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Apr. 26, 2005 Confusion reigned in sports media circles in the days following Out Magazine editor Brendan Lemon’s stunning 2001 disclosure that he was having an affair with a major-league baseball player. The same questions were being asked in newsrooms across the country: How should the story be covered? Is a player’s sexuality anyone’s business? How would fans and other athletes treat the player if his name ever became known? I imagine sportswriters debated these same issues in the early 1960s, when boxer Emile Griffith was winning championships and, purportedly, living a double life as a gay professional athlete. Prior to a 1962 championship fight Griffith’s opponent, Benny "Kid" Paret, reportedly referred to Griffith as a "maricon"--which, in Spanish, essentially means "faggot." In the bout that followed, Griffith beat Paret so badly that the latter died from injuries sustained during the fight a few days later. Griffith’s story has been chronicled in a documentary entitled "Ring of Fire," which debuted last week on USA Network. He still denies he is gay. Though flawed, the documentary effectively raises the question of whether sports fans in the U.S.--not to mention the athletes themselves--are ready for an openly a gay athlete in sports. Athletes in individual sports such as Olympic diver Greg Louganis and pro tennis star Martina Navratilova don’t provide an adequate litmus test. Both "came out" as their careers were on the downside, and neither participates in a sport that is particularly popular in this country. In addition, because they play in individual sports, neither raised the issue of locker-room coexistence between gay and straight teammates. Indeed, the issue remains a loaded one for sportswriters seeking change. While "outing" an athlete may ultimately make the concept of gay professional athletes more "real" for the average sports fan, it might also open that athlete to verbal abuse or worse from those in our society who refuse to accept the homosexual lifestyle, much less its incursion into the world of sports. As I was for freelancing for The Village Voice at the time Lemon’s "announcement," I felt obligated to do some digging. The Voice, after all, remains the leading light among this country’s "alternative" media outlets. I had no interest in a witch-hunt; rather, I envisioned the story as an opportunity to bring the issue of gays as professional athletes to forefront. After all, even the most conservative estimates peg the gay population in the U.S. at 10%. Odds are, then, that more than a few professional athletes are gay. Society’s acceptance of this fact, and of these athletes, I felt, was long overdue. Overdue, perhaps, but not forthcoming. So-called "experts" on the business of sports--player agents and team executives--told me that any openly gay player in one of the major men’s professional sports could expect negative response from fans in the short term and the loss of lucrative endorsement deals--and perhaps their jobs--in the long term. After a few phone calls, I had a name. Turns out, as in the days of Griffith, rumor and innuendo continue to swirl in press boxes and locker-rooms across the sports world. Speculation had centered on this particular ballplayer, who definitely fit Lemon’s profile: a mid-level star with an East-Coast team. The next step was to ask him, an unenviable task to be sure. As an individual, the ballplayer had nothing to gain by "coming out" to me. And he had everything to lose. I feared my motives would be misinterpreted. Worse, I feared for the player’s safety and his career. In the end, a long-time friend in the world of sports journalism was the voice of reason. "Let him do it on his own terms. When he’s ready." The question is: Will WE ever be ready? Unfortunately, in that respect, not much has changed since the early 1960s. Indeed, as the Griffith film shows, the fight for gay equality in sports--as in society--continues. ------------ About the author: Brian P. Dunleavy is a New York-based freelance sportswriter. He can be reached at: bpdunleavy@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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