Local

By Jim Buzinski
Outsports.com

For sportswriter Ed Gray, Tuesday “was the best day of my life, by far.” 

What made Gray’s day was a column he wrote that appeared on the first page of the Boston Herald’s sports section. It began with two simple words (“I’m out”), yet their simplicity belied a courageous step he had taken, by coming out as a gay man to his readers. His column continued:

“I didn't strike out. I wasn't thrown out. And above all, I wasn't forced out.

“I'm out because I no longer, in good conscience, choose to ignore the unabashed homophobia that is so cavalierly tolerated within the world of sports. I'm out, because the silence of a closeted gay man only serves to give his implicit approval to bigotry. I'm out, because I refuse to continue hiding from the truth that an openly gay man has as much right as a straight man to play sports or report on them.”

Gray’s declaration, 12 days before National Coming Out Day, makes him a rarity in the sports world. While professing that “it shouldn’t be a big deal,” Gray is aware that it really is. The sports world, both among its participants and its observers, remains the final closet in American life.

It’s no surprise that Gray sounded a bit hoarse after a long day of answering media questions, both from the Boston area and nationally. CNN called, as did HBO, NBC and countless others, but Gray was determined to address the issue head on. “A media frenzy is fine,” he said, “but a media circus is not.”

Gray, 55, has been with the Herald for 20 years. His main beat is thoroughbred racing, but he regularly covers the Patriots, Red Sox and college football. He told Outsports he wrote the column because “it was the right time in my life. … Everyone has their own personal journey and it was just my time.” There was no one catalyst for the decision to come out publicly, Gray said, though he felt it important to take on the pervasive homophobia in sports.

“I really don’t want to be silent any more,” the Boston-area native said. “It was really not a hard decision to make.”

In the column, Gray takes on the contention that openly gay people can’t function in the macho sports world. He writes: “In the cases of both a gay athlete and a gay sportswriter, homophobic athletes always come up with the same sorry excuse to justify the perpetuation of prejudice on the basis of sexual orientation -- the locker room.

“What, exactly, does a straight athlete have to fear from a gay teammate or sportswriter? Any man secure in his heterosexuality should not have a care in the world when a gay man is present in the locker room. He is there only to earn a living, not to infiltrate the locker room in a covert operation to ‘convert’ straight athletes. There are infinitely more friendly and healthy environments in which a self-respecting gay man would prefer to explore his sexuality than a locker room full of straight guys. …

“In an effort to justify homophobia, some would claim that an openly gay player would become a distraction that would undermine his team. A media frenzy surely would be created by a player coming out of the closet, but how long would a gay player be such a distraction if all of his teammates rallied around him for the whole world to witness? Professional athletes are role models, and a demonstration of team solidarity would send the profound message: ‘We support our teammate and you should, too.’ ''

While acknowledging that coming out for an active athlete could be difficult, Gray said that no one really know what the reaction would be and says there is a lot of “irrational fear.” He says that everyone, gay and straight, needs to take responsibility for fostering a climate of tolerance, adding that “people are very homophobic in homophobic atmospheres. If people would be held accountable, the issue would disappear very quickly. I truly believe it.”

Gray said the reaction to the column, which he called “the most important piece I’ve done in my life,” has been overwhelmingly positive and that he expects it to be “business as usual” the next time he goes into a locker room. He heaped praise on his colleagues and management at the Herald for being supportive and encouraging.

Gray’s column represents a public coming out, but he said he has been out to some people, including his family. He was reluctant to discuss much about his personal life because “I don’t want my message to be lost. … I don’t want to be perceived as someone trying to get attention. The more I talk about my personal journey, the more it dilutes that.

“I’m just a sportswriter who is gay.”

 Sept. 30, 2003