A few days ago, Jason Collins became the first MALE active player in one of the "major" American team sports to come out of the closet as a homosexual. Good for him. That is great. My question is, what does his (or anyone's) sexual preference have to do with his abilities or performance on the field of sport? A few days before that, Brittney Griner, the All-American center for Baylor who was picked Number 1 overall in this year's WNBA draft, did the same, coming out as a lesbian. Fewer comments were made. The difference between the two, other than age (he is over a decade older) and gender? He is a man, she is a woman. So?
It has long been accepted in most circles other than most Church environments or in the minds of seriously crazy folk that it is okay if a WOMAN is homosexual or (especially if she is a) bisexual. True, women's sports is less popular and is more feminine and some of those athletes may well be little than eye candy to some who watch them perform (pro wrestling, boxing, cheerleaders and MMA notwithstanding). That does not mean that women in their pro or college sport are any less passionate or give a damn about what they are doing any less than men do about theirs, just because there are less nasty hits and they have more...curves and obvious assets than men..you know.
Still, there have been several female athletes who have have come out openly as gay or bi in their private life. Some have done it while still actively pursuing their sport and income, knowing the (alleged) financial and personal (reputation) risk of doing so. Many female actors, some A-list ones, have done the same and/or have played roles on TV and/or in the movies that portray such activity, some rather graphically. MEN, with very few exceptions, have not in EITHER realm. Why is that?
It is the feeling that, in general, and especially in sports, it is not cool for a man to be gay or bisexual. The feeling is that the public does not want to see gay or bi men openly doing whatever in front of them, even if such activities have nothing to do with ANY kind of sex. Male sports are also considered to be so macho and those who do it at the college and/or professional level are considered to be so much that to have a openly gay or bi male teammate would hurt or destroy the chemistry of the locker room or possibly the entire sport. Poppycock!
As the debate rages on about gay marriage and whether committed same-sex couples should have the same rights as married heterosexual couples (why not???), one has to think...what is the ******* big deal. The debate about having homosexuals in the military was settled with the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell recently". The negative effect of allowing homosexuals (and bisexuals) serving openly in our armed forces? Practically ZERO.
Let's get real. Our military is a 100% volunteer force. Many countries REQUIRE virtually all of their young men (sometimes women too) to do military service in their 20s. The USA does not. Hence, EVERY man and woman who chooses to wear that uniform for this country and sacrifice so much of themselves...sometimes everything....to protect you and me at home and/or abroad is a HERO. The last thing we need to be worrying about is who he or she likes to get intimate with when off-duty. I would only care if he or she can operate that tank, shoot that M-16 rifle and protect our asses from those who would do all Americans harm, like what just happened in Boston, or on 9-11 or hell, any other day? American lives (and those of our allies, even those who hate us, around the world) and interests are at risk EVERY day. These men and women are our front-line defenders. Their families help support them and keep them grounded so they can ******* do their jobs at the best of their abilities every day, too. Remember that.
So what is different about sports or entertainment from the military? Other than the weapons...lol...not much. Each person doing such makes a COMMITMENT to work to be the best at their chosen endeavor and be compensated for it, sometimes very well (military folk and their families should get more than they get, but that is another blog for another day!!!). They sacrifice a lot to entertain us in whatever way they do so. Again, why should we really care who he OR she wants to be intimate with when off the field, or away from the movie set or TV set?
Earvin (Magic) Johnson's son also recently came out openly as homosexual, too. Does he deserve scorn or worse any more or less than Brittney, or Jason, or any other gay or bisexual man or woman in the public eye (or average citizen or teenager), like Anna Paquin or Anderson Cooper and so on and so on? What does it matter to you? Should it?
Studies have said that around 10 percent of the US population identifies themselves as homosexual. That means they only want to be intimate with others of his or her same sex, and NOT at all with the other one. I argue that maybe another 5-10 (if not more) of what is left is either openly (and privately) a homosexual, a bisexual or transgendered. Totally unscientific, no proof of that other than what I have seen in my relatively short life.
But I know I am right. How do I know? I know that for every woman who you have seen do some sort of lesbian and/or bisexual thing (or talk about it) on some reality show, some movie, some TV show or cable, HBO or elsewhere, there are 100 more women in the general public who have done the same or are doing it right now. And for every 100 women who are doing such, there are at least 10 men who are closeted gay men, are closeted bisexual (meaning they are down for stuff with EITHER sex) men and or may be closeted (or even open) cross-dressers and/or transsexuals in some form. When you add all this up (if you could if everyone was honest on this, and many would not be if EVER asked, even without repercussions for answering honestly), that adds up to a LOT of people, of all races, religions and so on. Can't stop it, can't deny it.
So, back to sports. So where does anything above this sentence matter in sports? I watch sports to see my teams or those I support in individual sports win. Their sexuality doesn't matter to me (and no one can sit here and say there isn't some pro athlete or actor or actress or musician that they would do almost anything to hang out and/or be intimate with them just once...seriously.). And some of these folk have the bodies that EVERYONE agrees is nice (or whatever clean or vulgar terms you would use in this case). I want to see scores and wins. Movies and TV are different, true. But few of us get the chance to meet these famous folks or shake their hand and speak directly to them in person, much less more than that. So we can dream..lol.
These athletes do not need hear folk telling them they are going to hell for being gay. Their being gay or bi is really none of the general public's business. They are choosing to be open about such to help others who cannot be open about such because their life situation (and the people around them) prevent such. People have been disfigured, beaten or even killed and/or committed suicide (some very recently) because others found out he or she was gay (much less bisexual..another topic for another blog!!!). Sixty years ago (and even today), Black folk IN THIS COUNTRY were being beaten or killed for demanding the equal rights under the law that the US Constitution guarantees for all Americans (Dr. King and Medgar Evers being two of many). Should any of this really be that serious? Really? What happened to tolerance of everyone's differences? Is that not what makes THIS country different that every other one on this planet? Is that not part of the reason this country is the strongest country in the world after only about 235 years or so of existence? Hate is hate, no matter what the reason or what form it takes. It is ALL WRONG. Fight hate, fight intolerance, embrace diversity and understanding and compassion for your fellow man AND woman. Do that and this country gets better AND stronger for ALL of US! That will then rub off on other countries too. Seriously.
It has long been accepted in most circles other than most Church environments or in the minds of seriously crazy folk that it is okay if a WOMAN is homosexual or (especially if she is a) bisexual. True, women's sports is less popular and is more feminine and some of those athletes may well be little than eye candy to some who watch them perform (pro wrestling, boxing, cheerleaders and MMA notwithstanding). That does not mean that women in their pro or college sport are any less passionate or give a damn about what they are doing any less than men do about theirs, just because there are less nasty hits and they have more...curves and obvious assets than men..you know.
Still, there have been several female athletes who have have come out openly as gay or bi in their private life. Some have done it while still actively pursuing their sport and income, knowing the (alleged) financial and personal (reputation) risk of doing so. Many female actors, some A-list ones, have done the same and/or have played roles on TV and/or in the movies that portray such activity, some rather graphically. MEN, with very few exceptions, have not in EITHER realm. Why is that?
It is the feeling that, in general, and especially in sports, it is not cool for a man to be gay or bisexual. The feeling is that the public does not want to see gay or bi men openly doing whatever in front of them, even if such activities have nothing to do with ANY kind of sex. Male sports are also considered to be so macho and those who do it at the college and/or professional level are considered to be so much that to have a openly gay or bi male teammate would hurt or destroy the chemistry of the locker room or possibly the entire sport. Poppycock!
As the debate rages on about gay marriage and whether committed same-sex couples should have the same rights as married heterosexual couples (why not???), one has to think...what is the ******* big deal. The debate about having homosexuals in the military was settled with the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell recently". The negative effect of allowing homosexuals (and bisexuals) serving openly in our armed forces? Practically ZERO.
Let's get real. Our military is a 100% volunteer force. Many countries REQUIRE virtually all of their young men (sometimes women too) to do military service in their 20s. The USA does not. Hence, EVERY man and woman who chooses to wear that uniform for this country and sacrifice so much of themselves...sometimes everything....to protect you and me at home and/or abroad is a HERO. The last thing we need to be worrying about is who he or she likes to get intimate with when off-duty. I would only care if he or she can operate that tank, shoot that M-16 rifle and protect our asses from those who would do all Americans harm, like what just happened in Boston, or on 9-11 or hell, any other day? American lives (and those of our allies, even those who hate us, around the world) and interests are at risk EVERY day. These men and women are our front-line defenders. Their families help support them and keep them grounded so they can ******* do their jobs at the best of their abilities every day, too. Remember that.
So what is different about sports or entertainment from the military? Other than the weapons...lol...not much. Each person doing such makes a COMMITMENT to work to be the best at their chosen endeavor and be compensated for it, sometimes very well (military folk and their families should get more than they get, but that is another blog for another day!!!). They sacrifice a lot to entertain us in whatever way they do so. Again, why should we really care who he OR she wants to be intimate with when off the field, or away from the movie set or TV set?
Earvin (Magic) Johnson's son also recently came out openly as homosexual, too. Does he deserve scorn or worse any more or less than Brittney, or Jason, or any other gay or bisexual man or woman in the public eye (or average citizen or teenager), like Anna Paquin or Anderson Cooper and so on and so on? What does it matter to you? Should it?
Studies have said that around 10 percent of the US population identifies themselves as homosexual. That means they only want to be intimate with others of his or her same sex, and NOT at all with the other one. I argue that maybe another 5-10 (if not more) of what is left is either openly (and privately) a homosexual, a bisexual or transgendered. Totally unscientific, no proof of that other than what I have seen in my relatively short life.
But I know I am right. How do I know? I know that for every woman who you have seen do some sort of lesbian and/or bisexual thing (or talk about it) on some reality show, some movie, some TV show or cable, HBO or elsewhere, there are 100 more women in the general public who have done the same or are doing it right now. And for every 100 women who are doing such, there are at least 10 men who are closeted gay men, are closeted bisexual (meaning they are down for stuff with EITHER sex) men and or may be closeted (or even open) cross-dressers and/or transsexuals in some form. When you add all this up (if you could if everyone was honest on this, and many would not be if EVER asked, even without repercussions for answering honestly), that adds up to a LOT of people, of all races, religions and so on. Can't stop it, can't deny it.
So, back to sports. So where does anything above this sentence matter in sports? I watch sports to see my teams or those I support in individual sports win. Their sexuality doesn't matter to me (and no one can sit here and say there isn't some pro athlete or actor or actress or musician that they would do almost anything to hang out and/or be intimate with them just once...seriously.). And some of these folk have the bodies that EVERYONE agrees is nice (or whatever clean or vulgar terms you would use in this case). I want to see scores and wins. Movies and TV are different, true. But few of us get the chance to meet these famous folks or shake their hand and speak directly to them in person, much less more than that. So we can dream..lol.
These athletes do not need hear folk telling them they are going to hell for being gay. Their being gay or bi is really none of the general public's business. They are choosing to be open about such to help others who cannot be open about such because their life situation (and the people around them) prevent such. People have been disfigured, beaten or even killed and/or committed suicide (some very recently) because others found out he or she was gay (much less bisexual..another topic for another blog!!!). Sixty years ago (and even today), Black folk IN THIS COUNTRY were being beaten or killed for demanding the equal rights under the law that the US Constitution guarantees for all Americans (Dr. King and Medgar Evers being two of many). Should any of this really be that serious? Really? What happened to tolerance of everyone's differences? Is that not what makes THIS country different that every other one on this planet? Is that not part of the reason this country is the strongest country in the world after only about 235 years or so of existence? Hate is hate, no matter what the reason or what form it takes. It is ALL WRONG. Fight hate, fight intolerance, embrace diversity and understanding and compassion for your fellow man AND woman. Do that and this country gets better AND stronger for ALL of US! That will then rub off on other countries too. Seriously.
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