Gay Sportsman Comes Out

[FredPuli43]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/30/sports/basketball/nba-center-jason-collins-comes-out-as-gay.html?hp&;_r=0

The first active player in any major American team sport to say that he is homosexual has just announced the fact in print. Others have come out but waited until their retirement to do so.

When and why do you think any equivalent British player will do the same ?( "Why?" is more interesting than "When?")

[anotheoldgit]

Sharingan

/// Dunno Ummm, it'd be like me bringing old gits that wear rugs into it wouldn't it? Totally besides the point xx ///

No way for a 15 year old to refer to older people, would you call your Grand Father an old git?

[ummmm]

But that's your user name, so what's the issue?

[douglas9401]

Aye, fifteen year old right enough aog. :)

[ummmm]

What are you hinting at, Douglas?

[douglas9401]

Oh nothing, just that the child appears wise beyond her years.

[ChillDoubt]

When and why do you think any equivalent British player will do the same ?( "Why?" is more interesting than "When?")
-----------------------------------------
Short answer, they won't, certainly not in football.

The neanderthal's who recently made the headlines will ensure that.

[youngmafbog]

Who really cares?

[ummmm]

The homophobes do.

[anneasquith]

a british footballer admitting to be gay, i cant see it happening >

[Sharingan]

Thank you Douglas I'll take that as a compliment.

[magsmay]

My question would be why did he feel the need to 'come out'? -what has his sexual orientation got to do with the way he makes a living? The 'Straight' players don't feel the need to 'come out' and tell everyone 'hey I have sex with women - and proud to do so ' , so why do homosexual men feel the need? Private likes dislikes and sexual orientation should be private . I am not remotely interested in the fact he is gay or straight -if i was a basketball fan I would be more interested in how he played than who he sh*gged

[ummmm]

Because unless you 'come out' it is assumed you are straight.

[magsmay]

@douglas said //Oh nothing, just that the child appears wise beyond her years. //

now Dougie you will get accused of stalking like me lol!

Sharingan uses some strange vocabulary that is more attuned to a middle-aged man at times -but this is to do with the fact she's been home schooled -so I've been told - which explains the lack of usual teenage vernacular ;-)

[magsmay]

@Ummmm -so what? - who cares who assumes anything? -why would it bother him that he was assumed Straight - does being Gay give him some sort of excuse/advantage in his chosen sport -NO!

[ummmm]

It clearly means something to him and it might mean a great deal to a youngster who is struggling with his/her sexuality.

[magsmay]

@naomi said //I like that. When people are attacked for being black, or gay - or ginger - the best defence is to agree with the attacker. 'Yes, I am black, gay, ginger .... etc ....' - now what?//

you can hardly deny you are ginger ;-) or black;-) if someone 'attacked' (do you mean 'accused' ) me of being Gay I would tell them to mind their own business not admit or deny it!

[LazyGun]

@Mags - did you shout out that NO! :)

Last time I checked, being straight did not qualify you to be ostracized or demonised or insulted or imprisoned, or your life being made such hell that you felt that suicide was the only way out - All these things have happened over the years to those who are homosexual.

We should not be demonising people on the basis of their sexual orientation - but in order for that to work, it has to become something mundane, and that only happens when you have role models who are openly gay. It happens in celebrity circles- no one hardly bats an eyelid any longer - it is happening in political circles - several openly gay MPs. It is even happening in the Church, although very reluctantly.

One of the last bastions of society, where if you believe the statistics, there is hardly a single openly gay individual - is sports. Statistically speaking, this seems unlikely. It would be better for everyone if individuals no longer had to hide or dissimulate about their sexuality.

That way it becomes boringly mundane, and we can move on to other far more interesting issues....

[ChillDoubt]

In his own words:

"I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport.

"But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, 'I'm different.' If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand."

He added that this month's bombings at the Boston Marathon had reinforced his conclusion that he should talk publicly about his sexuality.

"Things can change in an instant, so why not live truthfully?" Collins wrote.

Collins, who has played 11 seasons in the NBA with six teams and is not currently attached to a team, said he had tried to suppress his feelings through relationships with women.

"When I was younger I dated women. I even got engaged," he said. "I thought I had to live a certain way.

"I thought I needed to marry a woman and raise kids with her. I kept telling myself the sky was red, but I always knew it was blue."


He clearly felt it was something he wanted out in the open and I'll wager he feels a burden has been lifted. Good on him.

[magsmay]

@Ummmm -I can understand your argument that Gay 'celebrities and Sportsmen can be positive role models for youngsters struggling with their sexuality- but on the other hand if people prefer to keep their sexuality to themselves, then high profile 'gays' coming out could put pressure on these people to do the same.

[Sqad]

Fred

\\\\\When and why do you think any equivalent British player will do the same ?( "Why?" is more interesting than "When?") \\\

I couldn't care less, when, why and how....homosexuality is boring ( to me) as i am homophobic and will remain so until my dying day.

But I do hate to think of some children "struggling" with their sexuality, .....i am awake at night worrying about them and trying to find a solution....