athletes coming out

wendyapple

not to get too political, but am i the only one feeling a little snubbed that Jason Collins coming out has thrown the media and corporations into a gay rights, equality, coming out celebratory party? women like Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King who've been out for the past several decades garnered no media attention, and more recently, Brittney Griner's coming out was barely touched by the media. Is it because our culture expects female athletes to be gay, as where there's still an element of machismo in male athletes that makes coming out that much more difficult? i call bullocks. i think both genders deserve equal attention and recognition, especially considering women have to challenge traditional gender roles when choosing professional athletics as a career.

Trev50

Yes, I think that, because of the way society stereotypes people, it's not surprising when a female athlete comes out as gay. A lot of people just assume that female athletes are likely gay. But it gets a lot more attention when a jock comes out. But I think it's great when athletes come out, male or female.

peanutbuttertoastgal

not to get too political, but am i the only one feeling a little snubbed that Jason Collins coming out has thrown the media and corporations into a gay rights, equality, coming out celebratory party? women like Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King who've been out for the past several decades garnered no media attention, and more recently, Brittney Griner's coming out was barely touched by the media. Is it because our culture expects female athletes to be gay, as where there's still an element of machismo in male athletes that makes coming out that much more difficult? i call bullocks. i think both genders deserve equal attention and recognition, especially considering women have to challenge traditional gender roles when choosing professional athletics as a career.

Totally agree here. The media is basically saying it's only important if a man does it. Weak.

HealthyAlison

I agree with you, there is a degree of sexism here. That's not the only thing that bothered me about the coverage. It was still noted he's *not* a femmy gay guy, playing up the stereotype. A lot of the straight world doesn't get that many gay men are some of the most masculine you'll ever meet. Gay men are as varied as straight men.

Personally, I thought the bigger, and in some respects more important, news yesterday was that some major Republican contributors have banded together to get the GOP to drop the gay marriage fight and are running ads in targeted districts to that effect.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/27/republicans-gay-marriage_n_3169751.html

The wave we're riding to equality is really moving now. Hopefully our MN legislature will pass the gay marriage bill within the month. For me, all of these advances are a perfect backdrop to be finally coming out and living with integrity.
:drinker:

tameko2

I dunno, I mean I think there's an element of that but its not the whole story by far. There's a racial element to it as well, but the BIGGEST element is just plain that women's sports are not a big deal. Men's sports are massively followed. Lakers games cause RIOTS. Football (american) games are the most watched TV in the US. But women's tennis? Women's basketball? Not really.

I imagine that if Serena or Venus Williams was to come out right now, they'd also get a lot of press, because those are big names in the US, but another woman's tennis player would probably not get nearly as much because most people just don't know who the hell they are.

EvanKeel

I think the at the heart of all homophobia is an element of misogyny. It's not necessarily ok for a woman to be gay (because they're perceived as snubbing men), but it's taken less seriously b/c women are taken less seriously. Hence, when a female athlete comes out as a [whatever queer label we want to use], it's no big deal because she's already a woman; she's already unfairly devalued in our country in a general way. But when a man comes out?

Oh no she better don't!

Now, my incredibly superficial, unfair, and inappropriate response to this? Why can't the hot guys come out as gay?

tameko2

I think the at the heart of all homophobia is an element of misogyny. It's not necessarily ok for a woman to be gay (because they're perceived as snubbing men), but it's taken less seriously b/c women are taken less seriously. Hence, when a female athlete comes out as a [whatever queer label we want to use], it's no big deal because she's already a woman; she's already unfairly devalued in our country in a general way. But when I man comes out?

Oh no she better don't!

Now, my incredibly superficial, unfair, and inappropriate response to this? Why can't the hot guys come out as gay?

when the Tim Tebow gay sex tape gets released, I will not be leaving my house for at least a day.

EvanKeel

I think the at the heart of all homophobia is an element of misogyny. It's not necessarily ok for a woman to be gay (because they're perceived as snubbing men), but it's taken less seriously b/c women are taken less seriously. Hence, when a female athlete comes out as a [whatever queer label we want to use], it's no big deal because she's already a woman; she's already unfairly devalued in our country in a general way. But when I man comes out?

Oh no she better don't!

Now, my incredibly superficial, unfair, and inappropriate response to this? Why can't the hot guys come out as gay?

when the Tim Tebow gay sex tape gets released, I will not be leaving my house for at least a day.

I'll be in my bunk

lilawolf

I dunno, I mean I think there's an element of that but its not the whole story by far. There's a racial element to it as well, but the BIGGEST element is just plain that women's sports are not a big deal. Men's sports are massively followed. Lakers games cause RIOTS. Football (american) games are the most watched TV in the US. But women's tennis? Women's basketball? Not really.

I imagine that if Serena or Venus Williams was to come out right now, they'd also get a lot of press, because those are big names in the US, but another woman's tennis player would probably not get nearly as much because most people just don't know who the hell they are.

I think this is the case. It just needs to be a well known person, man or woman. I hope more people open up and are honest about who they are, though I'd imagine it would be scary to put yourself out like that to be discussed and judged by millions of people. They say if all gay/bi/queer/etc people came out, that 90% of homophobia would disappear. I believe this. My grandmother was very against gay marriage (and slightly less so against gay people in general), but when her granddaughter came out as a lesbian, she made the choice to be supportive. Even offered up her backyard for her wedding! By the time I told her I was/am bisexual, she hardly batted an eye. Good job Grams! I guess some people just need to know someone well (this applies to sexuality, race, religion etc), to realize that everyone is just human.