We need a gay male superstar athlete to come out no offense Tom Daley.

[MorrisseyX]

I think it is good Tom Daley came out of the closet since he is so young he can help a lot of gay youth who are struggling with their sexuality. However, Daley is a diver not exactly earth shattering news that a diver is gay. In fact, Daley coming out just confirms the stereotype most people assume the majority of male divers are gay anyway.

But would really help society, is if a gay man or gay men in a team sport that is high profile did come out like a football player or a NHL or MLB player.

I wonder if anyone thinks a REAL SUPERSTAR a high profile gay male athlete will come out before the end of this decade? I really believe that is what is going to happen for things to improve for gay male athletes in team sports.

I get that the high profile closeted gay male athletes are worried about losing fans or sponsorship deals perhaps that's the reason they don't come out? Or, maybe it is just a perception a fear these men have that someone will make their life difficult?

Look what happened to Jonathan Martin the NFL player who was bullied and he isn't even gay. Yet, he has been ostracized by his teammates for speaking out about getting bullied. In fact, some of Martin's teammates say he's less than a man for speaking out.

So, it is going to take someone special, someone really brave who is a star athlete to come out. Hopefully it will happen before the end of the decade.

 

[Kulindahr]

I think it is good Tom Daley came out of the closet since he is so young he can help a lot of gay youth who are struggling with their sexuality. However, Daley is a diver not exactly earth shattering news that a diver is gay. In fact, Daley coming out just confirms the stereotype most people assume the majority of male divers are gay anyway.

But would really help society, is if a gay man or gay men in a team sport that is high profile did come out like a football player or a NHL or MLB player.

I wonder if anyone thinks a REAL SUPERSTAR a high profile gay male athlete will come out before the end of this decade? I really believe that is what is going to happen for things to improve for gay male athletes in team sports.

Some good points there -- it's only a bit more than a ballet dancer coming out.

I'd like to see an Olympic biathlon medalist come out, just for the effect on people for whom guns are macho. A couple of skiers would be good, too. And some weight lifters....

 

[bankside]

We need to get over the idea of superstar athletes. They play sports.

 

[MorrisseyX]

We need to get over the idea of superstar athletes. They play sports.

Unfortunately, in order to educate and reach the general population it is going to have to be someone who is very talented and successful who people respect.

The general public, isnt' surprised Tom Daley came out he just confirms all the suspicion and stereotypes people have about him anyway.

I think Daley's coming out is indeed important he can reach young people around this age. It was courageous for Daley to come out.

But, in North America, in order to capture sports fans attention the guy who comes out would have to be very high profile and successful at his sport.

That's why it was so disappointing that Kerry Rhodes didn't come out this year. If Rhodes had come out it would really mean something.

Imagine, if Lebron James or Dwayne Wade, or Chris Bosh, or Chandler Parsons or Jeremy Lin were gay? Can you imagine how incredible it would be for gay rights to have superstar NBA players coming out?

It would shatter all the negativity people have, because if these men were indeed gay it would prove a gay man can compete in a masculine team sport and be successful.


But in order to change the negative perception and stereotype of gay male athletes it would have to be someone who is successful and who sports fans respect.

Can you imagine if Claude Giroux and Daniel Briere the NHL players were a gay couple? There was a silly rumour a few years ago after Briere asked Giroux to move in with him for a year during the 2010 to 2011 season that they were lovers. Of course, this was just a rumour. But imagine, two well respected NHL players came out as gay that would be an earth shattering thing for gay rights.

 

[RaKroma]

Have there ever been superstar athletes who are confirmed gay men? Ye a famous athlete in a none stereotypically gay sport can help to change views of hetero males, but it's not any athlete's duty or obligation to be a "gay role model" for us.

 

[MakeDigitalLove]

I think it is good Tom Daley came out of the closet since he is so young he can help a lot of gay youth who are struggling with their sexuality. However, Daley is a diver not exactly earth shattering news that a diver is gay. In fact, Daley coming out just confirms the stereotype most people assume the majority of male divers are gay anyway.

I don't know anything about this guy, but I think it is absolutely dumb that it isn't earth shattering that a diver is gay because of the assumption that he is gay because he is a diver.

 

[MorrisseyX]

Have there ever been superstar athletes who are confirmed gay men? Ye a famous athlete in a none stereotypically gay sport can help to change views of hetero males, but it's not any athlete's duty or obligation to be a "gay role model" for us.

Kerry Rhodes is very high profile in the NFL he's a damn good football player according to media reports I have read. Rhodes isn't like Jason Collins he's someone who is very respected by his peers and he's a good NFL player.

Kerry Rhodes has pretty much been confirmed to be gay although he hasn't officially come out of the closet. Major sports websites such as Deadspin, ESPN, Bleacher Report, Fox News have written about Rhodes.

Rhodes is one of the best players in the NFL YET he did not get signed to a team.

Rhodes not getting signed has shocked NFL experts he did get an offer for $ 3 million but he turned it down. Many NFL experts like Mike Forino say that the gay rumours hurt Rhodes.


According to Mike Freeman, he wrote an article on Bleacher Report a few weeks ago that Rhodes was preparing to come out but fear lead him to change his mind. Freeman also said two other NFL players were seriously considering coming out.

 

[Just_Believe18]

I don't think we should diminish the accomplishment of Tom Daley coming out just because he isn't a "athlete superstar" to North Americans. If anything, his coming out is a step of encouragement for other professional athletes to do the same. It will happen, but I don't feel ungrateful about the progress we've made as a community so far.

 

[Pickwick]

Ooooookay................................................................................................................................................................................. And what about just stating we are like anybody else meaning: "all different"; and thus not pretending that we are not all this or all that ?? So what about just thanking guys like Tom Daley or (what's the name of) this Rugby man, or soccer player, or Basket Ball player (sorry I don't look at sports so I don't catch the names...) that show the diversity of our community, if there is a gay community.......... Just saying ! Who post this thread anyway ?

 

[Scealle]

Different sports have different leagues per se and Olympics is pretty big for summer sports like Diving. Same goes for winter Olympics for winter sports like snow boarding etc. Football being Fifa world cup etc. So it's hard to say who's more high profile than the other.

 

[dereperez]

Different sports have different leagues per se and Olympics is pretty big for summer sports like Diving. Same goes for winter Olympics for winter sports like snow boarding etc. Football being Fifa world cup etc. So it's hard to say who's more high profile than the other.

Pretty much this. Tom Daley, being a high profile diver that participated in the Olympics...you don't get much more high profile than that. The world doesn't revolve around the United States, where "American football" takes the biggest spotlight. I'd say at the world stage, Tom Daley is just as high profile if not even more so than many (American) football players.

And there need not be constant witch hunts for straights that need to be outed as gay. There seems to be a fascination with converting straight guys and/or outing gay men.

 

[Pickwick]

Different sports have different leagues per se and Olympics is pretty big for summer sports like Diving. Same goes for winter Olympics for winter sports like snow boarding etc. Football being Fifa world cup etc. So it's hard to say who's more high profile than the other.

That's because there is no higher profile than one another....

 

[Kulindahr]

We need to get over the idea of superstar athletes. They play sports.

But...

society would collapse without them! They're the modern bread and circuses and opiate of the masses -- if we didn't have them, people might have to deal with reality!!!

 

[MorrisseyX]

We need to get over the idea of superstar athletes. They play sports.

Tom Daley coming out is important and it does make a difference. The point I was making though is that Daley is a male diver.

If Tom Daley was a NFL player who came out or if he was a top tennis pro or golfer that would mean more. But Daley is just a diver.

Daley's coming out isn't going to reach the regular sports fan, he isn't going to change those guys perceptions about gay male athletes.

This is why a superstar gay male athlete in a team sport like soccer, football, basketball, tennis, golf, ect. needs to come out.

Someone in a high profile sport would make a real difference and shatter the stereotypes and prove he's a masculine manly man who men can respect.

Superstar athletes DRIVE most professional men sports. People watch NBA, NHL, NFL, tennis, golf to see the stars compete and win championships. Sports would not survive without the stars. The stars get the media attention, they generate revenue for sports and they are the most successful.

This is why a gay male star athlete should come out in a team sport.

 

[Kulindahr]

^
Okay, an ideal situation:

the US men's soccer team takes gold in the next Olympics, and the team captain comes out as gay.


Except too many Americans don't think of soccer as a "real man's game" -- only American football measures up.

 

[Pickwick]

Tom Daley coming out is important and it does make a difference. The point I was making though is that Daley is a male diver.

If Tom Daley was a NFL player who came out or if he was a top tennis pro or golfer that would mean more. But Daley is just a diver.

Daley's coming out isn't going to reach the regular sports fan, he isn't going to change those guys perceptions about gay male athletes.

This is why a superstar gay male athlete in a team sport like soccer, football, basketball, tennis, golf, ect. needs to come out.

Someone in a high profile sport would make a real difference and shatter the stereotypes and prove he's a masculine manly man who men can respect.

Superstar athletes DRIVE most professional men sports. People watch NBA, NHL, NFL, tennis, golf to see the stars compete and win championships. Sports would not survive without the stars. The stars get the media attention, they generate revenue for sports and they are the most successful.

This is why a gay male star athlete should come out in a team sport.

What you mean is that we need a sport man that can touch a lot of people at the same time.... But what if people can just notice that it's anywhere in any sport discipline and that it not a matter of what ever the man is or how virile the sport is....

 

[Telstra]

ummm need more main steam movies like broke back mountains.

 

[MorrisseyX]

What you mean is that we need a sport man that can touch a lot of people at the same time.... But what if people can just notice that it's anywhere in any sport discipline and that it not a matter of what ever the man is or how virile the sport is....

In a perfect world, it wouldn't matter if a gay male athlete is high profile or not. However, if you go to NBA sports forums most people dismiss Jason Collins even though he came out this year. Collins isn't getting signed to a team and I don' think it is because he is gay. I think it has to do with Collins age but also because he was a benchwarmer.

Now, if Jason Collins was actually a good basketball player, not even a star just someone who was respected by the media and peers in relation to his talent. Maybe, Collins could have made a REAL DIFFERENCE. Unfortunately, since Collins isn't talented and he's an aging journeyman NBA teams have the excuse to not sign him because they will say he just isn't good enough.

I don't doubt that potentially, homophobia is PART of the reason Jason Collins didn't get signed to a NBA team. However, since Collins isn't someone who is VITAL to a NBA team, he isn't a STAR him getting passed over means the NBA has an EXCUSE not to sign him.

This is where, being a STAR, being a PLAYER who is very talented, and respected by fans and the media would make a huge difference.

If Collins was someone high profile in the league of Leborn James or Dwayne Wade and he came out and didn't get signed the media would have a field day.

Since Collins is a journeyman him not getting signed isn't big news, it doesn't attract media attention or even a buzz with most NBA sports fans.

Jason Collins will probably disappear he did a good thing coming BUT since he's not a star it doesn't really make a difference in the long run.

 

[Pickwick]

Ok I kinda agree, and that's right I'm an hopeless naive guy. But I truly believe that nowadays every single sport man that is gay should come out and say "hey guys what's the big deal ?", for me we don't need one big flag bearer but several guys who have guts....

 

[Kulindahr]

ummm need more main steam movies like broke back mountains.

How about some like Die Hard where the hero is gay?