First (openly) gay athlete in American sports

[tippy2k2]

If you are a fan of American sports, there are two things you heard yesterday:

Tim Tebow has been cut and Jason Collins, a basketball player in the NBA, has come out publicly that he is gay. He is the first (for American sports at least, I believe there is a gay soccer player in the Spanish league) openly gay professional athlete in the 4 big American sports (football, hockey, basketball, and baseball) and a big step for the gay community.

There was a lot of support by the sports world and as expected, a few who were very critical about the move (with the most well known being ESPN basketball analyst Chris Broussard, who stated "I'm a Christian, I don't agree with homosexuality. I think it's a sin, as I think all sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman is."

So I'm curious what others feel about this? Happy, sad, indifferent?

Personally, I'm kind of surprised it's taken so long. I know that the "sports world" is supposed to be full of meat-heads and testosterone but sports is a young man's game and the younger generation seems to have just plain accepted the fact that people are gay. The only worry I had here was that Collins is a free agent and this might just be a ploy to get attention but I just really really hope that's not it. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt...

The article that Collins admitted his sexuality is at this link. The article itself is pretty large so I won't post the actual story:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/news/20130429/jason-collins-gay-nba-player/

Spoiler: His reason

I realized I needed to go public when Joe Kennedy, my old roommate at Stanford and now a Massachusetts congressman, told me he had just marched in Boston's 2012 Gay Pride Parade. I'm seldom jealous of others, but hearing what Joe had done filled me with envy. I was proud of him for participating but angry that as a closeted gay man I couldn't even cheer my straight friend on as a spectator. If I'd been questioned, I would have concocted half truths. What a shame to have to lie at a celebration of pride. I want to do the right thing and not hide anymore. I want to march for tolerance, acceptance and understanding. I want to take a stand and say, "Me, too."

EDIT: I thought I had that in there but I did not so thanks for the heads-up MarsAtlas. This is the first openly gay athlete who has come out during his career and actively playing their respective sport.

 

[Voulan]

I don't watch sports and only heard about it in the news, but I was also shocked that this hasn't happened before. I guess I just assumed that since gay marriage is becoming legal slowly all over the world that people were becoming more tolerant about the issue, but of course that stigma is still there. Hopefully this willi be a precursor for more athletes to open up.

Has it really never happened before?

 

[Jacco]

The fact that this is even a thing is asinine. We need to get the fuck over ourselves.

 

[TehCookie]

Mostly indifferent because I don't care about anyone's orientation unless I'm want to date them. However I know other people scared of teh gay so hopefully it will become accepted so being gay or straight isn't a big deal.

 

[Chemical Alia]

I wondered why this was a big deal, but I wasn't aware that he's like THE ONLY OPENLY GAY ATHLETE EVER in sports here. It's actually kind of crazy that this is the case in the first place.

 

[mitchell271]

There's a gay guy playing basketball, ooh. Why is this a thing, especially in our supposedly "tolerant" society. Yes, I get that sports (especially in the states) is very religious and tons of people will instantly hate him just because he's gay. But seriously? If anything, more power to the guy because he's not only admitted to himself and everyone else that he's gay, he was the first to do it.

 

[hazabaza1]

There's a gay guy playing basketball, ooh. Why is this a thing, especially in our supposedly "tolerant" society. Yes, I get that sports (especially in the states) is very religious and tons of people will instantly hate him just because he's gay. But seriously? If anything, more power to the guy because he's not only admitted to himself and everyone else that he's gay, he was the first to do it.

You answered your own question.
For a lot of people this would be similar to career suicide. He did a brave thing, so good on him.

 

[razer17]

Personally, I'm kind of surprised it's taken so long. I know that the "sports world" is supposed to be full of meat-heads and testosterone but sports is a young man's game and the younger generation seems to have just plain accepted the fact that people are gay. The only worry I had here was that Collins is a free agent and this might just be a ploy to get attention but I just really really hope that's not it. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt...

In all fairness, I think it's unlikely to be an attention thing. If anything this is less likely to get him a new team, with coaches/managers being like "I don't want a gay in the locker room!"

Anyhow. It's kind of sad that it's taken so long. Sports is still a very homophobic environment, and it will stay like that for the forseeable future.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

(for American sports at least, I believe there is a gay soccer player in the Spanish league)

You should look up Ian Roberts, the Australian rugby league player who came out in the mid-90s.

 

[Rose and Thorn]

I just heard about it on the telly. I was actually dumb founded to hear that. I still only half believe that he is the first open gay man in american sports. It just shocks me.

I kind of get that it would be really difficult to come out in a professional sports filled with jocks and manly men, but still. For America to have its first openly gay man in sports in the year 2013. Crazy.

I am curious if this includes Canada? Maybe we already have a few gay dudes? I don't follow sports, anyone know?

 

[ShiningAmber]

This shouldn't even be news. That the fact that an athlete's sexual preference even matters to some people is ridiculous. The fact that it's on the news is ridiculous. Why does his homosexuality even matter?

I'm not bashing him by any means. This just shouldn't be news. It shouldn't matter even matter. It shouldn't be a big deal or any deal for that matter. Doing stuff like this, news stories like this, giving publicity to this just adds more fuel to the fire.

 

[AstylahAthrys]

I can't wait to live in a world where this isn't a big deal, and I can't believe this hasn't happened sooner. Is it really that big of a deal for an athlete to be gay?

 

[LetalisK]

Funny thing is, I'm willing to bet this is mostly a non-issue for basketball fans. Can this guy put up numbers? That's all that matters.

 

[tippy2k2]

Personally, I'm kind of surprised it's taken so long. I know that the "sports world" is supposed to be full of meat-heads and testosterone but sports is a young man's game and the younger generation seems to have just plain accepted the fact that people are gay. The only worry I had here was that Collins is a free agent and this might just be a ploy to get attention but I just really really hope that's not it. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt...

In all fairness, I think it's unlikely to be an attention thing. If anything this is less likely to get him a new team, with coaches/managers being like "I don't want a gay in the locker room!"

Anyhow. It's kind of sad that it's taken so long. Sports is still a very homophobic environment, and it will stay like that for the forseeable future.

That's a good point. Right now I'm assuming that everyone is happy with this decision but I suppose people who are unhappy will probably keep quiet but still hold it against him while he's trying to get picked up by a new team.

I know nothing about basketball (I'm more of a football guy and us Vikings have our own off-the-field LGBY controversy) so I don't know if he actually deserves to be picked up. I just hope that whatever goes down, it's because of his skill/lack of skill and not this.

 

[TheVampwizimp_v1legacy]

This shouldn't even be news. That the fact that an athlete's sexual preference even matters to some people is ridiculous. The fact that it's on the news is ridiculous. Why does his homosexuality even matter?

I'm not bashing him by any means. This just shouldn't be news. It shouldn't matter even matter. It shouldn't be a big deal or any deal for that matter. Doing stuff like this, news stories like this, giving publicity to this just adds more fuel to the fire.

Well that's a stupid thing to say. I mean you're right about the fact that it shouldn't be news, but that doesn't mean that it isn't anyway. Of course his sexuality doesn't matter to you or me or most of us, but to his teammates? It might to some of them. And to his managers? His potential employers? Millions of other basketball fans? It might matter to some of them. And pretending like it isn't an issue won't help it actually stop being an issue. It needs to be talked about, that's how people work out how to fix it.

 

[GeneralFungi]

I too am surprised that this already hasn't happened before. It was a very brave thing to do, and demonstrates courage that I wish I had. While coming out in such an open way has given Jason quite a lot of support, it is also just as likely to turn people against him. I hope that his basketball career is successful and hope that this doesn't negatively affect his career. He is making himself out to be quite the role model.

 

[DarkRyter]

Sports in general is a pretty homoerotic concept.

Fit, sweaty men (or women,but never both at once), flexing, panting, struggling.

 

[Robot Number V]

For America to have its first openly gay man in the year 2013. Crazy.

I'm...almost positive that isn't what you meant to say. Oh, and according to OP (in an edit) there have been gay athletes who've come out before now, but this is the first one to come out while still playing their sport. Which is still pretty ridiculous.

Anyway, good for him. Hopefully more will follow suit. Pretty dumb that this hasn't already happened much sooner. That's all I have to say about it.

 

[ShiningAmber]

This shouldn't even be news. That the fact that an athlete's sexual preference even matters to some people is ridiculous. The fact that it's on the news is ridiculous. Why does his homosexuality even matter?

I'm not bashing him by any means. This just shouldn't be news. It shouldn't matter even matter. It shouldn't be a big deal or any deal for that matter. Doing stuff like this, news stories like this, giving publicity to this just adds more fuel to the fire.

Well that's a stupid thing to say. I mean you're right about the fact that it shouldn't be news, but that doesn't mean that it isn't anyway. Of course his sexuality doesn't matter to you or me or most of us, but to his teammates? It might to some of them. And to his managers? His potential employers? Millions of other basketball fans? It might matter to some of them. And pretending like it isn't an issue won't help it actually stop being an issue. It needs to be talked about, that's how people work out how to fix it.

Blowing someone's sexual preference out of proportion, that it's the business of any one else other than the particular person is overdoing it. It's not their business. It shouldn't matter. If you base your like of someone on their sexual preferences, I personally see a pretty big issue with that, no matter who you are.

As for managers, employers, his team and fans, this player is here for basketball. That's his job. To play basketball. I don't see where his sexual preferences factor into that or why it should matter at the end of the day if his job is basketball. If a gay man can shoot as well as a straight man, I don't see why this is a big deal. I haven't heard of any studies conducted over whether gays or straights are better at basketball.

Making this news only makes it an issue. It makes it seem like it's a problem. It makes it seem like homosexuality is wrong. Sure, it shines a positive light to some for whatever reason. But, it leaves this idea that, my god! A homosexual is playing basketball! How about a person is playing basketball. How about we don't look at, 'my god! A different sexual preference is on the court!'

And to say that's a stupid thing to say. I personally think that when someone's sexual preference is everyone else's business is a stupid thing to think. I personally think when judge someone by their sexual preferences and not their ability or merits, that's a stupid thing to think.