Acceptance of homosexuals in professional sport

[Downunder Dolphan]

I'm just going to drop this bomb out there after a long session today...

In the world of Australian professional sport, gay women sportspeople (AFL, tennis, cricket, golf, etc) are accepted as "normal", nothing really newsworthy, they appear with their partners at awards nights, news stories with their partners and children, it's no big deal.

With men though it's a huge deal, and typically it's all buried. A soccer player came out as gay this year, it was a huge story and he was sledged on field by spectators immediately afterwards. There have been rumors of gay AFL players for over ten years who won't come out due to reprisals - and the same guys show up to awards nights with the prettiest blondes on their arm to hide it.

In the NFL, Jerry Smith who has bona fide Hall of Fame credentials has never been nominated, and the reason being speculated is because he died of AIDS. Carl Nassib comes out as gay... and gets cut by the Raiders the next season.

Why is this discrepancy? Will it ever change as women's professional sports get more of a visible foothold and open some kind of open acceptance?

[ArtieChokePhin]

I have no qualm with gay people in sports.   My big issue is transgender men playing in women's sports.  It doesn't matter what you identify as or what kind of therapy/surgeries you've had.  That doesn't change who you physically are.   Even the gay community has come out against this.

I have two daughters, both of whom play soccer.  Someone who is physically a boy (regardless of what they identify as) does not belong on the same field as them... and definitely not in the same locker room.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I tend to think this most homophobics don’t give shit about women’s sports.  (Plenty of people who aren’t homophobic don’t give a shit about women’s sports either.). The type of person who is vocally homophobic is likely also sexist and think women’s sports don’t matter.

[Dave Gray]

I don't even think about it.  I don't give one shit who is gay and who isn't.

[CF DolFan]

I don't even think about it.  I don't give one shit who is gay and who isn't.

I don't think most people do. It's when it's thrown in your face that people start complaining. For instance, Carl Nassib (who was recently released by the Raiders) revealed himself as gay on June 21, 2021 and no one cares. If that was thrown in people's faces every week then people would complain. As it is he was released in March and it didn't make major news as it shouldn't.

[Dave Gray]

I don't think most people do. It's when it's thrown in your face that people start complaining.

Conservatives love to say "thrown in your face" and "crammed down your throat".  I'm not sure what that means in this context.  How is someone else's sexuality ever thrown in your face.  What the fuck do you care?  Nobody is making you go be gay when someone else's gayness is discussed.  It literally has nothing to do with you in any way.

[ArtieChokePhin]

Conservatives love to say "thrown in your face" and "crammed down your throat".  I'm not sure what that means in this context.  How is someone else's sexuality ever thrown in your face.  What the fuck do you care?  Nobody is making you go be gay when someone else's gayness is discussed.  It literally has nothing to do with you in any way.

Maybe because sexuality and sexual orientation is private and there really is no need to be announcing any of that in public... gay or straight.  What you do in the bedroom is your business.   No need to make it anyone else's.

[Dave Gray]

Maybe because sexuality and sexual orientation is private and there really is no need to be announcing any of that in public... gay or straight.  What you do in the bedroom is your business.   No need to make it anyone else's.

Nobody is talking about their bedroom.  It's not about sex.  It's about relationships and people talk about their wives and spouses all the time and it's a major part of the human interest in sports.  How much did you see Kurt Warner's wife or Giselle Bundchen or whoever else being front and center as part of their story.  You ever watch college sports and they're constantly in the stands looking at the player's girlfriend clutching her little rally towel like a nervous astronaut's wife.  You see players embracing their wives and girlfriends on the field after accomplishments.  It's part of the game all the time for straight people.

This is especially true when something about the relationship is atypical, like someone is famous or outspoken or even just visible and involved.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Maybe because sexuality and sexual orientation is private and there really is no need to be announcing any of that in public... gay or straight.  What you do in the bedroom is your business.   No need to make it anyone else's.

Bullshit.

Two lesbians kissing on NYE in a crowd of 50 heterosexual couples kissing gets the thrown in face complaint.

A gay guy having his wedding photo on his desk at work when the majority of workers have family photos gets the thrown in your face complaint.

A teacher have the students address them Mx gets the thrown in your face complaint.

A library having a single children’s book about a child with two moms when the library has 1000s of books featuring nuclear families gets the thrown in your face complaint.

A single book about two lesbians in a teen romance section of the library with 100s of books about heterosexual relationships gets the thrown in your face complaint.

Mentioning in a history book that Alan Turing was persecuted for being gay gets the thrown in your face complaint.

Acknowledging Leonardo da Vinci was a homosexual gets the thrown in your face complaint.

[CF DolFan]

Conservatives love to say "thrown in your face" and "crammed down your throat".  I'm not sure what that means in this context.  How is someone else's sexuality ever thrown in your face.  

Case in point ... Michael Sam. His name was never mentioned by news reports without announcing his sexuality. Even him being released was based on his sexuality to some media although he was drafted as a gay player.  

Most people don't care about women referees but if every time that was all they focused on it would get irritatiing real quick. All most people care about is whether you are good enough to do the job or not. I don't remember the ladies name who reffed in the Super Bowl the Bucs won but she made some very tough calls and go them right. I wish many of the men refs were as good as her but I don't think she needs to be the focus of referees every game and article mentioning them.

[CF DolFan]

Bullshit.

Two lesbians kissing on NYE in a crowd of 50 heterosexual couples kissing gets the thrown in face complaint.

A gay guy having his wedding photo on his desk at work when the majority of workers have family photos gets the thrown in your face complaint.

A teacher have the students address them Mx gets the thrown in your face complaint.

A library having a single children’s book about a child with two moms when the library has 1000s of books featuring nuclear families gets the thrown in your face complaint.

A single book about two lesbians in a teen romance section of the library with 100s of books about heterosexual relationships gets the thrown in your face complaint.

Mentioning in a history book that Alan Turing was persecuted for being gay gets the thrown in your face complaint.

Acknowledging Leonardo da Vinci was a homosexual gets the thrown in your face complaint.

Not in my world does any of that happen. If it is happening in yours then you need to move. There is a difference between forcing an agenda vs acknowledging such things exist. In my opinion it doesn't appear left wing liberals know the difference.

[ArtieChokePhin]

Bullshit.

Two lesbians kissing on NYE in a crowd of 50 heterosexual couples kissing gets the thrown in face complaint.

A gay guy having his wedding photo on his desk at work when the majority of workers have family photos gets the thrown in your face complaint.

A teacher have the students address them Mx gets the thrown in your face complaint.

A library having a single children’s book about a child with two moms when the library has 1000s of books featuring nuclear families gets the thrown in your face complaint.

A single book about two lesbians in a teen romance section of the library with 100s of books about heterosexual relationships gets the thrown in your face complaint.

Mentioning in a history book that Alan Turing was persecuted for being gay gets the thrown in your face complaint.

Acknowledging Leonardo da Vinci was a homosexual gets the thrown in your face complaint.

This statement is bullshit.   None of this is considered throwing it in your face and I don't see anyone complaining about these actions where I am.  

[Dave Gray]

Case in point ... Michael Sam. His name was never mentioned by news reports without announcing his sexuality. Even him being released was based on his sexuality to some media although he was drafted as a gay player. 

Because it's groundbreaking.  Jackie Robinson was black.  That was a big deal.  Breaking barriers has always mattered and always will.  Being the first prominent person of an underserved group to do something matters.  That's not something getting thrown in your face.

[ArtieChokePhin]

Even him being released was based on his sexuality to some media although he was drafted as a gay player.  

And this is where I have a big issue.   Even though he was an All American in college, his measurables didn't translate to NFL success.   He reminded me of Eric Kumerow, our first round pick in 1988.   Too small to play DE and too slow to play OLB.   There's a reason why he was released, and it wasn't because he came out as openly gay.

[Dave Gray]

He wasn't good enough to stay in the league.

It's fair to ask if that's the right call, if it was because of gayness....that's fine to question.  The worlds a big place.  There are hundreds of thousands of newspapers in the world -- some of them might ponder a question you think isn't good.

The consensus is that he was released because he didn't make the cut.