Houston Comets start Sheryl
Swoopes became the biggest name in American team sports to
come out of the closet on October 26, 2005. LZ Granderson, a
friend of Outsports, wrote Sheryl's words for ESPN the
Magazine. Here are some
excerpts.
"My
reason for coming out now isn't to be some sort of hero.
It's not something that I want to throw in people's faces.
I'm just at a point in my life where I'm tired of having to
pretend to be somebody I'm not.
"I'm tired
of having to hide my feelings about the person I care about.
About the person I love. Some people might say my coming out
after just winning the MVP Award is heroic, and I understand
that. And I know there are going to be some negative things
said, too. But it doesn't change who I am. I can't help who
I fall in love with. No one can."
"I've been
married, and I have an 8-year-old son. Being with a man was
what I wanted. When I got divorced in 1999, it wasn't
because I'm gay. I'm three years older than my ex-husband,
and I matured a lot faster than he did."
"I'm
content with who I am and who I'm with. Whether people think
that's right, whether they think it's wrong, I don't care.
We shouldn't and can't judge each other. I am a Christian,
and my biggest dilemma is when people start throwing in the
whole religion thing: you're going to hell for this or that.
I think that's the hardest thing for my mom to deal with,
too. She's into the Bible and church, and I'm concerned
about how she's going to deal with her church friends. What
are they going to say? What are they going to do?"
"But I'm
tired of being miserable. Not being free to be who I am, not
being OK with other people knowing who I am -- it has been
miserable. And it hurts. I'm a very affectionate person.
Going out to the movies or dinner, seeing so-called normal
couples show affection in public and knowing that I can't,
that hurts. It's frustrating to keep everything inside and
not be who I want to be. I'm sure life is not going to be
easier for me just because I'm coming out. But at least I'll
be free."
"My biggest
concern is that people are going to look at my homosexuality
and say to little girls -- whether they're white, black,
Hispanic -- that I can't be their role model anymore.
"I don't want that to happen.
Being gay has nothing to do with the three gold medals or
the three MVPs or the four championships I've won. I'm still
the same person. I'm still Sheryl."
"What really irritates me is
when people talk about football, baseball and the NBA, you
don't hear all of this talk about the gay guys playing. But
when you talk about the WNBA, then it becomes an issue.
Sexuality and gender don't change anyone's performance on
the court."
Oct. 26,
2005
List of Out Athletes
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