Hi everyone,

I am a university student taking a course in Identity and Sport. I am doing a research project on homosexuality in sports, and weather or not certain sports are more accepting of it or not. So far I have found tones of literature concerning women but there is definitly a lack of information on gay men in sports.

I found this website when I borrowed Jim Buzinski and Cyd Zeigler's book from the school library. You can't imagine how many time this webite is mentionned (not necessarrily by name) in acedemic research!

Basically I'm hoping that people have some ideas/personal experiences about what sports are more accepting of men being openly gay, and those which are not. I am just looking for a list of sports, so there are no worries about confidentiality issues.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Well I played college baseball in the SEC and am now in professional baseball... ST right now, hoping to make my teams ML roster but might be starting out at AA or AAA baseball. I can tell you from playing in the SEC that a lot of guys in that conference would definitely NOT be accepting of an openly gay baseball player just from things I heard. Baseball, be it collegiate or professional, is not an accepting sport for openly gay players. I had a hell of a time meeting guys to hook up with too because I was a pretty prominent player in the SEC and had to be very careful about my liason's. Luckily for me a lot of gay guys where I went to school at didnt know much of anything about sports and didnt have a real good idea of who I was. Guys in baseball are still concerned about being "looked at" or having passes made at them if there were a gay player on their team, little do they know I'd say most teams probably have at least one bi guy if not gay. When I was in highschool I played baseball and wrestled, the guys on the wrestling team were much more nonchalant about whether a dude was gay or not but even in HS the guys on the baseball team would not have liked it. Wrestlers I think just dont give a $hit because they are rolling around in close contact with another guy and when nature takes it course guys just tend to get hard and its not big deal. Thus I think wrestlers dont care.
Now, as for my experiences in professional baseball which are brief to this point. I played some rookie league ball for the last half of the season in 2008 and am in ST now. Professional ball players I think at the major leagues would likely still have a big problem with a gay teammate but I dont think its as bad as it used to be. A lot of guys just say to each his own pretty much, plus a lot of the younger guys just dont really seem to care. I do think as the game at the big leagues gets younger the overall attitude may change but you are also always going to have guys that have never been exposed to a gay guy that will have huge problems with it... and guys from the South likely too. Going to school in the South (HS in the midwest) you learn that religion is a big part of a lot of dude's lives and that has an aspect of not accepting gays as well.
I suspect that the sports most accepting of gay guys would be the standards like swimming, tennis, and gymnastics perhaps soccer. But as for the big ones like football, baseball, and basketball its gonna take some time. I do know for a fact there are gay guys in professional baseball and collegiate baseball though they have to be in the closet with the way the game is now. Sorry for the long post.

Hi, great response. I cross-posted this on our blog. The blog allows non-registered people to comment, so it could increase the response to the question.

For Justin Jock:
Did you ever know of another player who knew was gay? Did any of your teammates ever know about you?

I did Rowing (crew for Americans) at a major Canadian school, and made as far in the sport as the point where I was at national team trials. Unfortunately I never did get the courage to come out while active (I retired this last year).

My general impression of the sport is that it is fairly accepting, definitely more so than most. With regard to my specific situation it was not the athletes, rather the coach, whose reaction concerned me. This trepidation arose partially from some decidedly negative comments concerning the participation of a GLRF (gay and lesbian rowing federation) booth at an off-season regatta and partially from his reaction to an "out" coxswain for the woman's team. It wasn't so much that I thought I would be cut, face any sort of abuse, or anything like that. I was just unwilling to have any aspect other than my performance color my coach's opinion of me, especially when it was clear that he viewed homosexuality in a somewhat negative light. Whether or not it would have made a difference is another story... ultimately it was a risk that I was unwilling to take. Except for a couple of team mates, both of whom I trust unconditionally, no one knew.

As far as my perception goes, it seems that the old-world sports which were generally associated with the middle and upper classes, such as Rugby, Crew, Tennis and maybe cricket (although I really know nothing about cricket) are more accepting. On the other hand those associated with the masses such as soccer seem less so. Being a history major, I actually ended up doing quite a bit of research on sport, the english public school system and the construction of masculinity and one of the really interesting things here is how class pervaded -and still does to this day- all levels of the discussion... this might be getting off topic, though, so I digress.

With regard to "North American sports", I really don't have anything to go on other than gut feeling. I have heard that hockey is most accepting, I believe there was some poll to this extent, but I really can't base that off any experience of my own. I did play Football in Highschool, though and I can tell you for certain that it was an extremely homophobic environment. Soccer in North America seemed fairly open when I played, but in this case I think that the participating North American demographic and general cultural attitude toward that sport are significantly different than in Europe or South/Latin America.

Anyway hope that helped.

I'm a college athlete, what is it you want exactly?

Thanks everyone for the replys. A lot of what was said is congruent with the research litterature i have found.

DJ-Jim's Friend - I just want to know if you have heard, know of or experienced certain sports being more accepting of gay men.

I also would like to know if there were factors that helped or hindered your coming out in sport. Dan85 mentionned his coach, Justin Jock mentionned his teammates, social classes and religious view but were there other factor as well?

Thanks Jim, for posting this on the blog. I appreciate the extra exposure.

I have found that 2 sports that i have been involved with were football and wrestling, yes some will make fun of you but most will never talk about you life outside of that sport and just leave you be. You must also be a good athlete to them as well for the most part i found when i was hurt many just called me a bitch but when i was knocking heads they ust let me do my thing and go with it!

I can't speak to how acceptance would play out in the locker room or playing field. But I can speak to how student/athletes react in the classroom, particularly baseball and football players. There is a general unease to discuss homosexuality. Every semester I get a group of either baseball or football players in one course. The students read a novel where there are homosexual undertones between the protagonists. In discussing the novel and other issues that touch upon sexuality, there is a general level of unease among them, especially if they have not picked up on it. And I'll get a snide comment or two from one or more players to which the other jocks will laugh or titter. Yet on the other hand, in papers I can get rather sensitive commentary on the same themes. What may be at work here is a group mentality, where the individual does not want to stand out from the group, i.e. a "Hey, I'm just as hetero as you guys!" type response. But on an individual level, the student appears much more accepting or more sensitive to gays. And I don't think that what's at work here is writing what you believe the professor wants to read. Going back to class discussions, there are times that I can tell that individual student/athletes appear sensitive to gay issues, but there's pressure not to behave as too different from the group. I haven't seen the same responses from the women in my classes who are student/athletes. There's not that tremendous pressure to conform to the group as there is among the male student/athletes.

Bear in mind, my observations are purely anecdotal.

Make sure you proofread the final version of your paper for spelling errors.

Back when I played football and lacrosse in high school, I wouldn't have even considered coming out of the closet. I did everything I could to keep myself off the radar.

Now that I play club/collegiate lacrosse, I am out yet I'm not terribly open about my sexuality. That doesnt mean I'm hiding my sexuality from people, but it's not a topic I bring up. My teammates know I'm gay, but the topic hasn't been one that's really come up much. Frankly, I have zero problem with that... regardless of whether it's their discomfort or simply acceptance.

I don't want my sexuality to define me as a person or an athlete.

I ran into one teammate at a bookstore or boothroom whatever you want to call it once. He was one I suspected was at least bi, we had a gentleman's agreement to not say anything about the other and we kept that agreement. I know there were a few gay guys on the college wrestling team and swim team. I did not wrestle or swim in college. Did my teammates, other than the one, know about me? Absolutely not, I know a handful of them would have done all kinds of bad things to me had they known but on the other hand I was an outstanding player and always put up the stats so maybe it wouldnt have been an issue. I was not willing to ever declare my sexuality because of the prominence I had, in that I knew I had a high likelyhood of getting drafted by a ML Baseball team and I did last year and pretty high in the draft too.

I could never, now, consider coming out because it would jeopardize my career big time and my potential to be a star ML player. If, ever, I feel like I have the stature to stay in the game and put up big numbers year in and year out and I think my teammates are cool about it then maybe I will but I doubt it. The game of baseball as I know it still has a long way to go. Hell you cant even be in the military and be openly gay and they are probably the most macho of any organization out there, wait for them to accept us then I think it will be easier.

The military knows people are gay they just dont want to know about it and they really arent supposed to ask you if your str8 most ask if your married cause you get more money but other than that not much is to be said. Plus i hear the military will soon have to take out Dont ask dont tell soon anyway!

First let me be unequivocal about the fact that I was not out to the team at large, nor would I consider myself to be completely out now, although there are certainly a lot more people who know since I quit.

The two indaviduals I did end up telling I told because they were the sort of people who didn't care at all about the "group mentality", had the guts to speak their mind without caring about being labeled, and were just really secure with their own and others' sexualities.

If I am being completely honest, though, part of my hesitance to come out, especially in my early days in the sport, probably had a lot to do with the fact that I wasn't personally very comfortable with my sexuality. This was due to a host of factors, but most prominent among them was my peer group in high school and my lack of exposure to any other gay males.

Hey Justin:
Appreciate your answer. Sports is actually way behind the military. There are dozens of openly gay service members known by their peers despite "Don't Ask." Many have testified in public at the risk to their careers. We're still waiting for an out pro jock in a team sport to come out.

I would say tennis, golf or any other passive sports are pretty accepting of gays and bisexuals.


However, in a field of say swimming, water polo, soccer (West Coast US) it seems that there is much homophobia.

Let's take a look at this, shall we?

Swimming: The guys or girls for that matter are in tight swimsuits. Usually traditional Speedos or Jammers. It goes without saying that it could be seen as a very accepting sport, but in the lower ranks such as high school you can forget coming out and not being scorned no matter your performance.

Water Polo: Same thing as above, however with players being in the water and close together most of the time, it's safe to say there would be more homophobia for guy's water polo. Here's why, considering my partner takes part in this sport and swimming, I've been told that many of the guys will grab to pain another opposing player in either the testicles, kick them there or grab them with one hand and try to force them under the water. This falls into the "Give me a 1 foot space radius around me so I feel comfortable gig".

These two above sports are accepting in college as seen by some articles. However, I would not go as far as saying all colleges. I mean, not every gay player will strike gold or black oil. And I'm not talking about semen.

Soccer: I've had experience this for nearly 16 years. There's a lot of homophobia in it, least from what I've heard. However, there also seems to be a lot of gay guys or bi guys or even the good old fashioned curious guys. Let's just say in high school I heard things in the locker rooms that I found weird at the time.

I'm a first year at a California university, so I expected that homophobia or something I like to call fake homophobia doesn't exist. I classify fake homophobia as something that is said to make one seem tough. Though I got the real gist of it months ago when I heard the worst epithets I could have from my team's captain and some others. When confronted about what was said, he said he was serious about what he'd do to a gay person if he came across one on the team or life for that matter. Sadly, I wish it wasn't like this. Personally I feel myself to be in a bitch of a situation.

I mean, if you're own team will hurt you pending on what they've said whether they were playing with your mind to seem tough, you know you can't be 100% sure without coming out. Although if it means not getting hurt or the equal chance you will get hurt, what will you do? You won't come out. Easy as that, then you've got no where to turn to and you feel miserable. Despite the fact you've got someone, many friends or even your own parents to talk to, but you'd rather not bring them into something so f**king horrible and vile it makes you sick to your stomach. That's as much as I can say without throwing my computer out the window because I'm just pissed off about all this.

After that I'm hesitant to post something I've been thinking about since I first saw this thread. I've decided that facing "facts" though is better than risking the dangers of avoiding them.

Ironically what this puts me in mind of has to do with a work of fiction, that may help some get back to reality: the highest function of fiction perhaps - and how I justify recommending this if you have not read it.

I am currently re-reading mick bower's football seasons (the bold [emphasis] and italics [de-emphasis] captures the tortured relationship the biographical-sounding main character has with this sport we call soccer in the USA) . Though it is a poor Brits tragedy worthy of Shakespeare cum Dickens, it is in essence a cautionary tale of the kind of interior war that is waged inside the closet. From the excerpt: sums up the self-deception.

I will check the local Barnes and Noble for that book, SIN. I know I'm not the only guy out there and I'm pretty confident that there's other guys regardless of the sport that are in the same situation. I guess I'm just more cynical about it considering this IS California, although that doesn't mean a damn thing anymore.

I can only be happy for so long of a period of time. Sometimes I'll just crash and end up drinking a bit or working out till I tire myself out or just sleep everything off.

You can only do it for so long before you degrade mentally and physically out of all the stress. I'm literally living 3 lives here. I'm getting tired of all this bullshit.

I guess I'm a little reluctant to answer. Part of that I suppose is habit, years of keeping quiet, staying focused and not really asking the tough questions about that which you love.

I played hockey in the Minnesota High School system, then on to Div1, then tried my hand in the minors for a few years. But its been the better part of ten years since I walked away (at least from the more elite levels, I now coach youth hockey in my spare time).

As for your answer, let me start with the sport I know best and love. Please remember that it has been a while and perhaps things have begun to change, but I'm not holding my breath. From my experience, I'd say hockey is a very complicated sport. At first glance, one may say that due to the so-called hyper-masculine aura surrounding the sport and its blue collar origins that it would be extremely unwelcoming. Overall, I'd say that is too simplistic.

First, remember that hockey is a violent sport, and I'm not talking fighting. If you've never played the real game, you have no idea how hard it is on you physically. As a result, your teammates have to be there for you to help protect you. This works the trust angle. If you can't trust your teammates to be there for you, you can't play as effectively and frankly, you are just as likely to end up leaving the game in a horizontal sate as a vertical one.

The trust issue works two ways in this matter. It bonds the team together so that we are there for each other, no matter the circumstances. It is sort of the law of the pack and it works internally as well as externally. We will protect each other from external threats, but also from internal ones. if you have ever betrayed that trust you will end up in some deep trouble. I've seen it run from something as simple as letting opposing players run him, to as harsh as several of us brutally assaulting him. It is a double edged sword. In the openly gay angle, if a guy were to come out once he was a member of the team, it could go either way, depending on the dominant personalities on the team. If he was a well respected member of the team who did everything he could to ensure wins and the dominant personalities on the team understood that, everything might go okay. There would be a lot of discomfort at first. But I think in the long term it could work out. The gay player would have shown his value on the ice and would have already been accepted. The gay revelation would be an obstacle, but I think they could work it out. On the other hand if the dominant personalities regarded his revelation as a breach of trust, things would obviously go very badly. He would be perceived has having duped the team. (This is why if I were to give any advice, I'd suggest that players, if they are going to come out, do it when they join the team, not after he has been portraying himself as straight. However, there is the risk that since trust hasn't been established yet that the team has less of an incentive to accept him. While this is a risk, in my opinion it is better than risking being perceived as having breached trust.

Next, I would like to point out that the question is phrased from a sociological point of view. What sports would be more accepting? Here's the problem. While each sport has its own culture, and those cultures may or may not be accepting, each sport is made up of individuals. This is not a collective decision. Whether or not you accept a homosexual on your team is a personal decision. Certainly it will be influenced by one's teammates, but the decision whether or not to accept is initially localized to those people who surround that gay player. I'm certainly no researcher, but that might be my focus. What kind of man plays hockey or baseball, or North American football, or soccer, or wrestles, or whatever. What is inside his head? I will tell you straight (so to speak) out that a hockey player is a very different animal from a football player or a basketball player. We all come from different backgrounds and those backgrounds influence our own prejudices.

From a cultural perspective, hockey has always been a supportive environment amongst the players. Let me give an example that I know of. Let's use the Mike Danton case and let's put aside the gay angle (which I think was overstated). During his hearings for conspiring to commit murder, several members of the team showed up to the courtroom and while they didn't defend him, some were still there, even with the press all over the place. Even though he was a recent addition to the team, and he had been accused of some of the worst crimes on the books, some of his teammates were still there for him. That makes me hopeful. Could a guy coming out of the closet be regarded worse by his teammates than an attempted murderer. I hope not. I've also seen a great deal of support for teammates with substance abuse issues. I for one have gone way out of my way on road trips to make sure that certain members of the team were not tempted. many times we took turns keeping an eye on them. In my opinion it says something very important when a young guy turns down an offer to have wild passionate sex or drunken debauchery (not two entirely unrelated concepts) to babysit another member of the team. And that is a fairly common thing. Perhaps that says something about the men who play hockey that there are so many substance abusers, but that's a topic for another day, that I'll happily drop like a hot potato. We seem to go pretty far for substance abusers, would we go even half that far for a gay teammate.

From another cultural perspective, one has to remember that hockey players also tend to come from areas that are somewhat more open and tolerant about gay issues. The vast majority come from Canada (which is somewhat tolerant) Scandinavia (about as tolerant as you get), Central Europe (about as tolerant as Canada, perhaps a touch less), the northern Midwest (MN, MI, WI), and New England (mostly the Boston metro area). In my opinion that's about as likely as your are going to get in the major sports to recruit tolerant people. But the key is "more likely to be tolerant", not actually more tolerant.

I wish I could give you some insights into other sports but my experience as been very limited to those, and my thoughts would be extremely speculative.

Well, there's my long winded thoughts on the subject. Good luck on the project.

DJ, obviously I don't know you're personal situation but it seems to me--correct me if I'm wrong--that your frustration comes out of not being out, no? If so, I can only give you advice related to my own experience. Right b4 I came out I was at my wits' end in terms of what to do about my sexuality &/or coming out. In the end, I basically realized that I had two choices: 1) Stay in the closet, live a lie, & live the rest of my life in misery or 2) Come out & live my life honestly, openly, & free from misery. Well guess what route I took! I know it's hard to come out but in the end, when you do, the relief is nothing short of being ecstatically high.

One thing I do not like to hear is my young glbt brothers & sisters struggle over such an issue. And always remember, there are many organizations that can assist you w/ coming out & any other issues that worry, frustrate, or depress you. One of my philosophies in life is this: Every problem has a solution.

Good luck to you kiddo. Keep us posted.

Hey Tiger, I saw your long post only a few days ago but was a tad too busy to read it. I've finally gotten a chance to read it and will comment.

While reading the first few paragraphs, I suspected your post was aimed for me as well as the OP. I'll agree with everything you said. I've often wondered while working out if I should have said something earlier this year or wait until I make a name for myself. In the first few weeks of getting to know my new teammates, they invited me to parties and such. Mostly because I kept a positive attitude no matter how difficult or "lame" the situation. I've since declined a few invitations for several reasons. I often don't have time to go here and there, sometimes I just can't stand the group and other times I just time to myself.

Going over the situation of what I personally heard and the reassurance, I often ask myself whether that was all said for show or was it real. The issue is suspect for questioning, and I question that issue. Other than friends, my high school team was like another family. I don't feel like I'm part of a family now. Maybe the adopted child of that family, except he's normal on the outside but thinks differently these days on the inside. I caution myself on using normal and abnormal to describe myself and homosexuality in general. It just sounds like I'm trying to say homosexuality is an abnormality, it isn't.

Somewhat, I guess. It's been exactly 1 year 2 days ago when I sat down and started questioning myself. In November 2007 I broke up with my last girlfriend that I would ever have (wish I didn't have to say that). Spent the best 2 years of my life with her. I still love her to death, like a sister now. Except I've slept with her countless times.

I wasn't depressed about the situation but after a while I started to feel the alone feeling humans get. Which is seen throughout the animal kingdom as well. Err, let's get back to my life and not Timon and Pumba here. I guess the free time allowed me to reflect back on my life and question the thoughts I would have for a while. I don't necessarily want to get in it not that it's annoying to do so for me, but this post will end up being over 2 pages long in doing so.

As of this day, I haven't had to tell a single person who I was, I think the partner is pretty self-explanatory there, hopefully. *shakes head* It's been either by me being outed by some filth I regarded as a close friend who just happened to be a girl (learned the errors of my way the first time!) who told all my friends, her friends and god knows who else. A large majority disregarded her rumor as a lie perpetuated to ruin what I had created for myself. A honest, hard working, handsome (dare I say), intelligent and funny guy. I pretty much wanted to detach her head from her body at one point. I don't know whether it's the fact I was caught by my parents red handed or his parents, I'm just not sure anymore. The whole experience for me or in general any teenager or parents or consenting adult brings in a lot of psychological barriers and future issues. I'll keep it short to that as I don't want to take up the OP's topic.


You're right in saying that there's a solution to every problem out there. I think it was Hitler who made that statement famous. Scary indeed, brilliant man, but a horrible outlook on society. I made a promise myself so long ago I barely remember what is was. It was about helping others who would possibly one day be in my position. However, my current outlook on society in general disregarding homosexuality or sports for the moment gives me a poor vision of the US and the world in general. As humans have advanced, more negativity has been cast by us all. No one is perfect, I sure as hell am not.

Hmmm! Maybe cuz I'm about twice your age, but I think the opposite is true. The fact that famous sports figures such as Charles Barkley & Magic Johnson have publicly stated that they support gay marriage makes me think that we've come a long way, albeit @ a turtle's pace. Also, the fact that Cyd is a welcomed sports commentator on ESPN radio, plus the fact that more athletes are coming out (ie Purdue swimmer on this site) gives me hope & makes me happy & proud. My God, when one considers that our major national papers like the LA & NY Times have no qualms about discussing & supporting gay athletes is progress in my eyes. Yeah, sure, we'd all like for sports figures, and the arenas in which they play in, to be 100% accepting. I have hope that that day is coming soon. It may not necessarily be 100% support, but certainly a majority would suit me fine. Probably in the next 10-20 years.

Great points.

I told Jim once I had heard of Cyd's last name somewhere, but I keep thinking back to Trucks! on ManTV. I think that's what it's still called.

That Purdue swimmer has been out for a while now. I read his article many months ago. I do know from personal contact there is an out athlete that I can relate to very well who is doing his article for OutSports.com. I won't give details since I don't want to spoil it for y'all, but he's a really awesome person. Even though we've had limited contact.

I agree. I believe I used a 2005 ESPN poll for a report I did on perception of people in the media for class back in October or November, I forget which.

In just 8 years we've come a very long way. I really commend every guy and gal who has come out to their teams. It takes an immense amount of self-confidence and pure guts to do something like that. If someone put a gun to my head come Monday and ask me whether I want to keep my life and tell friends at school or teammates or die, I would honestly choose the 2nd option. It's just too scary of a world for me right now. I've been betrayed enough and I'm just dealing with everything at a slow steady pace.

I told Jim when I first contacted him I often read the forums and I was literally floored when I read that some guys here who are in their mid 20's and 30's have come out to their club teams or other coaches and or athletes here. There's having balls to do something and then there's balls to do something and not be worried about the outcome.

I just hope progression makes a notable effect on the US. BTW, your posts actually cheered me up. Been having a miserable few weeks due to something else other than this. So thanks!

Yeah, take it @ your own pace...You'll know when & if the timing is right.



Awwww-shucks! I'm glad to hear that.

No problem.

BTW, your signature reminded me of that movie called "Idiocracy". It's a cheaply made movie but it shows what lack of education will do to society in the very far future.

You are prophetically visioned my friend!

Piggy-backing off of this, lacrosse is an incredibly tight-knit community, everyone knows each other, and when you meet another laxer you can immediately talk like you've known each other for years and have a common bond... I think that is part of why (at least for me) it has also been an incredibly accepting community. Obviously the fact that the sport has strong roots on the socially liberal East Coast and New England helps too. Not only have I never had anyone take issue with my sexuality, but people have been more than accepting... and I would have absolutely no idea how to react if someone did have an issue... and this is at all levels. The kids I coach, their parents, my teammates, my friends at the elite levels of the sport, etc. I've had good friends want to set me up with this or that and they (and me, to be honest) sometimes forget I'm gay because I am one of the boys. Anyways, that's my two cents on my sport.

Holy Shit, you're Andrew Goldstein?

No

To sum it all up, primarily all sports require a jock strap which truly offers no real support or purpose for that matter. In most cases, worn by a hot guy, it looks great. I'd say, quasi-homoerotica is accepted in all sports. It's a "Don't ask, kind of tell and if you can tell, you lucky horndog!". By the way, golf is not a sport. Playing golf in a jock strap is not sexy.

I sure don't have any magic answers. If i did, I would have come out to my teams. But I don't have that answer so I didn't. All I can say is that you just need to figure out who you are (not all that easy at your age) and be loyal to that. As for me, when I was in college I discovered I was not straight, but even more importantly, I discovered that I was not a guy who just like to play hockey. I was a hockey player, and that was a heck of a lot more important to me than my sexuality. That may not be true of you and that's okay, but just like only you can figure out your own sexuality, only you can figure out who you really are. Once you figure that out life gets easier, but still not easy.

I understand what you were trying to say about abnormality and your team and such. Right or wrong homosexuality is perceived as being an abnormal thing within the sports world. Thus homosexuals living within it can very much feel left out, feeling alone, and sometimes even very afraid. As I said earlier I wish I had a good asnwer for you.

Sports have always been at once hyper-masculine and quasi homoerotic. This was the topic of my thesis for graduating seminar class. It remains as true now as it did in the 1860s- conveniently the same period as when organized sport was first purported to be a cure for homosexual tendencies.

I slightly understand it. It can take anywhere from a few weeks to years to fully understand that about one's self. Sometimes I'll wake up in the morning and think the last year has been a bad dream, but it really hasn't. It's become reality. And I'll be a bit sleepy headed and look at myself and say "Wait, your bisexual/gay?"

As homophobia exists in sports, there's also gay friendly. People don't really realize that there are probably hundreds of closeted pro athletes but are living a live of misery.

I play in college, and after thinking about my post you quoted the day I posted it, I wondered about how many gay players I came across in high school from any sport. The subject matter is very controversial and extremely interesting.



It may be just me, but I can find homoerotics in every sport.

I just wanted to thank everyone for sharing their stories with me. Our presentation was on Monday night and my class-mate and I got 87% The prof was impressed with the real life examples we were able to talk about. I also did a little website promotion because there are a few people in my class who I know are openly gay. I'm sure they will be online soon enough.


Thanks again to everyone, I really appreciate the help!

I'm glad to turned out well. Best of luck to you

That first paragraph sure brought back memories for me. Add a tad (not a ton) of self-loathing, a dash of anger, and that was me. Ultimately you'll just have to work your way through it. If I were to provide you with any advice I'd say, "Embrace your bisexuality/homosexuality. Don't be afraid of it. Don't resent it. Don't blame it." I'm not saying that you should come out or that you should become a male slut or anything. A significant part of sports goes on in your head and the more of that crap is floating through your head the less you will be able to focus and your performance will suffer. All that being bi or gay means is that, to a greater or lesser extent, you are into guys. That's it. All the rest of it is BS.

I agree there are probably tons of closeted athletes out there.

Heck, back in HS I didn't even have a clue yet that I wasn't straight LOL.