Being a gay athlete doesn't make be a novelty or a freak!

[Rakuten06]

Sorry to resurrect this topic up, but do your opinions change now, especially after the comings out of Jason Collins, Brittney Griner, and when Robbie Rogers became the first openly gay player to play a professional sport in North America?

[Krista]

Likely won't get an answer - him being a Former Member and all.

 

 

But, Britney, Robbie, and Jason aren't the first.. athletes to come out of the closet. Britney and Robbie are active athletes that are gay (also I believe there is an active boxer that came out of the closet, but I for the life of me cannot remember). So I doubt these four athletes coming out of the closet has changed minds.  Read on coming out news posts on Sports sections of MSN or ESPN, and most people are over it.  There are still a lot of people that are pretty homophobic, but those people will die homophobics. But, mostly people are more concerned with what their team is doing on/in the field/court/arena instead of what one certain player is doing in the sack. 

 

Don't get me wrong, it's nice that Athletes are really pushing against homophobia in sports. I like seeing these people finally stepping up and being role models...

[Rakuten06]

Krista, I'm talking about the general opinions, not only Hayden

 

And don't forget, Jason Collins still have a year or two left to play basketball before he retires for good.

[Henry_Henry2012]

My opinions never changed about any sport being an integral community irregardless of gender. I've played rugby in college, and I have some team mates who knew my sexuality. If we're all naked in the shower, I just tell them those who know: 'Your dick doesn't define my homosexuality. I'm gay, cause I like men; not what's in between your legs. And I wasn't born to make you gay. What kind of stupid God or creator would make a gender that eliminates the propagation of the species. You should be thanking us that we lessen the pool of competition. Cause if I'm straight, I'd have your girlfriend right now. Yeah, I'm not a stereotype and you're a dick.'

 

That pretty much shuts them up. Acceptance can only come in the mindset of the willing. Or else, we'd be shoving the idea of pro-gay football or gay rugby on the minds of homophobic rednecks and bogans everywhere, and instilling the notion to their narrow-minded bigoted skulls of a so called propaganda that never exists (only their wet-dreamed nightmares).

 

We still have to give them some breathing space and the benefit of the doubt before the whole acceptance thing of gay players arrives. But it's coming . . . Soon, I hope.

[PrivateTim]

There were plenty of gay athletes out before these peeps. What made Jarron unique was being the first active athlete in the Big Four (NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL).

 

The day is fast approaching when an NFL player is going to come out. it may start with former players coming out and then active.

 

Given how many gay rugby leagues, gay volleyball, gay basketball, gay water polo, wrestling and so on, there are and these guys were mostly college athletes at one time it is coming soon.

[Kitt]

MW-

 

What make it "news" is the contrast between the perceived stereotype and reality. To many people, the stereotypical gay male is small, effeminate and not very physical. This is completely at odds with the stereotypical football player. 

 

It is both a wake up call to reality and a personification of the fact that that the stereotype is invalid.

 

As gay people we know that we are a diverse bunch: athletic, couch potato, short, tall, big, small, and every variation in between. 

 

To some people who have swallowed stereotypes whole, this comes as a big surprise.

The real shame of it is that stereotypes are pretty much ALL invalid.  A person's sexual orientation should be about as important to how well they can play football or any other sport as the color of their skin is.  Like James i grew up in the 70's when attitudes had not come out of the dark ages yet. I can easily see where he was more or less forced into being a "right bastard" as he put it. I grew up one of three girls on a block of about 20 boys. I played ball with the guys daily and got good at it. I constantly got asked by people from further afield "are you sure you are not a dyke - you act like one".

Guess what i am trying to say is the best reaction to the idiots that make your sexuality an issue is no reaction at all. Live your life the way you want, don't let a bunch of bigots drive you off and to hell with anyone tells you that you don't belong somewhere!

[Celethiel]

yes it does! it makes you both a novelty and a freak!... also makes you damn sexy

actually I didn't like it very much on how many of these sports act about gays...

[Rndmrunner]

It too bad about team sports. As a runner and an ultra marathoner, i have been lucky to meet fantastic people. For a solitary sport we still rely on each other as trails can be lonely and sometimes dangerous. We are a social band of oddballs so it tends to be pretty accepting. Luckily most value that you worked hard trained hard and performed even when you felt ready to drop over who you sleep with. 

 

That said I compete with folks who have left high school and often uni and no longer feel any need to bow to peer pressure. Women get equal respect and old farts show some young'uns that tenacity and grit can make up for a lack of raw talent. 

 

The moral if there is one is that do what you love and find the right crowd to share that love with. It may or may not be the high school team. Just remember it the play and the effort and the camaraderie that brings it alive and your high school team and coaches will ultimately be just a small fraction of your love for the game.

 

Good Luck Hayden