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Gay sports roundup: Pat Griffin, Grandma of the movement; Jason Collins' GLSEN Speech; Sergio Garcia

2013-05-23T17:11:05Z

When we came across this article from The Valley Advocate about our friend, adviser and colleague Pat Griffin, we were thrilled to see her get the recognition she deserved as someone who helped lay the groundwork for all the advances we are making.

It was also wonderful to see Jason Collins give shout-outs to those who came before him in his acceptance speech for the GLSEN Courage Award -- you can watch that video below.

The Valley Advocate: News - Grandma of the Movement
At a national conference focusing on the New Agenda for Women in Sport, held in Washington, D.C. in 1981, Pat Griffin, a speaker from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, took the opportunity to discuss her experience confronting homophobia as a lesbian athlete and coach.

Oklahoma Tornado Caused By Jason Collins Being Gay Claims Westboro Baptist Church
Westboro Baptist Church have said the Oklahoma tornado is God venting his rage because basketball player Jason Collins came out as gay in April. Collins, who played with the NBA's Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards this season, became the first openly gay male athlete in US professional team sports after coming out in April.

Billie Jean King: Tennis star least of her important roles
Billie Jean King was an athlete first. Quickly, she became a champion, many times over. She had a remarkable tennis career.

Baylor's gag order on athletes' sexuality reveals homophobia still prevalent in women's sports | Inside Higher Ed
When Brittney Griner, Baylor University’s star basketball player and one of the most celebrated athletes in the history of the sport, came out publicly as gay last month, she was rather nonchalant about it.

Tours need to suspend Sergio Garcia, change golf's climate - ESPN
The PGA Tour and the European Tour need to do more to create a climate of intolerance for racially insensitive comments. Suspending Sergio Garcia would be a start.

For black activist sprinter, fire burns long after Mexico City Olympics | PressDemocrat.com
Injustice comes in various shapes and sizes. Like gay athletes coming out. Yes, Carlos sees a link because of discrimination but the connection doesn't go much deeper for him. "If a gay man wants to stay in the closet, all he has to do is keep silent and no one will know," Carlos said. "But how do I do that?"

EA Sports used Tim Tebow's name in NCAA Football 10 - SBNation.com
The use of an active college football player's name contradicts the NCAA's statements in the Ed O'Bannon case.

AIDS in the End Zone | HIVPlusMag.com
AIDS in the End Zone is a one-of-a-kind graphic novel. Written by “the young men at the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice in Columbia, South Carolina,” it has the lofty goal of teaching the state’s teens, especially African-American boys, about HIV and AIDS in an engaging format with language they’ll understand.

Jason Collins accepts Courage Award at GLSEN's 2013 Rsepect Awards -- New York (via GLSENvideo)

Giants Pitcher Jeremy Affeldt: I Was Wrong For Being Homophobic

2013-05-22T19:05:33Z

Jeremy Affeldt is a relief pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, but before moving to the Bay Area he was so homophobic than when he came as a visiting player, he would not leave his hotel room except to go to stadiums. Now, he calls the city "unbelievable."

Affeldt writes about his transformation in a new book, ''To Stir a Movement:'' Life, Justice, and Major League Baseball," and talked to the Associated Press:

''I didn't leave my hotel room when we came to play the Giants or A's. I didn't want to go out or see anyone,'' he said. ''There was a profession of being wrong. I've come to that from a deep angle. I'll probably get a lot of flak from the church for it, but I believe I'm right.'' ...

''There's a chapter in there of me coming to San Francisco and being hesitant because I had homophobia, and now I don't,'' he said. ''I see more San Francisco as a city of love and a city of passion and compassion. It's unbelievable this city. To see that and to have my heart change as a city I didn't ever want to come to, to a city that I'm so thankful I'm going to be part of for a long time, it talks about that. For me, it was an awesome deal.''

He attributes his homophobia to his religion and being sheltered growing up in Spokane, Wash. His attitudes started to change, he said, in 2008 while playing in Cincinnati. There, a gay Starbucks employee befriended his son.

'I'm going to look at a group of people who maybe don't share the same views as I do morally but the reality is there is no difference, none,'' he said. ''They're human beings, and I'm going to love on them just as God told me to love all human beings. I'm not going to sit there and worry about all that other garbage. It's a matter of love your neighbor as yourself.''

The book is not just about his homophobia, but it is the part that caught my eye. Affeldt's conversion on the issue of gay people shows once again how being exposed to diversity and having an open mind can change how one views the world. I hope his book is a big success.

Steelers quarterback Landry Jones talks about his religion and gay athletes

2013-05-22T18:58:52Z

When I approached Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Landry Jones for my short interview at the NFLPA Rookie Premiere last week, I noticed two things. First, the guy is approachable. Some athletes have this "don't even THINK about asking me a question that isn't about football or video games" vibe. That's not Jones. He's cool, calm and an open book.

The second thing I noticed was a sentence scribbled on his hand. As my cohort for the day, SB Nation NFL editor Ryan Van Bibber, asked questions about Jones' new home in Pittsburgh and backing up Ben Roethlisberger, I stole glances at the words. I only made out "Philippians" and a couple numbers: He had written a passage from the New Testament on his hand.

The former Oklahoma quarterback is deeply religious. His twitter profile features his handle - LandryJones12 - and this short mission statement: "In everything you do, work as if you are working for the Lord." He recorded a five-minute PSA for the I Am Second campaign, aimed at inspiring people to live for Jesus Christ. And yeah, for his NFLPA Rookie Premiere interviews, he wrote a Bible passage on his hand.

After introducing myself and the topic I wanted to discuss with him, I asked Jones about the perception that Christians and gays cannot get along, and whether that dynamic creates a conflict for the two communities.

"There's not a conflict," Jones said. "People are people and God tells us to love everybody. And so that's what I do."

When he said the words, they felt like a canned line strung together by a handler who'd gotten hold of him to "say the right thing." But as he talked more, it became clear that this young man was opening his heart and mind to me on an issue he felt surprisingly comfortable talking about.

"Now, do I condone what they're doing? No, I don't think it's right," he continued. I could feel the NFLPA folks over my shoulder thinking about the mandatory media firestorm that would envelope Jones once his comments got out.

Except, he took a turn I wasn't expecting.

"But, am I going to go out there and not talk to them? Am I going to go out there and be hateful and mean to them? I think that's ignorant. I think we respect and love everybody. But, there's also a moral standard there for me, and I'm going to take a stand on that. I don't think it's right, but it's their life and I'm not going to go up because someone is gay and be mean or hateful and say terrible things to them. I'm going to treat them like a human being."

Some, of course, will latch onto the first part of Jones' statement about not thinking homosexuality is "right," tar and feather him, and cast him into the lot of the homophobes.

Yet fair-minded people will see the important nuance of what he said: We may not see eye-to-eye on this issue, but that's not going to affect how he treats me. There was no mention of hell. No mention of sin. No comparison to drug use or robbing a bank. Instead, there was a level of respect in his words.

What stood out to me was his use of the word "ignorant." He didn't call gay people or anti-gay people "ignorant." Instead, he directed that label at those who would treat gay people differently from anyone else; I imagine he would use the same word to describe anyone who would treat a Christian differently.

When I shared Jones' comments with former NFL defensive end Esera Tuaolo, himself a devout Pentecostal Christian, he was elated. Finally, he said, another Christian was speaking his language.

"What he's saying is what a Christian should be all about," Tuaolo said. "Every time you hear something from a Christian fundamentalist, it's always negative. And it's amazing to have this young gentleman be so articulate and so smart and say it in a way that I feel like I'm not being judged or hated. I can hear the compassion. He believes what he believes yet he understands we are all children of God. I'm going to pray for him."

I pressed on with Jones, next asking him how his thoughts about homosexuality would play out if he had a gay teammate.

"It doesn't matter if you're gay or if you're straight," Jones said. "If you can play the game of football, you're going to be on a team and you're going to have a job. Just like if you're in a regular business setting. If you can do your job well, you can do your job. You can get paid and earn a living and provide for your family, whatever your family looks like."

That last line stuck in my mind: "Whatever your family looks like." There was something powerful in that. He didn't have to say it, but he did. While he may not personally believe that my relationship with my partner of 10 years is on the up-and-up, that last line was an acknowledgement that his beliefs are irrelevant for my personal life, and I have the right to the family that works for me.

Jones' comments also work for You Can Play co-founder Patrick Burke, who welcomed the rookie quarterback's perspective.

"Is our fight trying to establish what happens to us after we die?" Burke asked, referring to traditional Christian doctrine that says homosexuality leads to hell in the afterlife. "Or is our fight trying to establish what happens to us while we play sports? If your fight is against people who think homosexual sex is immoral, then your fight is against Christianity. Our fight is, 'Hey, we just want people to play football and not be harassed.'"

The beauty of sports is that people of all walks of life must come together to achieve a single common goal. Some are Christian who must accept a gay teammate, and some are gay who must accept a Christian teammate.

"We shouldn't mind people having their own opinion," said Tuaolo, who is You Can Play's special adviser on faith and religion. "That's part of being human and having our own free will, to believe what we want."

When the interview with Jones was finished, the Steelers rookie stuck out his hand, shook mine, and thanked me for my time. He left me with only one request: That I use his comments unedited and in full, as I've done above.

Gay former NFL player Wade Davis, who co-founded the YOU Belong Initiative to encourage LGBT inclusion in youth sports, thought Jones' comments were a welcome revelation.

"Even though he may have some religious beliefs that make him believe the act of homosexuality is wrong, he still understands the ideas of love and respect and acceptance," Davis said. "I also love he didn't talk about tolerance. He was speaking more like, 'hey, I'm going to treat this person with love.' He wasn't saying we're bad people, he was just saying it wasn't for him."

If we're going to open sports for everyone, Jones' willingness to put his personal feelings aside and treat people equally is the kind of perspective we must be willing to hear. Just as we want men like Jones to accept us, we must accept them.

As a lifelong Patriots fan, my only regret now is that one of my new favorite NFL players is a Steeler.

We will have the rest of our NFLPA Rookie Premiere interviews next week.

Gay Sports Roundup: Naked Rowers; Baseball Players In Playgirl: Camp To Turn You Straight; Will Sheridan

2013-05-21T21:45:52Z

Today's roundup of gay sports news has a sexy theme, led by the Warwick University rowers of England, who are raising money for their 2014 naked rowers calendar, whose proceeds go to fight homophobia. It's stripping for a good cause. Says the club in its fund-raising pitch:

Our specific aim this year is to raise money for a new sports-based campaign to combat bullying and raise awareness in schools about prejudice and particularly homophobia.

Also, if 1980s shirtless baseball players are your thing, take in this look back at guys who bared it for Playgirl.

Birmingham: LGBT sports center to be opened by naked charity calendar stars Warwick Rowers - PinkNews.co.uk
Birmingham LGBT has announced that the University of Warwick Boatclub, who stripped to raise money for Ben Cohen's StandUp Foundation, are to open the UK's first dedicated sports training centre for LGBT people.

A Look Back At 1980s Baseball Players Posing For Playgirl
Safe for work, if your workplace permits nearly nude baseball players in tastefully draped towels.

Catholic Priest Hosting Gay "Sports Camp" To Convert Homosexuals Through Athletics / Queerty
The organization, run by Father Paul Check, is planning the 14th year of a weeklong Catholic "sports camp," which will help men to shed their homosexual desires through playing contact sports.

Jason Collins broadens public discussion of gay athletes - ESPN
Jason Collins is broadening the conversation about gay athletes, and that's a great thing, says Will Sheridan, who came out publicly after his playing days at Villanova.

Coaches Need To Be Public Allies Of LGBT Athletes

2013-05-21T17:45:48Z

Ever since I was a kid, I have looked up to my coaches as if they could do no wrong. Even in college, after I learned (as most kids do) that my coaches were human too, I wanted to do everything in my power to please my coach. If my track coach told me to run 20 repeats of 200 meters (yes, this was one of our workouts) or wear purple socks on race day, you better believe I would do what she told me.

I listened to every word she said. And (most of the time), I did what she asked me to do. Her word was Gospel.

As coaches, you ask us as athletes to go above and beyond what we think we are capable of doing. Both my high school and college coaches were instrumental to both my athletic and personal development. On our teams, we athletes don’t just learn how to run fast, throw far, or jump higher. Sports teach us values and help us build character. Many of the values that inform my current professional career were values that my coaches taught me as part of being a good teammate – being on time, trying my best, staying patient even when I’m losing, and respecting others.

My high school coach was famous for telling us “Mind, Body, Soul” if she suspected there was something going on behind the scenes. Personal problems or not taking care of our health inevitably impacted how I performed on the track. For instance, there’s nothing more painful or awkward about your first high school breakup and mine happened to be with a girl. If I wasn’t able to come out to my best friends (who were also my teammates), it is very likely I would have quit the team altogether.

If one of my coaches had forced me to stay silent about being bisexual, I am pretty sure this would have crushed me. I’ve had authority figures in my life tell me being LGBT was wrong, but if a coach told me this, I am not sure if I would have been able to recover.

This past weekend, Brittney Griner interviewed with ESPN about the silencing that she experienced on her team about coming out from her coach, Kim Mulkey. "It was more of an unwritten law [to not discuss your sexuality] ... it was just kind of, like, one of those things, you know, just don't do it.” It’s no coincidence that she waited until graduation and her professional career was secured before discussing her coaches. As an athlete, talking bad about your school or coaches is similar to talking bad about your family, which makes it even harder for LGBT athletes to report harassment and silencing that occurs on their teams.

Unfortunately this is not an isolated incident. Even subtle statements by coaches will keep LGBT athletes in the closet. In 2012, a report on LGBT athletes found that one in four lesbian, gay, or bisexual athletes felt pressured to be silent about their sexual orientation.

I personally have met many athletes who tell me they felt forced to be silent. Each week, we share stories on our GO! Athletes blog by LGBT athletes, many of whom were really emotionally impacted by the "unwritten law" of coaches to remain silent. A former water polo player, Nikki, shared with us that although her coach was "someone who I was incredibly close with and admired" she was pressured to be silent when she "made statements about not believing in homosexuality."

I like to assume best intentions and I believe that most coaches are doing what they believe is right for their athletes and their teams. However, I also believe that the old paradigm that “it’s better not to talk about” is not appropriate for our younger generations. We not only want to talk about it (and for you to help us talk about it), we want you to accept us and support us. At the very least, coaches and staff should respect us.

Coaches should know that playing by the old playbook can only work for so long. We evolve, learn more about nutrition, proper equipment, and performance techniques. It’s no surprise that we can also improve in how we learn to treat each other. Science has proven the detrimental impact of being closeted and has proven the benefit of an athlete’s health (mind, body, soul), when he or she is embraced fully, rather than rejected.

Coming out for both athletes and coaches is a personal decision and we are not asking that anyone come out before they are ready. We are asking you to support us, not silence us. We are also asking you to be our allies. You don’t need to be marching in Pride Parades with us, but we are asking you to say something proactively. In the beginning of your team meetings, lay out your ground rules for the year and include “we do not tolerate negative behavior and language based on race, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, ability, and any other type of difference: all athletes are accepted on our team.”

Coaches, you cannot underestimate the power that you have had in our lives.

You have asked us to step our game up and go that extra mile to be better athletes. And now we are asking you: Support us, learn how to make your teams safer, and realize that your words and actions (both positive and negative) can change an athlete’s life forever.

Anna Aagenes is Executive Director of GO! Athletes.

Billy Bean Named Vice Chairman Of Ben Cohen's StandUp Foundation

2013-05-21T14:21:07Z

Former Major League Baseball player Billy Bean, who has been an advocate for LGBT rights in sports since coming out in 1999, has been named vice chairman of the Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation. The group was started by former pro rugby player Ben Cohen to fight homophobia in sports.

The foundation issued this release:

The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation announced that former Major League Baseball player Billy Bean has been named vice-chairman of its board. He will focus on helping professional leagues and athletes at all levels commit themselves to the fairness, equality, dignity and respect that defines true sportsmanship.

The Foundation, founded and chaired by rugby World Cup Champion Ben Cohen, MBE, is the world’s first dedicated to anti-bullying and equality in sports.

"We believe it sends a powerful signal to all athletes and fans to see two highly accomplished professional sports stars, one straight and one gay, join forces to advance the acceptance and inclusion reshaping sports today," said Patrick T. Davis, chief executive officer of StandUp.

Bean played major league baseball from 1987 through 1995. He broke into the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers, and tied a major league record with four hits in his first major league game. He went on to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres. He kept his personal life a secret from the public and the sports world, before coming out as gay in 1999.

"I want people to learn from my pain and journey, not repeat it. My dream is to help end this social epidemic called bullying that so many kids are subjected to each and every day in locker rooms and on playing fields," Bean said. "I believe we are nearing that moment in time when athletes lead the way as role models for fairness once again. I am honored to serve StandUp as vice-chairman to help make that dream a reality."

"Billy has worked tirelessly to dispel the myths and stereotypes that follow LGBT athletes. We can think of no better way to help create understanding, respect and real sportsmanship than from one major league athlete to another. It is at our core, and Billy will extend our work in professional sports," said Cohen.

Podcast: Swimmer Sean Mulroy on being openly gay at USC

2013-05-21T04:33:18Z

Openly gay USC swimmer Sean Mulroy joins the Outsports podcast to talk about being openly gay on his Pac-12 team. Sean isn't afrait to be out, and he's not afraid to be way out there with his team. He talks about introducing his team to weekend brunch and turning said weekend brunch into a "production." He also shares his fascination and admiration for drag queen Sharon Needles, whose face he put on a swimsuit he used for competition.

Listen here: Outsports podcast May 16, 2013

Gay Sports Roundup: Fans Accept Gay Athletes; Glenn Burke Was Out In the 1970s

2013-05-20T04:53:32Z

A roundup of gay sports news finds a new poll on the heels of Jason Collins coming out shows a large majority of fans are fine with an openly gay player -- 87 percent-say their support would not change (77 percent) or would increase (10 percent) if their favorite athlete announced he or she is gay. Just 12 percent say they'd be less likely to support their favorite athlete after learning he or she is gay.

Openly gay athletes supported by most Americans, per poll - baltimoresun.com
New polling data shows a majority of Americans wouldn't care if their favorite athlete were gay.

American soccer star Landon Donovan says league is ready for openly gay player - now | Gay Star News
He and LA Galaxy teammates have been practicing with Robbie Rogers.

Emmitt Smith: "I Don't Know" if NFL's Ready for Openly Gay Player | Dallas Morning News
“It’s still taboo,” Smith said. “I don’t know if the NFL is ready for it or not. I mean, it’s not for me to even say. Bottom line is, you are who you are, do what you do." “The bottom line: Can you block this left tackle? Can you catch this pass? Can you make a tackle when I need you to make a tackle? That’s it.”

Jason Collins' debt to Glenn Burke - ESPN
Rick Reilly recounts the story of baseball's Glenn Burke, who painfully paved the way for Jason Collins as a gay professional athlete more than 30 years ago.

Gay rugby team makes history in Germany
The Berlin Bruisers were crushed in their first game, but Germany's first and only gay rugby team trudged off the pitch buoyant and proud.

OSU helps athletes clear hurdles of locker-room stigma - Toledo Blade
Derrick Anderson planned to reveal in college what he had kept hidden from his classmates in high school. He was gay. Was big-time college football ready for a player to come out? Anderson decided no, and after tearing up his knee late in his sophomore season, he walked away.