Guillen slur upsets gay rights activists

[AngryAmish]

<http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/red-062106-guillen,1,4402670.story?coll=cs-home-headlines>

"Gay rights activists criticized White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen on Wednesday for using a derogatory term for homosexuals during a profanity-laced tirade against Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti.

Rick Garcia, executive director of Equality Illinois, a local gay rights group, said the term Guillen used was "offensive."

snip

""This isn't the first time that he's made an anti-gay slur so I think the White Sox organization needs to look at one of their higher profile people using slurs that are unacceptable," Garcia said. "They need to do something about it."'

Why won't the White Sox do anything about this? One has to realize that this is the most corrupt organization in professional sports. Now it appears that their management is anti-gay.

[LisaM]

1. He upset ME.

I've always been supportive of gay rights, though I wouldn't describe myself as an activist. But he simply cannot get away with this. This is like when Al Camparis, or whatever his name was, stated on Nightline that black people didn't have the brainpower to manage baseball teams.

[genie_weenie]

8. No way!

No way is this even close to Campinas on Nightline. It's boorish and wrong but not even close.

Calling a heterosexual man (the slur used) is to insult his manhood by comparison.

Stating a group of people have innate "limited facilities" ain't the same f'ing ballpark, it ain't the same league, it ain't even the same f'ing sport.

Gullien should be fined and suspended if the league feels his comments are detrimental to the game.

[LisaM]

11. I think it's the same because gays in pro sports are all closeted

and face a lot of prejudice. Which I'm sure Ozzie Guillen well knows. Ever see the play "Take Me Out?" It deals with this issue.

[theboss]

13. It's not the same ballpark

Guillen used a slur. Campanis tried to justify why an entire race was locked out of some positions.

If anything, it's ironic to compare Guillen to Campanis since Guillen is both (A) a minority (and one who barely speaks English at that) and (B) possibly the best manager in baseball.

[LisaM]

15. Well, I'm not gay and not in a minority so I can't speak for either

but I do think that tossing around slurs at gay people is deemed acceptable or less offensive than racial slurs by a lot of people and I'm just saying that I think it's equally offensive.

OTOH, I think that Guillen may have inadvertently opened a dialogue that's been needed for a long time (letting athletes be openly gay).

Oh, and Leyland is the best!

[Bretttido]

2. Screw him!

I'm a Cubs fan though, so I'm biased.
:banghead:

[reichstag911]

4. Good for you!

[Bill McBlueState]

3. you don't have to be an activist, or gay, to be upset

I'm waiting for a fine and/or suspension in line with what would have been handed out if Guillen had used a racial or ethnic slur. Think we'll see one?

[im10ashus]

5. Vote up the poll on the side of that page.

Should Guillen be punished for using a homosexual slur?
69.6%
No, it's just Ozzie being Ozzie. He meant no ill will towards homosexuals. (1187 responses)

30.4%
Yes, his comments are offensive and are a sign of homophobia. (519 responses)

1706 total responses

[TornadoTN]

6. A fine and a suspension is in order and waaaay past time

It didn't take the Commissioner of Baseball 2 1/2 seconds to suspend John Rocker for the same type of B.S.

They need to reign this guy in and get him to shut his mouth because he has become an embarassment to MLB. Even in his apology, he referred to the Gay community as "those people in that community" and had a comment about how he was friends with his "Gay hairdresser".

The White Sox are a really good team and its just sad that they have to have a manager that runs his mouth as often as he does and takes attention away from the way they play ball.

[theboss]

7. He should be suspended...though Mariotti should be fired

Just because he sucks.

jaythejoke.com

[TornadoTN]

12. I love that blog

jaythejoke.com

I love it, I'm laughing hysterically. I share in the hatred towards Mariotti, if only because he is such a douche when he is on ESPN.

[Not Me]

9. It's interesting that they put an online poll on the page, but

only alluded to the actual comment.
I suspect if people read the exact quote, they would respond differently.

[AngryAmish]

10. BREAKING NEWS - GUILLEN SUSPENDED!!!!!!!!

1 game but not for comments, for ordering a pitcher to drill someone on Tuesday.

[theboss]

14. There is a certain hypocrisy in the outrage by the way

Having spent an inordinate amount of time in locker rooms, dugouts, pressboxes, and press rows until I was about 27, I can say that I find it someone miraculous that players don't slip up more often. The word "fag" is thrown around among athletes, coaches, and reporters more than the word "fuck." In fact, my high school football coach in the early 90s would make you run laps for the latter while probably only chuckle at the former.

I am also of the opinion that once the initial shock wore off, pro athletes would probably be fine with out-of-the-closet teammates.