The movie 'Training Rules' as well with many other articles that talk about the life of an athlete after they come out, do not seem to explain that there is a lot of tolerance for homosexual athletes. Different sports seem to be very hostile towards athletes that are simply staying true to themselves. They do not only have to deal with coaches that are homophobic (as seen in 'Training Rules'), but with teammates that might have a problem with it, and lastly with fans who do not support the LGBT community. In order for gay athletes to be safe I think is more of a cultural thing rather than directly meant for sports. If culturally we accept that homosexuals are just as normal as heterosexuals then we start unconsciously creating a safe environment for athletes who come out. If we as a society that loves sports view sport as what it is, a game, then we would not care about anyone's sexual orientation.
Neira Ortiz-Ruiz
Great post! I really like how you look at the broader aspect of the LGBT community than specifically dealing with sports. I do agree that if society as a whole can accept the LGBT community than it won't be such a big issue in sports. Sometimes we look at sports like it is the end all, when in reality, acceptance is the end all.
ReplyDelete-Benji Delman