Current NBA Player comes out as openly gay

[NDohio]

Maybe someday athletes can be gay without having to announce it to the world. Just live their lifestyle without it being newsworthy.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

Maybe someday athletes can be gay without having to announce it to the world. Just live their lifestyle without it being newsworthy.

This was a major step toward that end.

 

[RuntheBall]

Mike Wallaces take on the matter.

He really is a leading mind in society today. But what you expect he did play in the ESS-EEE-SEEE

 

[blueNDgold44]

Congrats to him. Paul Pierce, your move.

I think you mean Chris Bosh

but on a serious note, good to see something like this. Good for sports in general

 

[KPENN]

I think you mean Chris Bosh

but on a serious note, good to see something like this. Good for sports in general

 

[Kak7304]

I don't think the fear of coming out publicly has anything to do with fear of public perception or media criticism. It has more to do with a fear of how your teammates, coaches, and other close friends will view you. Collins, and many others like him, have a hard enough time telling their families, let alone announce it to the world. Also, I don't know about you guys, but I heard more than a few homophobic slurs hurled around the locker room in high school and I'm sure that's not an isolated incident.

 

[ACamp1900]

Looks like R. Kelly was in on the celebration....

 

[ShawneeIrish]

I don't think the fear of coming out publicly has anything to do with fear of public perception or media criticism. It has more to do with a fear of how your teammates, coaches, and other close friends will view you. Collins, and many others like him, have a hard enough time telling their families, let alone announce it to the world. Also, I don't know about you guys, but I heard more than a few homophobic slurs hurled around the locker room in high school and I'm sure that's not an isolated incident.

Well put.

 

[IrishSteelhead]

Wonder if this will rub off on 99% of the WNBA, and we will see a 100 woman press conference.

 

[greyhammer90]

Wonder if this will rub off on 99% of the WNBA, and we will see a 100 woman press conference.

The funny thing is that this isn't even a joke. I had a friend who played Women's Basketball for Tennessee and she ended up having to quit. She was straight and it was way too uncomfortable for her on a daily basis to stick around. She wasn't anti-gay or homophobic or anything, she just felt like she didn't belong.

 

[IrishSteelhead]

The funny thing is that this isn't even a joke. I had a friend who played Women's Basketball for Tennessee and she ended up having to quit. She was straight and it was way too uncomfortable for her on a daily basis to stick around. She wasn't anti-gay or homophobic or anything, she just felt like she didn't belong.

One of my sisters played college basketball and said the same thing. She didn't quit, but had a similar experience during her time on the team.

 

[irishog77]

Must be why so many people have come out thus far.

The lack of guys coming out could also have to do with the fact that there aren't "so many people" that can. There probably aren't that many gay guys to begin with. Are there some out there? Sure, no doubt, but I doubt it's as if there are hundreds of guys out there in the same boat as Collins. I doubt there are even dozens.

Wonder if this will rub off on 99% of the WNBA, and we will see a 100 woman press conference.

The funny thing is that this isn't even a joke. I had a friend who played Women's Basketball for Tennessee and she ended up having to quit. She was straight and it was way too uncomfortable for her on a daily basis to stick around. She wasn't anti-gay or homophobic or anything, she just felt like she didn't belong.

I knew a girl that played at a Juco in Arkansas and then DI at a school in Texas and Arkansas. Same thing with her-- she eventually quit. A big reason was the "locker room." She grew very tired of dealing with it and fending off teammates. Probably didn't help my friend's cause that she was smokin hot either- ha!

 

[BobD]

Women's Softball should be announcing a press conference soon to say "Do we really need to say it?"

 

[BobD]

Good for him BTW.

 

[Folsteam_Ahead]

The man can do what he wants to do, but do people really think this was courageous? Has anyone watched television for the past 5 years? All sports media outlets unanimously supported Collins, as everyone with ears and eyes would have expected. He was commended by the White House for goodness sake! He's not a highschool basketball coach in rural Kentucky-- he went to Stanford and played pro-ball in major NE markets. He is rich and can live where he wants without worrying about repercussions. What did people think was going to happen?

I think all of these faux glass-ceiling-breaking events are becoming extremely forced. The first _________ to do ___________. This reminds me of once watching someone admit to masturbating on some afternoon talk show, in the name of being "honest." The man acted like he was surprised that the entire audience was on his side even though that subject had been discussed approvingly on that show about a million times.

Would this have been courageous in 1995? Yes. In 2013? Please.

i'm under the impression that the purpose of the extensive media coverage is show that others will be supportive of professional athletes who have felt pressured to be secretive about their sexuality. sure, he's about the bazillionth public figure to come out which might make the coverage seem less "courageous", as you put it. however, if it took until 2013 for a professional athlete to be openly gay while active on the roster then this is a big deal.

there's something about that environment that prevented athletes from living openly at the same rate of those in the general public. regardless of the reasons, it shouldn't be that way. it seems like the media (generally speaking) want to close the gap in those rates and perpetuate growing support of homosexuals until that kind of information is hardly relevant.

i don't really understand why you're harping his position in society. would you care more if he was a rural kentucky coach? what difference does that make? is there a threshold of discrimination that must be met to be taken seriously? going to stanford and playing in the NE markets doesn't exempt him for being discriminated against.

 

[Wolverine1997]

It's days like today I'm disgusted with a certain portion of our fans.

If you make fun of feminists on MGoBlog, you will get banned. But bashing on The Holy Bible, which has been going on all day with Chris Broussard on ESPN going on a tirade, is open game. The people who run that place are a bunch of jackasses.

I truly feel like an outsider sometimes in AA.

 

[NDinL.A.]

I can't believe some of the comments on this thread...embarrassing. I wish I wasn't on my phone so I could debate it more, but to think this wasn't courageous is absolutely insane to me. It's like some of you have never stepped foot in a locker room, or heard the word 'fa****' or 'gay' thrown around more than the word "the". Sure, we're in a MUCH better place than we've ever been for him to come out, but don't even get it twisted...there are PLENTY of players out there that believe exactly what Mike Wallace tweeted but far worse. In the public most of these guys are saying the right things, but man, dudes are saying a lot different things behind closed doors.

I guess I've been around it a lot more than some, but coming out is just a HUGE thing for anyone, much less someone in the public eye. It's absolutely a big deal, no doubt about it.

EDIT: Let me add this...when Manti was going through his ordeal, other teams' fans were openly calling him gay, and they ABSOLUTELY meant it as a derogatory way, completely bagging on him for being gay. And you heard from several reporters that NFL teams were wondering about it when it first came out. ****, my buddy lives in North Carolina surrounded by a bunch of Clemson and eUSC fans. He's nt a huge college football fan, and we were talking about the draft and he was telling me that all his friends thought Manti was gay and that no NFL team would touch him because of it.

But this was no big deal???

 

[Walter White]

i'm under the impression that the purpose of the extensive media coverage is show that others will be supportive of professional athletes who have felt pressured to be secretive about their sexuality. sure, he's about the bazillionth public figure to come out which might make the coverage seem less "courageous", as you put it. however, if it took until 2013 for a professional athlete to be openly gay while active on the roster then this is a big deal.

there's something about that environment that prevented athletes from living openly at the same rate of those in the general public. regardless of the reasons, it shouldn't be that way. it seems like the media (generally speaking) want to close the gap in those rates and perpetuate growing support of homosexuals until that kind of information is hardly relevant.

i don't really understand why you're harping his position in society. would you care more if he was a rural kentucky coach? what difference does that make? is there a threshold of discrimination that must be met to be taken seriously? going to stanford and playing in the NE markets doesn't exempt him for being discriminated against.

I am really happy for him if he just now felt comfortable enough to come out, but often wonder why the media seems to be hunting for these kinds of stories. Maybe there just aren't many gay men in professional sports.

I think its good to show that you would be tolerant if there are and treat people with respect regardless. But the story sometimes reads: there must be tons of closeted men on the major leagues, and we must set them free! Why does it matter that much if they tell the public via press conference? Maybe they just don't want all the attention of becoming a figure head. Maybe they simply aren't there.

I was listening to NPR the other day and they did a poll on the average american's opinion on the percentage of gay men and women in the U.S. The average person thought about 30% of the populace was gay. In reality its less than 5%. Can't help but the expansive media coverage helps with that disparity of perception.

 

[IrishSteelhead]

I can't believe some of the comments on this thread...embarrassing. I wish I wasn't on my phone so I could debate it more, but to think this wasn't courageous is absolutely insane to me. It's like some of you have never stepped foot in a locker room, or heard the word 'fa****' or 'gay' thrown around more than the word "the". Sure, we're in a MUCH better place than we've ever been for him to come out, but don't even get it twisted...there are PLENTY of players out there that believe exactly what Mike Wallace tweeted but far worse. In the public most of these guys are saying the right things, but man, dudes are saying a lot different things behind closed doors.

I guess I've been around it a lot more than some, but coming out is just a HUGE thing for anyone, much less someone in the public eye. It's absolutely a big deal, no doubt about it.

I think you missed the point some guys were trying to make: Collins is out of the league for all intents and purposes, well past his prime, and perhaps feels the exposure will give him another chance to play. It would have been much more courageous to come out when he still had a career, and that is what some were saying.

 

[Folsteam_Ahead]

I think you missed the point some guys were trying to make: Collins is out of the league for all intents and purposes, well past his prime, and perhaps feels the exposure will give him another chance to play. It would have been much more courageous to come out when he still had a career, and that is what some were saying.

i'm sure he gets the point. it's still embarrassing. they're using a completely fabricated theory to discount the importance of the event. yeah, let's discredit how hard this must have been for him by saying that he's being an attention whore that is abusing the gay rights movement in an effort to extend his career. real nice.

 

[NDinL.A.]

I think you missed the point some guys were trying to make: Collins is out of the league for all intents and purposes, well past his prime, and perhaps feels the exposure will give him another chance to play. It would have been much more courageous to come out when he still had a career, and that is what some were saying.

That's bullshit too. And if they feel that, then they should do a little research on him. He's one of the smartest players in the league, known as one of the best guys in the league, a consumate (sp) pro. It's nowhere in his character for him to do something like this for publicity or for another year in the league. He doesn't need the money, and as a 7 footer, he'd latch on somewhere (follow the league and look at how many guys his size hang on for YEARS after their prime; it's a long list).

Sure it would have been more courageous to do it earlier, but bfd. Are we really judging him on the degree of courage, and bashing him for not being MORE courageous???

Do people realize the gay bashing that STILL goes on to this day? It's like saying racism doesn't exist just because so many more people are tolerant today than they used to be. Hell, the dude is getting bashed for coming out on this very thread, and the people doing the bashing don't even realize they are bashing him LOL.

 

[Walter White]

I can't believe some of the comments on this thread...embarrassing. I wish I wasn't on my phone so I could debate it more, but to think this wasn't courageous is absolutely insane to me. It's like some of you have never stepped foot in a locker room, or heard the word 'fa****' or 'gay' thrown around more than the word "the". Sure, we're in a MUCH better place than we've ever been for him to come out, but don't even get it twisted...there are PLENTY of players out there that believe exactly what Mike Wallace tweeted but far worse. In the public most of these guys are saying the right things, but man, dudes are saying a lot different things behind closed doors.

I guess I've been around it a lot more than some, but coming out is just a HUGE thing for anyone, much less someone in the public eye. It's absolutely a big deal, no doubt about it.

I guess I don't view it as too big deal (on a national level, not his own personal level to which it is), because I don't think he will face discrimination in today's leagues.

Have you seen or heard what is said behind closed locker room doors in the NBA? I think it is ignorant to judge the "dudes" behind closed doors to acting a certain way without actually seeing how they will react yet. The narrative will play itself out.

You may be right and this may cause a wave of ugly hostility and intolerance. I don't think it will though.

 

[greyhammer90]

That's bullshit too. And if they feel that, then they should do a little research on him. He's one of the smartest players in the league, known as one of the best guys in the league, a consumate (sp) pro. It's nowhere in his character for him to do something like this for publicity or for another year in the league. He doesn't need the money, and as a 7 footer, he'd latch on somewhere (follow the league and look at how many guys his size hang on for YEARS after their prime; it's a long list).

Sure it would have been more courageous to do it earlier, but bfd. Are we really judging him on the degree of courage, and bashing him for not being MORE courageous???

Do people realize the gay bashing that STILL goes on to this day? It's like saying racism doesn't exist just because so many more people are tolerant today than they used to be. Hell, the dude is getting bashed for coming out on this very thread, and the people doing the bashing don't even realize they are bashing him LOL.

Reps. Was going to write a longer agreement but I decided you said it better.

 

[Ben E.]

It's funny that the only ones that come out have one foot out the door already. For instance the Baltimore DE and all his pro gay media whoring once he figured out that no one was all that interested in signing him. Call espn when someone's draft party is a "coming out" party then you might have some real "progress". Also stop comparing the gay rights movement in this country to the civil rights movement because its really not comparable.

It is interesting that so many fans of a Catholic university are actually non Catholics.

 

[Kaneyoufeelit]

It's funny that the only ones that come out have one foot out the door already. For instance the Baltimore DE and all his pro gay media whoring once he figured out that no one was all that interested in signing him. Call espn when someone's draft party is a "coming out" party then you might have some real "progress". Also war stop comparing the gay rights movement in this country to the civil rights movement because its really not comparable.

It is interesting that so many fans of a Catholic university are actually non Catholics.

wow

This response is exactly why it is courageous for him to come out and why so many people are afraid to show their family, friends, and the world their real self.

 

[greyhammer90]

It's funny that the only ones that come out have one foot out the door already. For instance the Baltimore DE and all his pro gay media whoring once he figured out that no one was all that interested in signing him. Call espn when someone's draft party is a "coming out" party then you might have some real "progress". Also stop comparing the gay rights movement in this country to the civil rights movement because its really not comparable.

It is interesting that so many fans of a Catholic university are actually non Catholics.

How old are you? Not a rhetorical I'd like an answer.

 

[notredomer23]

FWIW Robbie Rogers, US soccer player is gay. Has retired since he announced though.

 

[Kaneyoufeelit]

FWIW Robbie Rogers, US soccer player is gay. Has retired since he announced though.

Yea that was a big announcement, too. Not one of the major US sports though so nationally it didn't get the same attention.

To LA's point, Rogers said this about why it was tough to come out

Rogers said part of his fear came from hearing gay slurs in locker rooms ever since high school.

Gay Soccer Star Robbie Rogers Talks to "Nightline" on Coming Out in Professional Sports - ABC News

 

[Ben E.]

How old are you? Not a rhetorical I'd like an answer.

What does it matter? Look I really don't care what an individuals sexual preference is. I work in corrections and there are plenty of homosexual men and woman in the field and that takes REAL courage. Try being openly gay in law enforcement those are true role models not basketball players. And yes getting dragged from another continent, forced into labor, being "set free" then having your houses and churches blown up or being hung for another 100 years is definitely on par with the trials and tribulations of gay men and women. lol.

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

This is obviously nt going to end well so I will go ahead and end it now.