The Sexism of Coming Out

[Redfairen]

One of the most dominant basketball players in recent memory came out as gay Wednesday, casually mentioning the fact in an interview as if it were an afterthought. The news media and the sports world seemed to treat it as such, too, with little mention of the star’s sexuality showing up on social media or on message boards, and virtually no analysis of what the revelation meant for tolerance in society as a whole.

At first glance, it seemed implausible. After all, players, fans, coaches and league executives had been waiting with bated breath for weeks, if not months and years, to see if an active team-sport athlete would come out. So how could this sort of revelation be treated with such nonchalance?

“Because it was a woman,” said Jim Buzinski, a co-founder of Outsports.com, a Web site about homosexuality and sports. “Can you imagine if it was a man who did the exact same thing? Everyone’s head would have exploded.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/19/sports/basketball/brittney-griner-comes-out-and-sports-world-shrugs.html?_r=0

[seabeyond]

1. very very good point. interesting and a good wake up call. thanks.

i liked how this was worded. and i got the same reaction from my husband, as i had.

[Buzz Clik]

2. Yep. How many active NBA players have come out?

MLB? NFL? NHL?

I believe that the collective number is one less than the number of 6'8" WNBA players who came out today.

[AnnieBW]

3. Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova Have Been Out For Years

I'm not saying that there's not sexism. But the trail has been blazed by at least two courageous female athletes. People aren't as surprised by lesbian athletes as they were back in the bad old days. But even gay male figure skaters, with a few notable exceptions (Johnny Weir), are still in the closet. I think it's the whole butch/femme thing.

Sorry if my terminology is bad. I'm straight, but not narrow. And sometimes clueless.

[opiate69]

4. So.. let me see if I got this...

The fact that she didn't get a bunch of attention is due to sexism... (never mind that the WNBA is nowhere near as popular as say, the NFL which the author tries to compare it to, or the fact that -right or wrong - the WNBA is already perceived as having a large number of lesbian athletes and followers )... but of course, If her coming out had garnered a lot of attention, I would guess it would be denounced as being rooted in homophobia... damned if'n ya do, damned if'n ya doesn't.

[snooper2]

5. maybe because it isn't such a big deal anymore?

Which I would think is a good thing

[Travis_0004]

6. I think the reason this is not a big deal is because most people don't follow the WNBA

i can't name a single player on the WNBA, and I really don't care about it. I think a lot of people feel this way, so news outlets don't cover it.

[alarimer]

7. Because she fits the stereotype of female athletes

Female athletes are assumed to be lesbians, simply by being athletes. Which is why it is no surprise to most when they are.

[Zorra]

8. K&R