Thousands signed a petition started started by SF gay activist and Giants fan Sean Chapin after he posted the below video on YouTube asking the team to make an IGB. A spokesman for team released a statement recently in response to Chapin’s petition saying the team had already been in talks to create a video.
Now 12-year-old Red Sox fan Sam Maden has started a petition to get his favorite team in on the IGB love. His petition is already past 7,000 signatures. Add you name here.
You can check out the SF Giant’s full IGB video below.
I recently asked the question, “Is American professional sports becoming gay friendly?” and apparently the answer is yes. Since that post a little over a week ago, major sports figures have been coming out and more and more straight players are also coming out in support of equality. For example…
Phoenix Suns president and CEO Rick Welts shocked the sports world when he came out of the closet in a New York Times article last week, becoming the first openly gay professional sports team owner in America. Above is video of ESPN breaking the story about Welts and he appeared on NPR to talk about his decision to come out and the changing atmosphere for gays in sports.
Right after Welts’ big announcement, former Villanova all-star athlete Will Sheridan went on ESPN and came out publicly. In the above video he chats about how his teammates knew he was gay and it didn’t affect them or their game at all. He did however have to deal with some homophobic chants from sports fans.
Thursday Jared Max, one of the best-known voices in New York sports radio and current ESPN New York 1050 morning host of ‘Maxed Out in the Morning’, came out on his radio show.
First of all, every player has played with gay guys. It bothers me when I hear these reporters and jocks get on TV and say: ‘Oh, no guy can come out in a team sport. These guys would go crazy.’ First of all, quit telling me what I think. I’d rather have a gay guy who can play than a straight guy who can’t play.
And The New York Times recently did an article called “Two Straight Athletes Combat Homophobia,” profiling international rugby star Ben Cohen and wrestling star Hudson Taylor, who are leading the fight against homophobia in sports internationally.
Grant Hill has also lent his name to equality. I’ve posted the PSA he appears in for the “Think Before You Speak” Campaign before, but he also has been going on talk shows to discuss to promote the PSA. In his below interview on CNN he says he’s “happy” for Wetls and cheers his courage to come out.
However, the road to full equality in American professional sports is a long way off. A fact that was proven just yesterday when Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah was caught on film during a game yelling “f–k you, faggot” to a fan who was taunting him. The press has jumped all over the incident making references to the Kobe Bryant incident. Noah responded with: “I got caught up. I don’t mean no disrespect to anybody.” No word yet on if Noah will be receiving the same punishment as Bryant, who had to pay a $100,000 fine for her offensive wordplay. Here’s the video of Noah’s altercation with the fan:
[Long sigh] Baby steps, right?
JOAKIM NOAH UPDATE: According to a New York Times article, Noah was fined $50,000 by the NBA and made a public apology about the gay slur he used in Sunday’s game. (That was a quick turnaround!)
UPDATE #2: Following Sean Avery‘s lead, Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash became the second professional sports player to appear in a video for HRC’s New Yorkers for Marriage Equality Campaign. I wonder if he’ll get the same heat Avery got over this? The video is below.
Kobe Bryant apologizes at a press conference for using a homophobic slur.
Ever since Kobe Bryant’s foul mouth got him into trouble for calling a ref a “f–king faggot” during a game a few weeks ago, professional sports has been exploding with verbal gay bashing controversies one after the other. Though homophobia in athletics isn’t a new phenomena, the responses coming from professional sports’ top brass and the sports community at large is definitely changing.
I mentioned a little while ago that Atlanta Braves coach Roger McDowell was under attack for his homophobic rant at an away game in San Francisco. He was suspended and is now under investigation by the league.
Then NC State basketball star CJ Leslie came under fire recently for saying he wouldn’t want a gay teammate in his locker room. After the push back, he immediately sent out a series of tweets apologizing for his comments.
And now the hockey community is up in arms after New York Ranger forward Sean Avery filmed a video in support of gay marriage for HRC’s New Yorkers for Marriage Equality campaign. Uptown Sports, a major hockey agency based in Canada, then released a statement on Twitter calling Avery’s support “misguided.” The tweet was sent by Todd Reynolds, the firm’s Vice President and son of owner Don Reynolds. Don told reporters he supports his son’s tweet and compared gay marriage to beastiality.
It looks like the tides have changed a bit when it comes to the simple acceptance of homophobia in professional sports. It used to be that John Amaechi and other out, but retired, pro athletes would just stand on the sidelines yelling about how horrible the homophobia was in locker rooms and on courts around the country. But now the heads of the various professional sports leagues and agencies are actively issuing consequences and the message that this type of discourse is not okay.
Bryant was fined $100,000 for his slip up and the Lakers even released the below PSA against hurtful language.
Other NBA stars also partnered with GLSEN to release a PSA in conjunction with the AD Council specifically focusing on the use of homophobic slurs in sports.
A bevy of professional athletes have also come out in support of marriage equality through posing for the popular NOH8 campaign photo shoots. The photos below include New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie, NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, Carolina Panthers linebacker Nic Harris, Mike Chabala of the the MLS’s Houston Dynamo, pro wrestler Hudson Taylor and professional figure skater Michael Kuluva. (All NOH8 photos by Adam Bouska)
In response to Uptown, other sports agents are expressing their displeasure with the companies homophobia. And Paul Bissonnette, an NHL player for the Phoenix Coyotes, tweeted a response (below) in support of Avery. Change.org has also started a petition against Uptown Sports for their very damaging homophobic stance.
The sports news corps has also been covering the Avery story and the homophobia-in-professional-sports issue with fervor lately. ESPN recently did a poignant segment that featured Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo who also publicly supports marriage equality.
When it comes to out professional sports players, America is way behind globally. Athletes like European rugby star Gareth Thomas are leading the way for equality in athletics around the world. (See his It Gets Better video below.)
One of Thomas’ best friends, Ben Cohen, is a also a professional rugby player and amazing straight ally who’s currently on the U.S. leg of his Ben Cohen Acceptance Tour in support of eradicating homophobia in professional sports. (UPDATE 5/15: Cohen just announced that he’s retiring from rugby to lead the global fight against homophobia full time. He’ll be spending most of his time running the StandUp Foundation, an anti-bullying organization he founded.)
Swedish soccer player Anton Hysen is also just one of the many out professional sports players in Europe. Below is video of his photo shoot and interview with European gay magazine Attitude.
So what do you think? Is the sports world becoming more accepting? Or does the fact that a professional athlete in America still has yet to publicly come out mean we’re just kidding ourselves?
Queer Corner 