|
|
An
Issue That Causes Conflicting Thoughts
When Discussing Gays in Sports, Everyone
Tries to Predict the UnknownBy Bill
Konigsberg
For Outsports.com
"For a ballplayer to acknowledge otherwise, of
course, would be committing professional suicide."
This is a statement made by Jim Litke, columnist for The
Associated Press, on the subject of Mike Piazza, who quashed rumors
that he is gay at a news conference on Tuesday.
Litke's statement begs for closer examination. The issue of gays
in team sports has been a hot subject each time it comes to the
surface, and while the gossip regarding who is and who isn't gay
seems to be the main reason that it's always news, underlying
this is a really intriguing question of what would actually happen
if a major league baseball player were to come out publicly.
"I'm not gay. I'm heterosexual," Piazza said, after a New York Post
gossip columnist claimed that a New York Mets player who hangs out
with models is actually gay and about to come out of the closet. "I
can't control what people think, that's obvious. And I can't
convince people what to think. I can only say what I know and what
the truth is and that's I'm heterosexual and I date women. That's
it. End of story."
Fine with me. I see no huge problem with the fact that Piazza had to
proclaim his heterosexuality. As much as I'd like to think
otherwise, if I were a heterosexual ballplayer faced with such
rumors I'd probably say the same thing.
There is no news here. The story came from a gossip columnist for
the New York Post, and if journalists jumped on all things written
in those columns, we'd all be in trouble.
What is newsworthy, however, is the issue of what would happen in
such a case. Opinion is all we have.
Litke claimed that it's not a good climate for gays at this time.
"I came to that conclusion from talking to players over the years,
so it's an opinion that I've formed," he said in a phone interview.
"I think it would split some teams up. Baseball is a funny sport,
there are still a bunch of guys who didn't spend much time in
school."
One year ago, Out Magazine editor Brendan Lemon added fuel to the
fire by writing a column in which he claimed to be having an affair
with a major league ballplayer. He described the player as playing
for an East Coast team, not the best player on his team but still a
good player.
Litke said that Lemon must have been living on another planet to
have written last year: "But I'm pretty confident there'd be more
support from the team than he imagines."
I spoke with Lemon today and while he agrees that a year later he
thinks he was being overly optimistic, he still believes his
boyfriend will be able to publicly come out when he's ready.
Reversing His Views
When prodded to examine his statements, Litke seemed to change his
tune a little.
"It would be hard at first, but a lot of guys will be ready (to deal
with it)," he said.
Litke then said he really agrees with remarks made by Mets manager
Bobby Valentine near the end of a long article in the June/July
issue of Details magazine. Valentine said he felt baseball was ready
for an openly gay player.
"I think Valentine is basically right," Litke said.
In his article a day earlier, Litke called the comments "hopelessly
optimistic."
What's at work here? Is Litke talking out of both sides of his
mouth?
Actually I think it's the subject matter that creates the confusion.
I believe Litke is like most Americans on the periphery of this
subject. He has mostly benevolent feelings for those dealing with
such a difficult issue, but has trouble grasping the realities of
it.
It's simply so hard for people to grasp what might happen if one of
baseball's macho idols were to admit liking men instead of women,
that few people can claim to have a solid understanding of what
would happen.
People ask me constantly what I think, and as much as I enjoy
hearing myself talk, I have to admit I have no idea what will
happen. I consider myself a realist and have no reason to believe it
wouldn't be incredibly difficult, but I also believe most people
would try to reach out to a person brave enough to do such a thing.
It Will Happen
As a gay man immersed in the world of sports, permit me to make my
own predictions.
First of all, it will happen. This is not a pie in the sky argument.
It's only a matter of time. Litke said he wondered if it might be a
younger guy who is openly gay and makes it through the ranks to the
pro level, who has grown up in a generation which is less hostile to
homosexuality.
"Kids are cooler now," he said. "A kid will get through."
When this happens, I guarantee there will be a media circus. Some of
the coverage will be enlightened, some of it not. There will be
players who say they don't agree with the "lifestyle," and others
who say it simply does not matter.
But mostly, it will all come down to what team sports is built on:
teamwork. When a teammate is struggling with something, an issue on
or off the field, a good teammate will back that person up, no
matter what. I believe in my heart that all other issues aside,
teamwork will prevail.
Might it be Lemon's friend, the man he claims to be dating? Lemon
said that a year after his column on the subject, his friend is
still pondering whether to come out of the closet.
And will Lemon or gay activists pressure a player to make such
a decision?
"I can't do that, I can't force the timing," said Lemon. "So much
has to happen, there are so many people who need to be told first,
and that's why it's taking so long."
Litke said he hopes activists don't pressure a player to do
something he's not ready for.
"Some player will probably declare himself as gay pretty soon, but
it should be in their own time," he said. "I say let him do it. It
just shouldn't be someone like Brendan Lemon pulling the strings."
Bill Konigsberg is a former editor at
ESPN.com. His coming
out column on ESPN is a finalist for a GLAAD media award.
May
23, 2002
|
