“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” -Declaration of Independence
America is known as a melting pot. People from all backgrounds have been given the opportunity to succeed, and this is what makes America the greatest country in the world-except if you are a homosexual man, playing professional sports in the United States.
The Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery in 1863. The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote in 1920. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination to all racial, ethnic, national and religious minorities, and women. However, discrimination against homosexuals persists, particularly in professional sports.
There have been a few openly gay athletes, like tennis champions Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova, who have participated in individual sports. Based on their sport, they did not have to endure the scrutiny of a team. On the other hand, Abby Wambach, arguably the greatest female soccer player in history, recently married one of her female teammates. Wambach’s popularity has not seemed to suffer.
Male athletes have not had as easy a time achieving acceptance, but there have been a few pioneers. David Kopay played in the NFL for eight years. In 1975, three years after he retired, he became the first professional team-sport athlete to come out as gay.
Though he is not a household name, Glenn Burke, who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1970s, was the first male team sport athlete to acknowledge his homosexuality while still playing. Burke is one of three Major League Baseball players to do so.
The year 2013 will be known as the turning point for gay equality in professional sports. Jason Collins became the first active male athlete in the four major American sports to come out as gay. Collins played center in the NBA for 12 years. He came out to the public in a story covered by Sports Illustrated magazine.
The article started with the quote, “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.”
Collins saw immediate support from the NBA and the world in his decision. People from Kobe Bryant, to Dwayne Johnson, to President Obama spoke out in their respect for Collins.
“Being real and authentic is very powerful,” Johnson tweeted. “Well done, Jason Collins, for having the courage to take a monumental step forward.” He ended the tweet with the hashtag “live real.”
The new year has brought in momentous news with gay athletes and the world of sports in general. On February 9th, former Mizzou defensive end Michael Sam came out as gay.
Sam admits that he came out to his teammates and coaches in August. He only asked that they keep it a secret until he was ready to come out to the public.
“I was kind of scared, even though they already knew. I was still scared of telling them,” Sam said. “Just to see their reaction was awesome, and they supported me from day one.”
This story went viral because if Sam is drafted in the upcoming NFL draft, he will become the first openly gay player in the NFL.
On paper, this will become a reality. In 2013, Sam was an All-American, first team All-SEC and co-SEC Defensive Player of the Year. He is projected to be drafted anywhere from the third to fourth round in May’s draft.
Unfortunately, the NFL is not played on paper. Certain general managers have stated anonymously to Sports Illustrated that Sam’s draft stock will drop.
One former general manager was asked if Sam’s sexuality will break a tie against him during the draft.
“Every time,” the general manager said to Sports Illustrated. “Unless he’s Superman. Why? Not that [teams are] against gay people. It’s more that some players are going to look at you upside down. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry in the media is going to show up, from Good Housekeeping to the Today show. A general manager is going to ask, ‘Why are we going to do that to ourselves?’”
Linebacker Jonathan Vilma has openly stated that he does not think the NFL is ready for a gay player because of the fear over sharing the same locker room.
Other NFL players support Sam in his decision. Malcolm Smith, Jonathan Martin and Deion Sanders have all shown their support for Sam via Twitter.
“I applaud Missouri defensive end Michael Sam for his bravery and honesty about who he is,” Sanders tweeted. “I pray he gets an opportunity to play the game he loves!”
Former Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe has been a vocal proponent of same-sex marriage. He alleges that his advocacy led to the Vikings releasing him from the team. He claims that former coach Leslie Frazier told him to stop his efforts supporting same-sex marriage.
Ultimately, professional sports are games of merit. At the end of the day, sexual orientation should mean nothing if you are better at the game than someone else.
“I could care less about a man’s sexual preference,” Carolina Panthers running backDeAngelo Williams said. “I care about winning games and being respectful in the locker room.”
What is most baffling is that the NFL chooses to focus on a player’s sexuality instead of the player’s ability to contribute to the ultimate goal of winning championships.
Daily Show host Jon Stewart pokes fun at this topic.
“No pro team wants the type of controversy that having a gay player will cause,” Stewart said. “If only he had just been convicted of committing DUI vehicular manslaughter (Josh Brent), obstruction of justice in connection of a murder (Ray Lewis), had been accused of sexual assault (Ben Roethlisberger), screamed a racist slur at a concert (Riley Cooper), or killed a bunch of dogs and buried them in his yard (Michael Vick). You know, NFL material.”
American professional sports have had many social milestones that have impacted societal values. In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier by playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1973, Billie Jean King broke the gender barrier when she beat Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match. In 2014, Michael Sam will break the sexuality barrier.
“I’m not afraid to tell the world who I am. I’m Michael Sam: I’m a college graduate. I’m African American, and I’m gay.”
