A spot of gay in the NBA

[Kulindahr]

This surprised me. It's a very positive thing, and the sequence of events is something novelists might hesitate to write.

The article begins like this:

Last month, in a midtown Manhattan office adorned with sports memorabilia, two longtime friends met for a private talk. David Stern, commissioner of the National Basketball Association, sipped his morning coffee, expecting to be asked for career advice. Across from him sat Rick Welts, president and chief executive of the Phoenix Suns, who had come to New York not to discuss careers, but to say, finally, I am gay.

Read the rest -- and be encouraged.



source: the Sacramento Bee, 16 May 2011

 

[rareboy]

Let us hope that they can make headroads into this.

Usually though, the pro sports world just closes ranks and clams up about it all over again after mouthing a couple of platitudes.

 

[archive]

Let us hope that they can make headroads into this.

Usually though, the pro sports world just closes ranks and clams up about it all over again after mouthing a couple of platitudes.

I don't think it will. Unless an active face of the sport comes out ( Lebron James, Tim Tebow, Derek Jeter, Sidney Crosby caliber types), I think the homophobia is here to stay.

 

[Moss]

as someone who has interned in the nba/wnba and is still aspiring to me a professional in the industry, i appreciate him taking this step. I can't ever say I've had someone to look up too in the industry, I'm glad he has taken the courageous step to provide a role model to someone like me.

 

[SteveyBoyLA]

I don't think it will. Unless an active face of the sport comes out ( Lebron James, Tim Tebow, Derek Jeter, Sidney Crosby caliber types), I think the homophobia is here to stay.

I agree.

Why for the life of me these high-profile athletes can't publicly throw their support to all their athletic brothers to come out if they choose to, and it will be alright, is beyond me. What's the big deal if they do? Will it put a dent in the lurid locker-room jokes? Afraid someone will be checking them out in the shower? Female athletes had no problem w/ Martina Navratilova coming out while she was still active in tennis, some 30 years ago.

 

[rareboy]

^ It is because straight guys think that 2 women rug-munching is hot, but one guy sucking the other's dick is queer.

 

[HairStylin813]

^ It is because straight guys think that 2 women rug-munching is hot, but one guy sucking the other's dick is queer.

I so agree, why is there a double standard?

 

[chance1]

Rick Welts is good people - I know some folks who used to work with him when he was at the NBA - good people period

read the story in the NYT - smiled

it's great when this happens

and you have people who have worked with him and did not know say ......... great things

it is a shame that at his age it took this long - but i prefer to focus on the positive which is - people associated with him and who read this story will say .......... gays are good

all it takes is one positive gay association to make people change their feelings towards us

I really like this story

as for athletes and sports

based on macho stuff - physicality - against the stereotype of us - which is just a stereotype

gonna be hard to crack - locker room, showering, etc.

but it will be done

just slower than the rest

thanks for posting kuli - when i saw the article i thought about posting it - just forgot

 

[White Eagle]

as someone who has interned in the nba/wnba and is still aspiring to me a professional in the industry, i appreciate him taking this step. I can't ever say I've had someone to look up too in the industry, I'm glad he has taken the courageous step to provide a role model to someone like me.

This story is awesome and I wish more would come out. It would help in your aspirations, and I wish you a lot of luck in that.