So many people are announcing that they are gay or a lesbian these days and because of this, it is no longer something new. It seems that more people are becoming comfortable with their sexuality and they don’t feel the need to hide it. But when a former basketball player announces that he is gay, the world is in shock.
That was the case with John Amaechi who became the first NBA player to publicly announce on Wednesday that he was gay, according to the Associated Press. He also wrote an autobiography, “Man in the Middle” which is scheduled to be released Feb. 14.
But why is the world so surprised that an athlete has announced he is gay? When people think of an athlete, a man in particular, they may imagine a strong, masculine, rough and heterosexual man. But some people might seem to forget that a gay man can still be strong, athletic, masculine and capable of playing a sport.
In the article, it stated how in his book, “Amaechi describes the challenges of being gay in a league where it’s assumed all players are heterosexual.” Just because a man plays a sport does not mean he is not gay. I am quite sure that there are more athletes out there that are gay or lesbians and have not publicly announced it.
I can only imagine that if an athlete continues to play after coming out, his or her teammates might make smirks or anti-gay comments. It might be hard, but athletes who are heterosexual should not be surprised if a fellow athlete comes out.
Philadelphia center Steven Hunter, on the other hand, was surprised to hear that Amaechi was gay.
“As long as he don’t make any advances toward me I’m fine with it,” he said, according to the article. “As long as he comes to play basketball like a man and conducted himself like a good person, I’d be fine with it.” If he does make advances at him, all Hunter will have to do is tell Amaechi he’s not interested. As far as playing “like a man,” gay men can still play like they did before. It does not have to change. I guess the thought of playing with a gay man in a sport where men are supposed to be straight is appalling and unwelcome to many.
Additionally, the article stated how NBA commissioner David Stern said “We have a very diverse league. The question at the NBA is always ‘Have you got game?’ That’s it, end of inquiry.” Let’s say that Amaechi continued to play basketball, despite announcing his sexuality, and his team was playing in the championship game. If he makes the winning shot, do you think his teammates would care at that point that he was gay? I don’t think so.
The article also named the following athletes who announced that they were gay: former NFL running back David Kopay, offensive lineman Roy Simmons, defensive lineman Esera Tuaolo, Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland A’s outfielder Glenn Burke and utility player Billy Bean.
We are in no place to judge. It is important to focus on a person’s ability instead of their sexuality. Many of these professional athletes get paid millions of dollars for their skill, not their sexuality. We do not watch basketball, football, soccer or whatever sport on television because they are heterosexual. We watch them because they use their talent to win.
Starr T. Balmer is a senior journalism major and the editor in chief for the Daily Forty-Niner.