Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Orlando Cruz

Quote by Orlando Cruz

“I came out as a gay as I have earned myself respect as an athlete. I have only lost 2 out of 22 professional fights. I knocked out some of my opponents in the first round. But I never really received respect as a person. That's something I had come to realize over the past few years. The end of my boxing career is no longer that far off, and it was time for me to make peace with myself. And there was a second reason for me to come out: I hoped it would make me a better boxer.”

Quote by Orlando Cruz

Create image

Author

Orlando Cruz
Orlando Cruz

Orlando Cruz, born on July 1, 1981, is a professional boxer from Puerto Rico. Known for his exceptional skills and elegant style of play, he has won multiple international boxing titles. more

You May Also Like

“For a long time I didn't want to accept that I was gay. Better said: I couldn't accept it because I was too afraid. Homosexuals were discriminated against in Puerto Rico back then, sometimes even killed. I had a friend named José, but we called him Linoshka because he was a transvestite. He was stabbed to death in the street at the age of 19 by a homophobe because he had taken part in a gay-pride parade.”

LongSometimesAgeAcceptingTakenGayHomosexualPuerto Rico
Author:Orlando Cruz
Create image

“Social media has had a huge impact on the industry. Models now have voices. We are connected directly to millions of people, and we are no longer just pretty faces modeling clothes. This has allowed us to reach a broad audience. This platform for models to connect directly with their fans has started to shift the power dynamic in the industry, but there's still a long way to go. I think we are heading in the right direction, as more people start to see the value in inviting models in the creative and collaborative process.”

PeopleThinkingLongValuesAudienceCreativeSocial MediaModelingPretty Face
Author:Sara Sampaio
Create image

“I think we, as a fasion industry, need to hold people accountable for their actions. I want people to realize that models have a voice, and a powerful one at that. I want all models to be treated with more respect because that's what we all want - basic respect and to not be treated like objects with no will. I hope that models can be more empowered to say 'no' or give their opinion without being labeled as difficult. Modeling should be a collaboration. If the makeup artist, photographer and stylist all contribute, why can't models?”

PeopleThinkingGivingActionArtistDifficultRealizingPowerfulOpinionPhotographerMakeupCollaborationOld PeopleModelingEmpowered
Author:Sara Sampaio
Create image

“I think people in the fasion industry need to listen more and not look the other way when someone has a voice. We need to stop sending girls and boys to photographers or professionals who are known to be abusive. There should be a much more controlled environment in place for young models to protect them, and this should be led and supported by professionals in the industry. We need to create an environment in which models feel safe sharing information about their on-set experiences, instead of being silenced.”

PeopleThinkingGirlBoysEnvironmentProtectPhotographerAbusiveBoy And Girl
Author:Sara Sampaio
Create image