Being yourself causes a different look, one of disapproval, says Douglas Souza

After a break in his career, in which he announced his retirement from the Brazilian team to take care of his mental health, pointer Douglas Souza, 26, is back on the volleyball courts. A sensation on social media at the Tokyo-2020 Games, the athlete was presented this Tuesday (14) as one of the stars of the next season of Vôlei São José, a team from São José dos Campos, in the interior of São Paulo.

In this interview for Sheetin the month in which LGBTQIA+ pride is celebrated, he reaffirmed that it is important as an athlete to speak openly about his sexuality and that political correctness is not excess, it is a necessity.

“We know that it’s not just about homophobia, but because you are who you really are, because you’re a little more spontaneous, there will be people who will look at you differently, with a critical look, a disapproving look”, said. “This is very common in sport, it’s what we’ve been trying to change for a few years, what I’ve been trying to do, always.”

Since his success in Tokyo, Douglas has been using social media and his new activity as a streamer, which he started in 2020, in favor of the LGBTQIA+ community.

“When I was in the national team, I knew that I represented more than just Douglas. It wasn’t just for me, it was a whole community, I had this notion. And here at the club it’s no different, I’m in the sport. knows how things work”, said the pointer.

He defends so-called politically correct behavior against homophobic or racist jokes and pranks. “I think it’s necessary. There are jokes that people make with blacks and with gays that are not jokes, people die daily because of it. Someone’s life is no joke.”

Asked about homophobic statements made by former teammate Maurício Souza, which led to his dismissal from Minas Tênis Clube, the athlete preferred not to comment. He also avoided questions about elections and the dispute between President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT).

In December — before the announcement of his farewell to the national team, made in March — he left the club he played for in Italy, Callipo Sport. He returned to Brazil, surrounding himself with family and friends.

“I simply decided to prioritize my mental health. I had to do what I had to do. It was either that or it was until I ran the risk of something happening to me. I needed to preserve not only my career but my life,” he said. the athlete, who does not intend to return to the national team.

“When you’re in the national team, you have to give up many things in your life, things that are important to me. For example, I stopped going to my late grandfather’s funeral to be in a national team game, and I deeply regret those. things. But they are things that we have to give up when we want to go to the Olympics, things that for me were no longer doing well”, he explained.

Working only at the club, according to him, it is much easier to reconcile career and personal life.

“The game ends, and you go out with your friends. It’s a little lighter. Of course, there’s this charge, you have to win. In the selection, it ends up being a confinement, you go out for a game, go back to the room and have to focus on the next one”, said the player, whose desire to leave the green-yellow team was old.

“I had already understood that, I had already passed it on to my manager since 2017. If it were up to me, I would have already left, I would have said: ‘No, guys, enough, I can’t do it anymore’. But then I understand that the figure of Douglas Souza there represents an entire community, it’s not just Douglas there, you know, he has a greater burden”, he recalled.

In addition to Douglas, setter Matheus Brasília, libero Rogerinho and pointer Rodrigo Leandro were also presented this Tuesday at Vôlei São José. The club also announced as part of the new team two foreign athletes, who were not present at the event: Cuban opposite Michael Sánchez and Estonian pointer Robert Täht.

The team, which will also compete in the Men’s Superliga in the 2022/23 season, will be led by coach Carlos Schwanke.

The debut of the pointer in the team is scheduled for August, in the Paulista Championship.