Governor Brewer's Plight

With both houses of Arizona’s legislature having passed SB1062 which would allow the state’s business owners to deny service to patron based on religious beliefs - which many believe would target the LGBT community - the question now becomes what will governor Jan Brewer do: sign or veto? There are of course people who are urging her to sign the bill in support of religious liberty. But there are many who are urging her to veto the bill.

Some of the people and groups in opposition to the bill, which has been dubbed the “Turn Away the Gays” bill, are not very surprising. Many LGBT groups have denounced the bill. George Takei specifically is suggesting a boycott of the entire state should the governor sign the bill. The mayor of the state’s largest city - Phoenix - is also against it. As happens with many state bills that support discrimination, many businesses and business groups have also come out against this measure. According to Outsports, with the 2015 Super Bowl located in Arizona, not to mention the state being home to a football team (the Cardinals), even the NFL has weighed in:

Our policies emphasize tolerance and inclusiveness, and prohibit discrimination based on age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other improper standard. We are following the issue in Arizona and will continue to do so should the bill be signed into law, but will decline further comment at this time.

The idea has even been mentioned by the Governor Jack Markell (D-DE)  that should the bill become law, the Super Bowl should be moved. This is not without precedent, though such a decision would not be made until the end of March if at all. Other businesses have also cautioned the governor against signing the bill into law. These businesses include Apple Inc., which, according to Think Progress, is slated to start construction on a facility in the state that will provide approximately 700 permanent jobs plus hundreds of construction jobs. Studies have shown that discriminatory policies are bad for business, which explains why so many businesses and chambers of commerce either denounce such measures, have anti-discrimination policies of their own, or both.

Some of the calls for a veto are coming from some…less than expected sources. Both of Arizona’s U.S. senators - Jeff Flake and John McCain, both fellow Republicans, and neither of whom have been friends of the LGBT community - have made public statements against the bill.

Tuesday night, former GOP banner-bearer and presidential candidate Mitt Romney called for a veto. Hours later, former Republican Speaker of the U.S House of Representatives Newt Gingrich did said via Twitter that in Governor Brewer‘s position, he would veto the bill. Even three state legislators who voted for the bill have now reversed course, including one of the bill’s cosponsors, Bob Worsley. Two of Worsley’s fellow Senate Republicans - Steve Pierce and Majority Whip Adam Driggs - issued a statement made available to Huffington Post that asked Governor Brewer to veto the bill. 

After all of this backlash and bad press, legislators who voted for and still support the bill are avoiding the press like the plague. 

During the day on Tuesday, reports swirled that Brewer was likely to veto the bill. These claims were, hours later, denied by the governor’s office (Brewer was not even in the state at the time). Brewer has been a bit of a wild card, very unpredictable. She issued a statement saying she would do what is right for Arizona with this bill. What is right is very subjective, and even with so many forces arrayed against this bill - from both left and right - what she will do is anyone’s guess.

Why Michael Sam Does Matter

As everyone and their grandmother is aware by now, an NFL Draft prospect - Michael Sam, formerly of Mizzou - has come out as gay and could become the first athlete in a major American league to be openly gay. While the majority of the response has been positive and supportive, there has been some negativity because…some people just can not help themselves with the usual arguments which are sometimes masked as concerns.

There were responses regarding the locker room culture and, more specifically, the showering dynamic. Jonathan Vilma of the New Orleans Saints went on record in an interview saying that he was afraid of being looked at if a teammate was gay. Here are the facts. 1) Somewhere in a football player’s career, whether grade school, college, or professionally, they were on a team with at least one gay man (open or not)…and they showered with him. Everyone survived the experience. 2) Straight guys look, even though they probably won’t admit it. 3) These guys worrying about being looked at are assuming that this guy finds them attractive, which is really arrogant. Seriously, the people who are afraid of being looked at need to grow up and calm down. It is human nature to observe one’s surroundings and there is no inherently sinister motive behind that.

There were the responses that Michael’s revelation has caused his draft stock to drop, including former Kansas City Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards. In fact, within hours of the story breaking, many people went from saying he’d go in round three or four to round five, six, or lower. The reason they gave was that franchises believe this would be a substantial media distraction. First of all, Michael came out three and a half months before the draft. Second, it will be even longer than that before the next season even starts. The league, the team, the media, and the public have plenty of time to absorb this story before the beginning of the regular season. Cyd Ziegler of Outsports had the best response to the particular fear of a team being distracted. Any organization that can’t handle whatever media coverage they may get and would crumble merely by having an openly gay teammate is already a weak team, and their season is already doomed.

There were the responses which were just plain hateful. A wrestler from Kent State tweeted about being annoyed over ESPN devoting so much airtime to “that fag.” After others on Twitter called the wrestler on his homophobia, he hurled more anti-gay slurs at them too. I don’t think I need to say much about that…Kent State however said plenty by suspending him indefinitely. All I will say is that people like this wrestler are saying more about themselves than they are saying about anyone else, and they are doing so in a very bad way.

And lastly, there were the people asking why this matters, or what is the big deal, or why it is important for this man to announce his sexual orientation. To some people it isn’t a big deal, and that’s perfectly fine, even admirable, that they get that Michael being gay has no bearing on his ability to produce results on the field. These people need to understand that just because it us unimportant to them personally doesn’t mean this event has no importance. They need to look at the big picture. It is important because this is a barrier that has never before been crossed here in the States. It is important because there are people out there who believe that gay men have no place in sports like football and this is an incredible opportunity to change hearts and minds. It is important because somewhere out there is a kid who believes that them being gay means they’ll never be able to reach their Super Bowl dreams because the “weakness of gay men” has been drilled into their mind.

And that is what this is really all about. What we are seeing Michael Sam deal with now is primarily happening because he is the first. By Michael blazing the trail today, he makes it that much easier for those who come after, and we will be that much closer to a day when a professional athlete coming out is not a news-making event.

Olympic-Sized Problems

Every Olympics has its problems. Vancouver had a fear of insufficient snow. Salt Lake City had financial issues, and many in the last several cycles faced the threat of terrorism. However, it is looking as though the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia have those problems and many, many more.

Since 2013, Russia has faced international criticism over a controversial law banning so-called “gay propaganda.” This law has been seen by the global community as a violation of human rights, including freedom of speech and freedom of association. While the stories about human rights violations have been circling for several months, there are other problems that have recently come to light as athletes and members of the press have begun to arrive in Sochi.

There is Sochi’s systematic killing of stray dogs:

There are massively over budget projects and unpaid workers:

Seriously? A slope that costs $200,000,000?

There are hotels that, according to reporters, are falling apart (skip to 2:17):

It seems that people from outside of Russia are not even showing up. According to an article from the Associated Press:

Fears about terrorism and the hassle of reaching Sochi from points abroad may be keeping some foreigners away - and undermining Vladimir Putin's plans to transform Sochi into a magnet for international tourism. 

A train traveling between Olympic sites and downtown Sochi cheerily announces to visitors in English: "We wish you a pleasant journey!" But on a recent ride, its seats were half empty. And a sweep through four train cars found ... not a single foreign fan.

Usually when a nation/city hosts the Olympics, it is their time to shine and show the world what they are capable of. Unfortunately for Russia, these games are putting a spotlight on their corruption, human rights violations, and overall inability to host the Games. There are already stories of peaceful protesters being arrested. Many people are boycotting the Games. The leaders of several nations are refusing to attend, including the leaders of France, Germany, and the United States. Ban Ki-Moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, has denounced some of Russia’s controversial policies. Whether or not Russia can rally to salvage the Games remains to be seen. One thing is clear: the International Olympic Committee needs to apply stricter scrutiny in choosing host cities in the future.

A Good Tea Party Proposal...Finally!!!

Why Richard Sherman Is Not a "Thug"

Why Johnny Weir Should NOT Be a Gay Spokesman

From America Blog:

...Weir started by talking about how important Jesse Owens’ victory was at the 1936 Nazi Olympics in Berlin. We’ve discussed that argument a few times:

1) Jesse Owens won and the Nazis still killed millions afterwards. 

2) You can’t have a Jesse Owens moment at Sochi if it’s against the law for gay athletes to be out and the IOC tells gay athletes to stay in the closet. 

3) Jesse Owens was treated like garbage when he got back to the US after his “victory.” If his victory didn’t change minds in America, I’m wondering how many it changed in Nazi Germany. 

4) While other gay Olympians like New Zealand speed skater Blake Skjellerup have promised to wear a rainbow pin during his competition at Sochi, Weir has made no such promise were he to make the American team. Why hasn’t he?

Weir then went on to say that “it’s not good for anybody” if gays get arrested at Sochi and the world learns how bad the Russian regime really is on gay and trans issues. Yes, we wouldn’t want the world to learn that lesson, would we...

Rainbow Flags Could Get Olympic Athletes Disqualified

From the New Civil Rights Movement: 

...That beautify fantasy, above, is the beginning of New York Times‘ opinion writer Frank Bruni‘s Monday column, “Striking Olympic Gold.” What Bruni leaves out is that that act of political defiance would disqualify each participating Olympic athlete from the Games. In short, they would each be sent home. 

And the International Olympic Committee (IOC) could very well be sending home a great many Olympic athletes from the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia six months from now, if any of them show support for LGBT civil rights. While they IOC has not made a public statement, their 103-page charter (published below) is very specific:

No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.

The bylaws clarify this rule:

No form of publicity or propaganda, commercial or otherwise, may appear on persons, on sportswear, accessories or, more generally, on any article of clothing or equipment whatsoever worn or used by the athletes or other participants in the Olympic Games, except for the identification – as defined in paragraph 8 below – of the manufacturer of the article or equipment concerned, provided that such identification shall not be marked conspicuously for advertising purposes.

So, if any Olympic athlete pulls out a gay flag, as the Times’s Frank Bruni suggested, or of they wear the tiniest rainbow pin on their uniform, they could be disqualified from the Games and sent home.

Congressmembers Urge U.S. to Protect LGBT Olympians

From Outsports: 

The following is part of the text of a letter sent to the United States Secretary of State John Kerry by 83 members of the United States Congress:

...According to the Organizing Committee of XXII Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Sochi, Sochi will be host to over 40,000 athletes, volunteers, and members of the press for the duration of the Games. An additional 75,000 spectators are expected to visit Sochi daily during that time. With the Olympics only seven months away, we are deeply concerned about the impact of the new anti-LGBT law on LGBT Russians, the Olympic community and supporters of LGBT equality.

We are particularly troubled because while the newly signed law is the most recent and most extreme codification of Russia’s maltreatment of its LGBT citizens, it is also part of larger trend of anti-LGBT actions in Russia. In the last month, the Russian government also enacted a law banning foreign same-sex couples and single people from nations that have marriage equality from adopting Russian children. Hate crimes and violent attacks against the LGBT community have been reported, including the murders of two gay men earlier this year. In 2012, Moscow instituted a hundred-year ban on LGBT pride parades, a ban that was deemed illegal by the European Court of Human Rights, but which nevertheless resulted in the arrest and detention of seventeen LGBT activists for displaying rainbow flags. Russia’s record of anti-LGBT legislation and persecution pose serious concerns for the safety of LGBT Sochi Olympic participants and spectators.

~

We applaud the State Department’s commitment to ensuring that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBT persons abroad, and the actions your agency has already taken to communicate concerns about the overall direction on LGBT rights in Russia directly to the Russian government. In light of the importance of U.S. leadership on LGBT issues, and the quickly-approaching Sochi Games, we urge the State Department to determine the appropriate course of action to assure the safety and well being of LGBT and LGBT— supporting individuals involved in or attending the 2014 Sochi Olympics and Paralympics. We look forward to hearing from you regarding what efforts have been undertaken, especially efforts undertaken in coordination with other foreign governments, and are committed to working together with you on this issue.

Russian Lawmaker Threatens Pro-Gay Athletes & Tourists

From Gay Star News: 

A Russian lawmaker has said the ‘gay propaganda’ law will remain enforced during the Sochi Winter Olympic Games in 2014. 

Vitaly Milonov, co-sponsor of the ‘non-traditional relationships’ bill, said the government cannot decide when to selectively enforce the law. 

It comes as the International Olympic Committee said the Russian government had ‘assured’ them all athletes and spectators will be safe from arrest. 

Speaking to Interfax and as translated by GSN, Milonov said: ‘I have not heard any comments from the government of the Russian Federation but I know it is acting in accordance with Russian law. 

‘If a law has been approved by the federal legislature and signed by the president, then the government has no right to suspend it. It doesn’t have the authority.’

A Russian lawmaker has said the ‘gay propaganda’ law will remain enforced during the Sochi Winter Olympic Games in 2014.
Vitaly Milonov, co-sponsor of the ‘non-traditional relationships’ bill, said the government cannot decide when to selectively enforce the law.
It comes as the International Olympic Committee said the Russian government had ‘assured’ them all athletes and spectators will be safe from arrest.
Speaking to Interfax and as translated by GSN, Milonov said: ‘I have not heard any comments from the government of the Russian Federation but I know it is acting in accordance with Russian law.
‘If a law has been approved by the federal legislature and signed by the president, then the government has no right to suspend it. It doesn’t have the authority.’
- See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/russian-lawmaker-we-will-arrest-gay-athletes-tourists-olympic-games300713#sthash.VrsYwMs8.d

A Russian lawmaker has said the ‘gay propaganda’ law will remain enforced during the Sochi Winter Olympic Games in 2014.
Vitaly Milonov, co-sponsor of the ‘non-traditional relationships’ bill, said the government cannot decide when to selectively enforce the law.
It comes as the International Olympic Committee said the Russian government had ‘assured’ them all athletes and spectators will be safe from arrest.
Speaking to Interfax and as translated by GSN, Milonov said: ‘I have not heard any comments from the government of the Russian Federation but I know it is acting in accordance with Russian law.
‘If a law has been approved by the federal legislature and signed by the president, then the government has no right to suspend it. It doesn’t have the authority.’
- See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/russian-lawmaker-we-will-arrest-gay-athletes-tourists-olympic-games300713#sthash.VrsYwMs8.dpufA Russian lawmaker has said the ‘gay propaganda’ law will remain enforced during the Sochi Winter Olympic Games in 2014.

Vitaly Milonov, co-sponsor of the ‘non-traditional relationships’ bill, said the government cannot decide when to selectively enforce the law.
It comes as the International Olympic Committee said the Russian government had ‘assured’ them all athletes and spectators will be safe from arrest.
Speaking to Interfax and as translated by GSN, Milonov said: ‘I have not heard any comments from the government of the Russian Federation but I know it is acting in accordance with Russian law.
‘If a law has been approved by the federal legislature and signed by the president, then the government has no right to suspend it. It doesn’t have the authority.’
- See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/russian-lawmaker-we-will-arrest-gay-athletes-tourists-olympic-games300713#sthash.VrsYwMs8.dpuf

NBC's Olympic Coverage of Russian Homophobia

From the Los Angeles Times: 

NBC Sports Group Chairman Mark Lazarus said NBC would provide coverage of Russia's anti-gay laws if the controversial measures surface as an issue during the upcoming Winter Olympics. 

Political tensions and cultural differences have long provided a vivid backdrop for the Games, and NBC expects that tradition to continue next year in Sochi, Russia. The Winter Olympics are set to begin Feb. 6.

~

Lazarus sought to tamp down speculation that Russia's recently enacted anti-gay laws could upstage the athletes or competitions. "Governments across the world have different laws," he said. Lazarus also stopped short of saying NBC would use its huge platform to advocate against the laws. 

One of the measures, signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, forbids the adoption of Russian-born children by homosexuals. Another measure allows Russian authorities to detain tourists and foreign nationals who are gay.

Openly Gay Skater on Russian Homophobia/Olympics

From Falls Church News-Press: 

“The fact that Russia is arresting my people, and openly hating a minority and violating human rights all over the place is heartbreaking and a travesty of international proportions. … I respect the LGBT community full heartedly, but I implore the world not to boycott the Olympic Games because of Russia’s stance on LGBT rights or lack thereof.” 

He added, “I beg the gay athletes not to forget their missions and fight for a chance to dazzle the world. … Olympics are history, and they do not represent their host, they represent the world entire. People make their own futures, and should a government or sponsor steal that future, whether it be a Russian government or American government, it is, as an athlete, the death and total demolition of a lifetime of work. Support the athletes.

There isn’t a police officer or a government that, should I qualify, could keep me from competing at the Olympics.”

International Olympic Committee Warns Russia

From Alaska Dispatch: 

"The International Olympic Committee is clear that sport is a human right and should be available to all regardless of race, sex or sexual orientation," the statement said. "The Games themselves should be open to all, free of discrimination, and that applies to spectators, officials, media and of course athletes. We would oppose in the strongest terms any move that would jeopardize this principle.” 

The winter Olympic games, which are set to take place in Sochi, Russia in 2014, has been the topic of much contention since the Kremlin passed a law last month prohibiting the distribution of “homosexual propaganda” to minors. 

While the legal definition of “propaganda” remains unclear, there have been several instances of arrest and lawsuit that have helped to carve some of the law’s far-reaching boundaries. 

Reports of arrest for kissing or hold hands, wearing or using rainbows, or pro-gay activism have helped to clarify the definition of “propaganda” as “any statement, oral or otherwise, that is pro-gay.”

~

With violence against homosexuals on the rise in Russia, a coalition of Russian LGBT rights groups—Russian LGBT Network, LGBT Organization Coming Out, and the Alliance of Straights for LGBT Equality—is warning of “impending tragedy.” 

The group said that the most recent episodes of violence “confirmed the apprehensions of many human rights defenders that Russia’s newly-enacted homophobic legislation would spur a growth in violence and incite action from neo-Nazi groups,” adding that those who are committing the violence can do so because they are aware of their impunity to the law.

Russia's Threat To Gay Travelers

From Travel & Escape:

In a throwback to the country’s authoritarian ruling, Russian president Vladimir Putin has signed a controversial law that punishes people for “homosexual propaganda.” The law fines people—including tourists—up to 200,000 rubles ($6,240 CDN) for “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations.” For Canadians—where same-sex marriage is legal—it is unfathomable that Russia’s laws permit the government to arrest and detain gay, or pro-gay, foreigners for up to 14 days before they would then be expelled from the country. 

So what is considered pro-gay? Anything from gay-affirmative speech to hand-holding; even displaying a rainbow flag alongside a maple leaf on your backpack is illegal. Recently in southern Russia, there were complaints that Elton John’s stage outfits fell under “gay propaganda.” While LGBT are being told they are unwelcome in Russia, with such vague definitions, one wonders if anyone who even looks like they might be gay could also be fined or deported from the country. 

According to Voice of Russia, any display of affection between same-sex couples could cause a “distorted understanding” that gay relations and heterosexual relations are socially equivalent, and risk spreading Western liberalism. Putin claims the law doesn’t discriminate against LGBT people, but rather—in an argument riddled with faulty logic—is there to “protect children from pedophilia.”

Sochi, Russia will be hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics. With openly gay athletes like America's Johnny Weir and New Zealand's Blake Skjellerup possibly competing at the Olympics, as well as openly gay attendants, this poses quite a few problems all around. Usually, such an event like this is where a nation and a city try to showcase their greatness to the wider world. Instead, Russia seems to moving backwards in time with draconian homophobic laws.

Robbie Rogers Plays His First Game Out & Open

Robbie Rogers Joins L.A. Galaxy & Makes History

Turning Gay Men Straight Through Contact Sports

Turkish oil wrestling...seriously

From 429 Magazine: 

A Catholic institution hopes to convert gay men to heterosexuality through contact sports.  

Organized by Father Paul Check, the 4-day sports camp aims to show gay men the straight and narrow path, and will take place in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania from May 23 till May 26. 

“Usually held in the Spring, Sports Camp is an exhilarating, experiential weekend for men desiring to learn how to play team sports with encouragement, coaching, and an abundance of Christian fellowship,” reads the site.  

Through contact sports, men will enrich their souls “through a daily regimen of prayer, confessions, mass, and the Liturgy of the Hours...”

For the record, I am sure Turkish Oil Wrestling is not actually one of the sports they will be doing...then again, I could be wrong. But I digress...

Honestly I have never understood this. You have a bunch of men who are attracted to other men and they are trying to change that. So, you get these men who are attracted to other men and you put them with other men who are attracted to men. Somehow, with all of these men who are attracted to other men all together, they are supposed to become attracted to women? WHAT!?!?!?

Tweet of the Day: May 8, 2013

Eight Players in the Locker Room Closet

From The Guardian: 

At least eight professional footballers have revealed to colleagues that they are gay, but have refused to go public because they fear a backlash from fans. 

This latest evidence that British football remains a homophobic environment comes after Jason Collins, a high-profile American basketball star, became the first player from a US professional sports league to reveal that he was gay.

~

Earlier this year, Robbie Rogers, an American playing for Leeds United, left the club by "mutual consent" after announcing that he was gay. Rogers, 25, said at the time that remaining in football after declaring that you were gay was "impossible". Last week it emerged that he had left England and was training with the Los Angeles Galaxy football team in the US. 

Gay campaigners told the Observer that Clarke Carlisle, chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association, had revealed that eight players had approached him to disclose that they were gay. Seven told him that the reason they would not reveal their sexual orientation publicly was not the reaction from the dressing room or club, but the potential reaction from the media and supporters. Chris Basiurski, chair of the Gay Football Supporters' Network, said that, although progressive attitudes had begun to infiltrate the dressing room, the fear of how supporters would react remained a problem...

A Sports Legend Who Supported Gay Players

From NBC Sports: 

...Multiple players who played for Vince Lombardi, the legendary former Packers and Redskins coach, say that he knew some of his players were gay, and that not only did he not have a problem with it, but he went out of his way to make sure no one else on his team would make it a problem. 

In 1969, Lombardi’s Redskins included a running back named Ray McDonald, who in 1968 had been arrested for having sex with another man in public. In the Lombardi biography When Pride Still Mattered, author David Maraniss writes that Lombardi told his assistants he wanted them to work with McDonald to help him make the team, “And if I hear one of you people make reference to his manhood, you’ll be out of here before your ass hits the ground.” 

Lombardi’s daughter Susan told Ian O’Connor of ESPNNewYork.com that her father would have been thrilled to have a player like Jason Collins, the NBA center who publicly revealed this week that he is gay. 

“My father was way ahead of his time,” Susan Lombardi said. “He was discriminated against as a dark-skinned Italian American when he was younger, when he felt he was passed up for coaching jobs that he deserved. He felt the pain of discrimination, and so he raised his family to accept everybody, no matter what color they were or whatever their sexual orientation was. I think it’s great what Jason Collins did, because it’s going to open a lot of doors for people. Without a doubt my father would’ve embraced him, and would’ve been very proud of him for coming out...”

 Lombardi's brother being gay may also have influenced how he treated gay players. He was a man ahead of his time. Lombardi is best known as being the head coach for the Green Bay Packers, which just so happens to be my favourite NFL team. I did not realize that Lombardi was supportive of gay people until long after a became a fan, but this just gives me more reason to love Lombardi and this team. There is a reason the the greatest prize in professional football is the "Lombardi Trophy."

An NBA Player Is Openly Gay. Now What?

Jason Collins

Anyone with a grain of sense already knew that gay people were in the major leagues here in the States. Statistically, it was a no-brainer. What we did not know was the who. This week, one of them stepped forward: a man from the National Basketball Association called Jason Collins. In an interview that will appear in the May 6th edition of Sports Illustrated Collins talks about his experience, and Collins’ twin brother Jarron (also in the NBA) was also interviewed. You can read those interviews online HERE and HERE, so I will spare you the details.

From what I have seen in the hours since the news broke, the responses have been overwhelmingly positive, from Magic Johnson to President Obama and many others. I have only seen two pointedly negative reactions thus far. One was from ESPN commentator Chris Broussard who lambasted Collins saying he is a sinner (as if the world is not filled with billions of them) and said Collins is no Christian. The other was from Liberty Council’s Matthew Barber who decided to talk about sodomy and how Collins should not be celebrate or praised. Then again he is a leader of a hate group so no surprises there. Sidenote: it is ironic (read: hypocritical) how the most ardent religious folk are the most hateful in their rhetoric and act as though Christ would say the things that they say. Now back to our topic…

Gay men in sports has been a topic that was talked about for a very long time and even more so in the past several months. In March, Robbie Rogers (who is only 25 years old) came out but retired in the same announcement. Given his age and health, he could and might come back. In the last few weeks, Alan Gendreau - a kicker formerly from Middle Tennessee University - made news as he decided he was making an attempt at the National Football League this season or the next. Gendreau this season is a long shot just because of the timing and how getting on a team works for kickers, though this season is not impossible. Nike recently said they would sponsor the first man to come out in one of the major leagues. Two things that once seemed diametrically opposed - gay men and sports - have now become inextricably linked in the media. 

Jason (right) & brother Jarron

Having said all of that, what was my reaction? To be honest, it was relief. It is a milestone that has been hyped to the nth degree and people like myself who pay a lot of attention to the topic of gay men in sports have been hearing many of the same talking points ad nauseum. This is another barrier that has been broken and history has been made…hopefully. I am not much of a basketball person but I have friends who are. One of them told me that at age 34 and currently being a free agent, the chances of Collins getting on a team now are not that great, sexuality notwithstanding. This is reminiscent of a soccer player called David Testo. Shortly after he was released by the Montreal Impact, he also released himself from the closet. That was in 2011. While he had hoped to make it back into a football club, he has not played since then (at the “old” age of 30). Since I do not watch - or particularly understand - basketball, I have no idea how good or bad he is. He has lasted about 12 years in the league, so I am guessing he is not terrible. 

Time will tell whether or not he gets signed with another team. Lots of people support him including basketball‘s biggest name, Kobe Bryant. Even Presidents Clinton and Obama and the current First Lady have voiced their support. Time will also tell how this all plays out. There are always the naysayers that predict disaster. Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association (do not be fooled by the title, this is yet another anti-gay hate group) is on record as saying that a team that has an openly gay player would implode because of the denigration of team cohesion. He and others said the same about the United States military when Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was repealed in 2010, but I am pretty sure the military is as intact as it was before. My hunch is that most of his teammates will not care. Even the ones that may not like having a gay teammate will be brought in line by Collins merely being himself and a productive player on the court. Basketball is not just a sport after all, it is a business. These guys want to win. They get paid to win. If an openly gay teammate can help them do those things, there is little else that will matter. Collins now has the opportunity to do this and prove the naysayers wrong.

*In case you are wondering why I am focusing on gay men in sports and not mentioning lesbians in sports, I can assure you it is not a sexist thing. It is that when it comes to stereotypes, there is quite a gulf between gay men and lesbians. It is assumed that lesbians are butch/manly and thus, them being in sports is no surprise to anyone. Conversely, the stereotype of gay men is one of weakness and girliness. These difference stereotypes are part of why we have had lesbians out in team sports for many years now but we have only had an openly gay man in these sports for, literally, a few hours.