Gay in the NBA
Agree or disagree: "An athlete in 2007 who stays in the closet during his playing days does more to support homophobia in sports than coming out after retirement does to combat it." (the article discusses recent NBA player John Amaechi publishing a new book that announces his homosexuality).
Surely there are dozens of closeted athletes in the big three leagues — MLB, NFL and NBA — but they've come out after retiring.
Seems like an easy thing to say when being honest about your sexuality won't get you drummed out of your career, or, at the very least, blacklisted to an unworkable degree. There's a reason no athletes in any professional american sports have come out of the closet, and it isn't because a) none of them are gay or b) they're uninterested in the gay rights movement or c) they're weak-minded cowards. That's the way it seems to me, anyway.
It will take an exceptional man who is willing to risk everything to make this point. A risk worth commending, to be sure, but not to be haphazardly expected just because the culture at large is less likely to attempt to destroy you for being gay than it was twenty years ago. The culture of the locker room seems like a much slower animal to change.
Someone's gotta be first; the interesting thing to see will be whether that one man will be a pebble that starts an avalanche, or the world's Fastest Disappearing Athlete.
"There's a reason no athletes in any professional american sports have come out of the closet"
Hey Ben - Check your sexism!!!
Perhaps there are no out MALE athletes currently competing, but plenty of lesbians are out of the closet and doing fine. Saint Martina, Amele Mauresmo (ok, she's French) and some WNBA players are out. Uhm, yeah, also, a sizeable portion of the LPGA are pretty firmly out of the closet.
I will cop to pretty much agreeing with the rest of your comment.
Posted by: j on February 8, 2007 9:57 AM | permalinkAnyhow, I updated the post to refer to major sports.
Which might be offensive, but women's sports aren't quite the national obsession.
Yay for Martina, but twice that for the first active pro football player to proudly announce he's gay.
Posted by: Joe Grossberg on February 8, 2007 10:14 AM | permalinkIt's obvious we're talking about the major leagues here, which are male. The article is talking about males sports leagues. How many WNBA games have you been too? I had season tickets to the Storm in 2005, and it wasn't because I thought they were hot.
I agree. It's time for gay (male) pro athletes to finally man up and come out while still active. (Are you reading this, RJ?) I won't go as far as the ESPN.com writer did, complaining about all this attention every time some retired athlete comes out, but reading the comments of other NBA players on outsports.com, I was intrigued by how many profess publicly not to care about a teammate's sexuality as long as he can play.
Props to Grant Hill for saying to the AP, "The fact that John has done this, maybe it will give others the comfort or confidence to come out as well, whether they are playing or retiring."
And while some of the other players' comments were disturbing to various degrees, and I understand the locker room culture makes it extremely difficult to come out while still active, it's no excuse. Plenty of gay people live out and openly in equally difficult situations and the tons of money being made by pro athletes can only make it easier to cushion any potential blow to their endorsements or other earning potential.
Posted by: Danny G on February 8, 2007 11:31 AM | permalinkNot that I don't respect those female professional athletes who've come out but I don't think the comparison is quite fair. Gender roles being what they are, for a woman to participate in professional sports is to be perceived as more "mannish" - female professional sports in general seem to be a space where being gay is not considered outlandish.
Male jock culture, on the other hand, is the epitome of sweaty, chest-beating heterosexuality. However inaccurately, homosexuality in this context is considered effeminate - the anti-jock. Not to mention the tremendous anxiety men feel at the thought they could be a target for male sexuality from those they would ordinarily consider their fellow targeters of women.
Of course none of this is going to change until a gay athlete has the balls to come out while still playing. I think retired athletes coming out help though. More so if it was Michael Jordan, not some journeyman center who lives in Manchester.
Posted by: Hasdai on February 8, 2007 12:28 PM | permalinkHe's talking about the the "gay Net" rumors that Richard Jefferson or maybe Vince Carter is gay.
Posted by: Joe Grossberg on February 9, 2007 2:03 PM | permalinkFor the record, I don't KNOW that Richard Jefferson is gay. It's not like I've ever had his dick in my mouth or anything. But look at him! You just KNOW he IS!
Posted by: Danny G on February 9, 2007 2:24 PM | permalink"But look at him! You just KNOW he IS!"
LOL. very funny. I think the voice is what we focus on, if we had to take a guess into his sexuality.
Posted by: sarah on March 12, 2007 5:56 PM | permalinkNo more comments! Either someone has violated Godwin's Law, I'm tired of the discussion or, most likely, the ten-week window has closed. You can, however, contact me through email.