*SPOILER ALERT*

Victor is officially out at school, and everyone knows that he and Benji are a couple. While his friends are super supportive and don’t have a problem with Victor being gay, his coming out has caused some complications with the school basketball team. Some of the guys complain to the coach about being uncomfortable with Victor changing in the locker room with them.

Discrimination from Classmates

Victor resumes life as normal at school now that he is out. Things are going well with his relationship with Benji and basketball practice has started up again. Victor loves playing basketball, and it’s one of the things he bonds with his dad over. But the team isn’t exactly creating a supportive and welcoming environment anymore. Some of the guys no longer feel comfortable changing in front of Victor in the locker room and they ask the coach if he can change somewhere else. This seems to stem from the idea that since Victor is attracted to boys, he might stare at them while they change or try checking them out. 

Victor is upset when the coach tells him this because he’s being treated differently from every other guy on the team, even though he is the same person he was before he came out publicly. However, Andrew tries to give Victor advice and tells him to just keep being the same great basketball player and the guys will realize nothing has actually changed. He goes to the locker room after killing it during a practice game to change with the rest of the team, and several of the guys grab their stuff and leave. It doesn’t seem to matter to them that Victor is still one of the best players on the team. 

Being Gay and a Jock

Because of this discrimination, Victor makes the hard decision to leave the team. Basketball was something he really enjoyed doing, so it was unfortunate to see him quit the team because of how the other guys were treating him. However, it was also a really important moment because Victor stood up for himself. He wasn’t going to help the team by giving them his basketball skills if they weren’t willing to support him in return and let him change in the locker room like any other player. 

At the end of Episode 5, Andrew fights for Victor to come back, and one of the players does end up leaving because he still doesn’t want Victor in the locker room. But ultimately, Victor is starting to feel more comfortable and confident with who he is and he’s not going to let others tear him down.  

The Trevor Project: A national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth

It Gets Better Project: An organization whose mission is to uplift, empower, and connect LGBTQ+ youth around the globe.

GLAAD: An organization that uses media platforms to increase positive LGBTQ+ awareness and information.