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Tuaolo Voted 2002
Top Story
By Jim Buzinski
Outsports.com
 The coming out of
Esera Tuaolo, who became only the third NFL player to ever declare his
homosexuality, was voted the top gay sports story of 2002 by readers
of Outsports.com.
Tuaolo came out in late October on HBO’s “Real Sports” and immediately
became the subject of widespread media attention. Tuaolo’s story
resonated with many; having a 300-pound, tough defensive lineman come
out as gay went a long way in destroying stereotypes.
Tuaolo, 34, played in the NFL for nine years, most of them with the
Minnesota Vikings. He retired in 1999 and lives with his partner,
Mitchell Wherley, and their two adopted children. He is pursuing an
acting and singing career. "I'm just your typical gay Samoan ex-nose
tackle who would like to break into show business," Tuaolo joked to
one interviewer.
Readers who voted for Tuaolo stressed the positive aspects of having
an ex-jock come out as gay. He joins David Kopay and Roy Simmons as
the only NFL players who have publicly come out.
“I voted for Esera because I think that in such a physical sport such
as football, it more than woke up people who have long associated
feminine qualities with homosexual men,” wrote one reader.
Tuaolo’s story was voted No. 1 by 60% in an Outsports online poll. The
speculation surrounding Mike Piazza’s sexuality was second with 20%.
Gay Games VI in Sydney was third with 12%. Antigay comments by NFL
players Jeremy Shockey and Garrison Hearst received 4%, the same as
the declaration by WNBA player Sue Wicks that she is a lesbian.
Robert Lipsyte, columnist for the New York Times, picked Tuaolo as his
Sportsman of the Year. “His courage in a homophobic Sports World
befits what we have been conditioned to believe about football
players. Too often we've been disappointed, not the least by several
of Tuaolo's teammates who were concerned that showering with a known
gay man would cause people to question their masculinity,” Lipsyte
wrote in his Dec. 29 column.
After Tuaolo came out, the spotlight turned to how NFL players would
deal with a gay teammate. The reactions varied widely. Many players
refused to comment, which indicated a discomfort to even address the
issue. Some were enlightened, such as Byron Chamberlain, a former
teammate of Tuaolo, who said: "We as a culture have to be open-minded
to different things and different situations, and that goes for
sexuality, religion and different cultures. Because you come in a
locker room like this, there are people who are totally different from
me, probably grew up in a totally different environment from me. But
it just comes down to being open-minded and being understanding of
other people."
Chamberlain’s
open-mindedness was countered by the likes of Garrison Hearst, a San
Francisco 49ers running back, who told the Fresno Bee: “Aww, hell no!
I don't want any faggots on my team. I know this might not be what
people want to hear, but that's a punk. I don't want any faggots in
this locker room." In a sign that overt homophobia is no longer
acceptable, Hearst was forced to publicly apologize and the team
issued statements deploring what the player said.
The Tuaolo story had legs, continuing to be a subject on TV and in
print well into December. His visibility has raised the consciousness,
if not the tolerance, of the public about gays in professional sports.
His impact was perhaps best summed up by Randi Reitan, a
Minneapolis-area resident, who wrote a letter to the Minneapolis
Star-Tribune praising a feature story on Tuaolo and his family:
“It was a gift to
every family struggling for gay rights. It was a gift to everyone who
read it, for it opened the door to understanding.
“We have a gay son.
We appreciate so much when the news shares personal stories like this
one.
“It is an act of
courage for Esera Tuaolo and Mitchell Wherley to open their lives up
for this lesson in love and acceptance. It is through stories like
theirs that walls of misunderstanding are broken down.”
Dec.
30, 2002
TOP STORY NOMINEES
| |
Esera Tuaolo Comes
Out
Tuaolo became only
the third former NFL player to come out as gay. His announcement on
HBO in October sparked a flurry of coverage of the issue of gays in
sports. Tuaolo, his partner and their two kids make for an appealing
family and his story resonated with many. Having a 300-pound and tough
defensive lineman come out as gay went a long way in destroying
stereotypes. Read
more
Gay Games VI Are Held
The Games have
become an institution in the gay and lesbian community and this year’s
event in Sydney was considered a success. The organization was chaotic
and the event was a big money-loser, but 99% of participants and
attendees could have cared less. The weather was perfect, the city was
welcoming and beguiling and the competition was first-rate. And who
could resist those sexy Aussie accents? Read
more
Mike Piazza Comes
Out … As Straight
Mike Piazza’s
comments that he is a heterosexual, in response to a blind item in
a New York Post gossip column in May, may have done more to raise the
issue of gays in sports than any other. The media coverage was
unprecedented and it got fans talking openly about their favorite
jocks being gay.
Jeremy Shockey and
Garrison Hearst: Anti-Gay Twins
Homophobic comments by Shockey, a New York Giants tight end, and
Hearst, a San Francisco 49ers running back, brought the issue of gays
and sports to America’s favorite sport—pro football.
Shockey was so
off-base that he offended Howard Stern, while
Hearst was forced to
apologize for saying “I don't want any faggots on my team.”
Sue Wicks Comes Out
Wicks is a rare bird—an openly gay active player. The New York Liberty
basketball star was matter-of-fact in stating this year she is a
lesbian.
"I'm
not ashamed of who I am, but I don't think it has anything to do with
basketball," Wicks told Sports Illustrated. "You're a wife, a mother,
a lesbian, who cares? The real victory will come when people just view
us as athletes."
When asked how many straight players there were in the WNBA, Wicks
told the Village Voice in 2000: “I
can't say how many, but it would be easier to count the straight
ones." We’re still waiting for others to publicly join Wicks.
Read
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