Robbie Rogers was described as brave for just being who he is. Jason Collins' face was plastered on the cover of Sport Illustrated with the caption " The Gay Athlete", as if that's all he was. Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Acts allows business to deny services to LGBT individuals. Russia banned LGBT athletes from the Olympics. And unfortunately, the culture we live in makes these actions "ok". Due to the culture, and the stigma placed on the LGBT community, many athletes feel the need to closet themselves in order to keep their athletic success and fan base.
Homophobia in sports is everywhere. It happens in the locker rooms, coaches treat LGBT athletes differently than they do straight ones, regardless of how well they can play. Fans and teammates treat players differently simply for their sexuality. And in this case, those doing the exploiting are the only ones that can stop it from happening. Recently, a greater sense of understanding, respect and acceptance has been seen in sport. With more athletes coming out, Rogers and Collins have been joined with other professionals such as the NFL's Michael Sam, WNBA player Brittney Griner, and NBA player John Amaechi. In fact, according to OutSports.com, 108 individuals associated with professional sport game out as gay, lesbian or bisexual in 2014. While 108 does not seem like a huge number, it is a start.
With the media attention drawn to professional athletes who come out as gay, it serves as both a good and bad thing. On one hand, it shows other LGBT athletes that in this day and age, it doesn't matter what your sexuality is, if you can play, you can play. On the other hand, there will always be close minded people who do not feel comfortable with who you love. It's the strength of athletes like those I had previously listed that reinforce the truth that there is nothing wrong with being a competitive, professional athlete and being gay.
OutSports.com was able to list 34 different sports with one member who has come out as LGBT. Swimming saw the most athletes with 13, followed by football with 11, track and field with 10 and basketball with 9. I believe that some sports are more open and acepting to LFBT athlets simply based on traditional culture. Female sports seem to be more accepting, while male dominate aggressive sports, such as football are not as much. Perhaps because, these male dominate sports also receive the most media coverage, leaving more room for criticism.
Growing up in the Silicon Valley, I wasn't surrounded by much diversity growing up. We were a heavily asian community, filled with brilliant minded people, surrounded by powerful companies and overwhelmed with opportunity. Sexuality was never discussed. Not in school, not amongst friends. I grew up in a bubble, and it wasn't until college that I met my friend openly gay person. I am now, so incredibly proud to say that person is one of my best friends. As we've grown through college, it seems that everyone at this school is open minded and accepting of one another. But, I am constantly surprised at the ignorance and disgust in the world. The fact that my best friend struggles for the same opportunities and human rights as me, makes me physically ill. Because of the how accepting and open my group of friends are, and how ignorant I was growing up, I have greatly underestimated the struggles of LGBT men and women around the world.
I have played with teammates, and some of them happen to like both girls and men. I have loved my best friend endlessly and he happens to have the same taste in men as I do. I do not understand the challenge that these individuals have to face, especially in the sport setting, nor will I ever. Do I think that sports will one day be a safe place for all types of athletes? Absolutely. Will that be anytime soon? Maybe not. But athletes are paving the way. And fans are helping. Programs such as " If you can play, you can play" are stepping stones to making sport a safe place. Athletes are so much more than their sexuality, and I only hope someday fans, coaches, officials and players alike will all agree.
Resources:
Collins, Jason. "Why NBA Center Jason Collins Is Coming out Now." SI.com. Sports Illustrated, 29 Apr. 2013. Web. 07 Apr. 2015.
Griffin, Pat. "The Times They Are A-Changin' for LGBTQ People in Sports." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 18 Mar. 2014. Web. 07 Apr. 2015.
Payne, Melissa. " Michael Sam and 107 Other Athletes and Sport Officials Came out As Gay in 2014". The Washing Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2014/12/18/michael-sam-and-107-other-athletes-and-sports-officials-came-out-as-gay-in-2014/
Do you think that homophobia is more common in men than in women? If so, why?
ReplyDelete- Chris Gardhouse
Nice job discussing this issue! I think you could have done more by bringing in some academic research on the subject. But still some nice insight into the issue.
ReplyDelete~Brittainy