Scared Straight

This is a topic that I may not be able to do complete justice to, but here goes nothing.  The announcement of Jason Collins, NBA player, coming out of the closet hit the newsstands, airwaves, and internet Monday.   It was huge and brave.  Jason Collins is the first professional team sport athlete to admit that he is gay. It was the cover of Sports Illustrated this week.  All the shows have been talking about it.  The players mostly tweeted their support.  There were a few ignorant fools to say or tweet homophobic remarks.  Chris Broussard of ESPN brought God and sin into his comments.  He should be suspended.  He has a right to his opinion, even if I think he's a fool, but to bring God and Jesus into the equation on ESPN....He's not on the 700 Club.  He's on a sports network.  And again, let me say that the Jesus that I have heard about loved all God's children.  

Jason Collins will have a whole new lease on life now that he has accepted this part of himself.  The burden that he lived with all these years is stunning to me.  He is a twin!  His twin brother didn't know.  That is deeply suppressed.  He had a girlfriend/fiancee for 8 years. She had no clue.  What kind of a world are we still living in that imposes self-hate, self-unacceptance, self-compromise?  Why does anyone still care about people's sexual orientation?  I can't believe that it still is such a hot topic among different groupings.  It has been verboten in sports to be openly gay unless, of course, you participate in an individual sport and not a team sport.  Martina Navratilova has been speaking a lot this week. She came out of the closet 30 plus years ago.  It was a little shocking for some, but others didn't care because they didn't have to get near her.  She played tennis.  No showering together.

I always have to laugh at the "macho" men in sports who think that the percentage of gay men in sports would be any different than in the world.  So all these men have been travelling together, rooming together, showering together.  Have we heard of any inappropriate behavior between men?  No. Straight men have this irrational fear that gay men will jump them.  I find that hilarious and narcissistic.  That's not how it works.  It's no different than straight people being attracted to some and not others.  Gay men are not trying to turn anyone gay!  Gay men are not trying to cop a feel in the shower of teammates.  They, wherever they are, are professionals.  They want to be treated with respect.  They want equality in marriage.  They want to love and be loved like everyone else.  

And briefly on the subject of marriage equality, I don't give that one to the President.  I give that ceiling kick to the Vice President. If Joe Biden hadn't declared his thoughts on Meet the Press about gay marriage, I don't think that Obama would've taken it on until he was forced to.  Biden pushed him through.  

So hear, hear to Jason Collins on his liberation. I hope he can now find peace and happiness.  I look forward to the day that we don't have to have anymore "firsts." First black man, first woman, first gay woman, first gay man, first woman President, etc.  That day will come. I just hope I am alive to see it.

Sidebars: In today's New York Post there was a scathing article by Linda Stasi about the all too obvious 3 day try-out of Jenny McCarthy to replace Joy Behar or maybe even Elizabeth Hasselbeck.  I was so happy that Ms. Stasi took her apart.  Jenny McCarthy is controversial but not for good reasons.  She has made outrageous comments about autism and said her son is cured.  Sold millions of books about not vaccinating your child.  She's an idiot and I am always sorry how much airtime she has gotten, giving credence to so many of her medical claims.  She's annoying and if that's the best The View can do, then maybe they should just close up shop. Joy and Elizabeth don't try to be controversial, they just are at times.  NBA playoffs still going on.  Seven more weeks. The Tony nominations came out.  No Bette Midler.  They are crazy.  Sorry nominators, but that was shortsighted.  There were other snubs, but that one was the biggest oversight.  It's May 2nd.  Enjoy the day!

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