves for who they are."

Read his full op-ed on PBA.com.