Gay Athletes in Sports

Over the years, the idea of a gay person in sports has been a touchy topic. More recently, in high school and college specifically, there have been more cases of athletes coming out to their teammates. There have been positive and negative cases in doing so. Corey Johnson is an example of an athlete - specifically a co-captain of his football team in Massachusetts - that found support from his teammates, parents, and coaches.

We discussed in class that high school and college teams are much different than a professional team. College, especially, it can be seen as more of an acceptable place to come out because people are usually more open to the idea. Professional leagues have been known for being homophobic, in a way. In the video we watched, a professional football player stated that being called gay, fag, or homo is the worst thing a teammate can say about you. He said that he would much rather have teammates talk about him getting arrested with cocaine than them to say he is a homosexual.

Because of this fact, gay athletes in sports feel unsafe - and rightfully so - coming out to teammates. Athletes in the NFL, MLB, and NBA have come out following their retirement, but there has never been an openly gay athlete that has came out during his career. I agree with the idea that there would need to be a Jackie Robinson-esque player to come out for it to be acceptable. First of all, the athlete needs to be elite, and a dominant force in their sport. Secondly, the athlete must be willing to take punishment, abuse and all that comes for a "first generation" person if-you-will. Just like Jackie Robinson being abused for being the first big-name black athlete in the MLB, the athlete must be willing to put up with a lot to be the first gay athlete in a professional league.