OUT in the Stands



GLoW folks are looking to fill the section next year

The Washington Blade recently devoted a special issue on sports and how they relate to the LGBT community.   It was guest-edited by former Baltimore Ravens linebacker and staunch gay rights advocate Brendon Ayanbadejo.  The effort covered all the bases—literally—and provided excellent insight into how the sports environment is changing in a positive way towards acceptance of LGBT athletes.

Of course, no active gay male athlete has come out in the four major professional team sports—baseball, football, basketball and hockey.  The closest was NBA player Jason Collins, who came out last spring, but he’s a current free agent, and no team has yet to sign him.  Others have come out after they had retired.

The biggest impediment, some theorize, for the reluctance of gay players to come out while still playing is the expected media attention.  I believe that would pose a problem but should vanish in short order as the novelty wears off. 

With most of these pro sports establishing anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies, the feeling is that the athletes would accept a gay teammate.  Some individual players and representatives of management have vocally stated their support for a gay teammate with the point being made, if you can help the team win, that’s all that matters.

Unquestionably, there would be some negative reactions towards a gay player from fans, and it would not matter where it originates, defying conventional wisdom.  For instance, there are plenty of homophobes in New York City and Boston—two liberal strongholds—and solid support for LGBT rights in Atlanta and Dallas of the “red states” category.

Prejudice against a potential openly gay professional athlete is less likely considering there is more general acceptance of LGBT people.  This shift in attitudes, led by the younger generation and an increase in support from minorities, has culminated in significant LGBT political victories especially on the marriage front.  It’s becoming less and less cool to outwardly display homophobia, and the perpetrator will likely be called out on it.

 

Seizing upon this trend, many major league baseball teams have instituted “Nights Out at the Ballpark” events to market to LGBT fans.  Typically, the special night is announced on the stadium’s message board, the national anthem is performed by an LGBT or LGBT-friendly artist(s), and the ceremonial first pitch is tossed by a local representative of the community.

These LGBT events at major league ballparks have taken place over the years in such cities as San Francisco, Boston, Washington, D.C., San Diego, Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, St. Louis and Toronto.  The Los Angeles Dodgers has announced their first “gay night” to take place on September 27 that will feature a special guest performing with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles.

And the Seattle Mariners became the first major league team to fly a Pride flag at a major league stadium this past June. Rebecca Hale, Director of Public Information for the Mariners, told Seattle Out & Proud, “We're a part of this community. Our fans are a reflection of our community. We thought this was an appropriate gesture on a day that is very meaningful to the LGBT community.”

These events are so successful that the Washington Nationals staged two Nights Out this year with each drawing over 2,000 LGBT fans in the group.  But as one of the writers in the Blade sports issue correctly jabbed, Baltimore Orioles LGBT fans are still waiting.

As part of Pride festivities in June and serving as a modest fundraiser, the GLCCB through Facebook quickly assembled a group of about 40 to see the Orioles play the Angels. This was not a team-sanctioned event as far more tickets would need to be sold and more time for planning and publicizing would have to take place.  But it was done well and a good beginning.

Recently, a new Orioles fan page was formed on Facebook called “GLoW Orioles Fans Games Group” (facebook.com/groups/GLoW.OriolesGamesGroup).   It consists of friends—“gay, lesbian, or whoever”—who will get together for various Baltimore Orioles home games throughout the season.  The page was launched by gay activist and Baltimore resident Mike Bernard.

 “The idea for this group was inspired by a get together on July 12 when the Orioles played the Toronto Blue Jays,” Bernard explained. “We had so much fun together that we did not want to leave...and oh, yeah, the Orioles won that night, too.”  Paul D. Sanders from Staten Island, NY encouraged Bernard to start a “gay” Orioles group page, similar to his G-Mets group and other gay team pages.

The first outing after the page was created occurred on September 9 against the Yankees—the only win for the Orioles that series.  Ten from GLoW attended the game.  Though the Orioles’ chances for a 2013 post-season are sputtering, the group’s enthusiasm has not dimmed.  The next GLoW game is September 24 vs. the Blue Jays. 

Nonetheless, it would be great if, say, the GLCCB organizes a team-sanctioned “LGBT Night Out with the Orioles” with high visibility and full ceremonies.  I was told by a representative from the Orioles group tickets office, it would require a minimum of 1,500 tickets sold. 

A tough challenge to be sure.  But it’s high time that Baltimore joins the growing list of cities whose baseball teams hold such events. It doesn’t have to be the GLCCB doing the heavy lifting but they’re in a good position to make it happen. 

Baltimore should showcase its proud LGBT community with its big win on marriage equality as well as its love for sports.  Why not do so at Oriole Park at Camden Yards?

 

Still Plenty of Room on the Bandwagon

Hillary Clinton comes out in support of marriage equality

Momentum for marriage equality is so powerful right now it’s surreal.  Much has happened over the past year in this regard; it’s nearly impossible to chronicle in limited space.  But since March alone, major steps to knock down previously sturdy barriers have taken place.

Most of these developments occurred before, during and after the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on two central cases (Prop 8 and DOMA) that potentially can cover the landscape in rainbows.  How the justices will rule will be determined in June—Pride month no less—and regardless of the outcome, the march towards equality will continue.

What is driving this momentum is a shift in attitudes among Americans regarding marriage equality.  The most recent of these surveys, the NBC/WSJpoll, shows that 53 percent of Americans now support same-sex marriage, which is an uptick of two points since December. Some other polls indicate even greater support.  This is a dramatic sea change over the past ten years.

Though politicians are often slow to follow the attitudes of the electorate (e.g. gun control, immigration reform, etc.), they seem to be jumping on the marriage equality bandwagon rather rapidly.  A couple of weeks prior to the Supreme Court arguments, Senator Rob Portman, a Ohio Republican who was a possible VP candidate on the Romney ticket, became the first GOP senator to publicly support same-sex marriage.  He did so because his son, Will, is gay, which clearly put a family member’s well-being above party dogma. 

“It allowed me to think of this issue from a new perspective, and that’s of a dad who loves his son a lot and wants him to have the same opportunities that his brother and sister would have — to have a relationship like Jane and I have had for over 26 years,” Portman was quoted as saying.

Republican Senator Mark Kirk (IL) swiftly followed suit as did a number of Dems, resulting in 54 senators supporting marriage equality and still counting.  Only three Democrats have not as yet: Sens. Mark Pryor (Ark.), Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Mary Landrieu (La.)—all representing red states.

A little over a week before the Supreme Court proceedings, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also climbed aboard the bandwagon.  In a six-minute video for HRC Clinton said, “LGBT Americans are our colleagues, our teachers, our soldiers, our friends, our loved ones, and they are full and equal citizens and deserve the rights of citizenship. That includes gay marriage.”   Many political pundits saw this as an important step if she decides to run for president in 2016.

Despite the two Republican senators announcing support, the fact that many Republicans submitted friends-of-court briefs to advocate for marriage rights in the Supreme Court arguments, and the party rhetoric saying that the GOP needs to be more inclusive, it is clear their rank-in-file is not ready to approve same-sex marriage.  In that same NBC/WSJ poll, two-thirds of Republicans oppose marriage equality—most of whom are in rural areas.  But the numbers are improving, albeit slower than Democrats and Independents.

The Republican National Committee on April 5 approved a resolution that stated: “The Republican National Committee affirms its support for marriage as the union of one man and one woman, and as the optimum environment in which to raise healthy children for the future of America; and be it further resolved, the Republican National Committee implores the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the sanctity of marriage in its rulings on California’s Proposition 8 and the Federal Defense of Marriage Act.”

This is the trap the GOP officials are falling in: they continue to pander to their rural and shrinking base and ignore the fact younger people including young Evangelicals are supporting same-sex marriage.  The issue most likely will hurt the party in 2016 and beyond as these younger people vote and the older, more conservative voters leave us, resulting in more elected officials jumping on the bandwagon.

Evan Wolfson, President and Founder of Freedom to Marry, commented: “With Republican support for the freedom to marry increasing every day—aided by the journeys of leaders like Senators Mark Kirk and Rob Portman—the RNC is showing itself out of touch with this resolution.”

Aside from marriage there is also some LGBT progress in the world of sports, which is by no means insignificant.  Although those in the sports industry do not make laws, their influence on our culture cannot be overstated.  Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Magic Johnson (who has a gay son) and Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks both said they would welcome a gay player on their team.  A growing number of hockey players as part of the You Can Play Project have also publicly stated their acceptance of a gay teammate should one come out.

Ex-Raven Brendon Ayanbadejo told the Baltimore Sun that he is in discussions with as many as four gay players in the NFL who may come out soon as a group in a coordinated effort to mitigate the pressure that would normally be heaped on one individual under that circumstance.

Though much work in other areas needs to be done, the marriage efforts have been paying dividends as well as a possible improvement in the sports environment.  The bandwagon still has lots of room for those to jump on.  France, for instance, is about a month away from approving same-sex marriage. Bienvenue à bord!

Through His Eyes We See Progress

Yunel Escobar sending the wrong message

It was a costly little joke that Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar played in September when he etched on his eye-black (the black stickers that ballplayers place under their eyes to cut down on glare) in small white letters in Spanish, “Tu ere maracon.”  The English translation is “You’re a faggot.”  However, the glare that resulted was the glare of the media and outrage from a public who believe athletes should be moving beyond homophobic slurs in this day in age.

 Escobar, 29 and a native of Havana, Cuba, apologized for what he said was meant to be “just a joke.”  He explained through a translator, “It was not something I intended to be offensive. It was not anything intended to be directed at anyone in particular.”  He added, “I don't have anything against homosexuals. I have friends who are gay.”  It’s the kind of word that is frequently bandied about in a joking way among Latinos, he explained.

OK.  Contrition displayed, apology accepted.  Sending a strong signal that such “jokes” are not acceptable in Major League Baseball, punishment was meted out.  MLB prohibits derogatory words or symbols on uniforms.  The eye-black falls into that category.

With input from Commissioner Bud Selig and the players union, the Toronto Blue Jays suspended the enigmatic Escobar for three days without pay, and the $92,000 or so in lost salary is to be directed to two LGBT advocacy organizations, GLAAD and You Can Play.  Escobar will also participate in an outreach initiative to help educate society about insensitivity and tolerance to others.

“I consistently say that Baseball is a social institution with important social responsibilities and that I expect those who represent Major League Baseball to act with the kind of respect and sensitivity that the game’s diverse fan base deserves,” Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement.  “Mr. Escobar has admitted that his actions were a mistake and I am hopeful he can use this unfortunate situation as an opportunity to educate himself and others that intolerance has no place in our game or society.”

So what is the significance of a wealthy guy making over $5 million a year to play a boy’s game, acting stupid and forfeiting money he would never miss?  Considerable.  

Whether you like sports or not, whether you feel contemptuous towards overpaid privileged athletes, whether you revile mega-rich greedy owners, one thing is for certain: sports are deeply stitched into the fabric of our culture.  The rapid reaction by the baseball industry to deal with this unfortunate spectacle can be influential in helping to move society’s attitudes towards a more accepting place.  If Escobar’s messaging went unpunished, it would send the signal that it is OK to call people “faggot.”

The swiftness of the punishment in this case was very uplifting and is becoming a common occurrence.  Pro teams and leagues in all sports are finding out that homophobia in a more accepting society is bad for business.  We have seen teams and leagues take disciplinary actions in the wake of homophobic comments by the likes of John Rocker, Jeremy Shockey, Tim Hardaway, Terrell Owens, John Smoltz, Joey Porter and Ozzie Guillen.  These actions varied with the circumstances but there was clarity to them.  With few exceptions, the fans generally supported the team or league.

NBA Commissioner David Stern was particularly strong.  The NBA adopted a non-discrimination policy based on sexual orientation as part of their collective-bargaining agreement with the players’ union.  A message like that is extremely powerful in the macho-centric culture of the locker room.

In Maryland, the recent flap between the Ravens’ Brendon Ayanbadejo’s support for marriage equality and anti-gay state delegate Emmett Burns brought more reason to cheer.  Not only did team officials back the linebacker’s right to express his beliefs but other players in the NFL supported him as well, particularly Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe, another marriage equality advocate.  Dissenting teammates or opponents did not surface at least publicly.

Sports stars are often heroes, especially to children.  They have super-sized influence as a result of their celebrity. That is why corporations dole out big bucks to have athletes extol their products.  As such, homophobic or racial slurs and statements carry weight.  They can shape the attitudes of adults as well as children.  Blue Jays manager John Farrell, referring to the Escobar incident, said, “There is a definite role-model responsibility that some guys might not realize or might not want to take on, but it’s part of being a Major League player.”

In the National Hockey League, the aforementioned You Can Play project promotes safety in the locker rooms and that sports venues should be free from homophobia.  By way of videos, a growing number of players are stating that “if you can play, you can play.”  Athletes should be judged on talent, heart and work ethic, not sexual orientation. Although no gay male professional athlete has come out while active, there is a belief among those studying this issue that such a decision will occur within 10 years. 

The growing acceptance of LGBT folks around the country, the number of “night OUT at the ballpark” events, and the swift reactions to homophobia by sports teams’ management, players and fans demonstrate how progress is trending in the right direction. 

The Puck Starts Here

Washington Capitals fans are in the all-too familiar position of witnessing our beloved team being eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs. But unexpected news during this playoff season has diverted our attention away from the disappointment with the Caps to the quest for marriage equality, particularly in New York State.

Sean Avery, a left wing (hockey position) in his fifth season with the New York Rangers has come out for marriage equality. Avery, a straight, fashion-conscious 31 year-old, has partnered with the Human Rights Campaign to appear in a video for its “New Yorkers for Marriage Equality” campaign. It can be viewed here .

"Sean Avery knows what it means to be a leader - on and off the ice,” said HRC Senior New York Strategist Brian Ellner. “As the first professional athlete in the state to publically support marriage equality, his voice is sure to resonate. Like a majority of New Yorkers, he believes in the freedom of all loving, committed couples to marry."

Sean Avery, however, is one of the most reviled players in the National Hockey League by his peers. He is known as an agitator on the ice whose primary mission is to get under the skin of the opponents. Avery has made some off-color comments that netted him a lengthy suspension, and he has twice led the league in penalty minutes. Fans of other teams despise him even more.

So when a bespectacled Avery, a Canadian, states in the 30-second video, “I treat everyone the way I expect to be treated, and that applies to marriage,” eyebrows were raised. Cynics could rightfully ask, “What does he have to lose? He’s hated anyway.” In the video Avery adds, "Committed couples should be able to marry the person they love. Join me in supporting marriage equality."

In a phone interview with the New York Times, Avery explained, "The places I've played and lived the longest have been in West Hollywood, Calif., when I played for the Los Angeles Kings, and when I moved to New York, I lived in Chelsea for the first four years. I certainly have been surrounded by the gay community. And living in New York and when you live in L.A., you certainly have a lot of gay friends."

Sure, it would be great if some iconic, transcendent figure in the world of professional sports could be a spokesperson for LGBT equality rather than one with a negative image. Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan, Emmett Smith and Cal Ripken, Jr.—widely popular figures—would have more influence, to be sure, as they are heroes and role models. But we must take what we can get in this macho-obsessed, testosterone-laden industry, and Sean Avery should receive applause for this courageous step. [Note that Baltimore Ravens’ Brendan Ayanbadejo spoke out for marriage equality in the Huffington Post and is working with Equality Maryland to advance the cause.]

But in this case, it was the message (marriage equality) that resonated and not necessarily the messenger (Avery). When Todd Reynolds, vice-president of Uptown Hockey, a management group (agent), tweeted that he was “very sad to read Sean Avery's misguided support of same-gender ‘marriage’. Legal or not, it will always be wrong,” hockey fans rallied to Avery’s defense in droves.

Reynolds went on to clarify in subsequent tweets that his comments did not reflect hatred, bigotry or intolerance towards gays; he just believes in the sanctity of marriage. The controversy continued, nonetheless. Canadian sports reporter, Damian Goddard, was fired for his tweet-based support of Reynolds.

I’ve always believed that if a current gay male professional athlete were to come out, hockey would be the most likely sport. There is a higher percentage of Europeans and Canadians in the National Hockey League than any of the other three major pro sports leagues in the U.S. As such, there would probably be less gay hang-ups among players with those backgrounds.

Then you also have the cities where NHL games are played: New York, Montreal, Washington, Toronto, Vancouver, Boston, Atlanta, South Florida, LA, Chicago, etc.— hotbeds for LGBT folks. Public reaction and team management would likely be supportive.

I spoke with a former Washington Capitals player, who is Canadian, and asked him if the NHL would accept an openly gay player. He said that “the players would do the politically correct thing” at least in public. That’s promising.

When Brendan Burke, 21, a former hockey goalie and student manager of the Miami (Ohio) University ice hockey team and son of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke came out as gay in November 2009, there was also a flood of international support by news outlets and fans. Brendan advocated tolerance and spoke out against homophobia in professional sports.

His father, who was also the GM for the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team in Vancouver, issued a statement: “I had a million good reasons to love and admire Brendan. This news didn’t alter any of them… There are gay men in professional hockey. We would be fools to think otherwise. And it’s sad that they feel the need to conceal this. I understand why they do so, however… Since he wishes to blaze this trail, I stand beside him with an axe! I simply could not be more proud of Brendan than I am, and I love him as much as I admire him.” Tragically, young Brendan Burke was killed in a car accident two months later.

Brendan and Brian Burke, Sean Avery, Brendan Ayanbadejo (and most recently Donte Stallworth of the Ravens), the NBA’s Grant Hill, Jared Dudley, and former NBA star Charles Barkley and others deserve a standing ‘O’ for what they have done for gay rights. And other allies like former U. of Maryland wrestler Hudson Taylor, whose organization Athlete Ally is challenging homophobia in sports, will help make gay athletes more likely to come out and advance equality in the process.

www.stevecharing.blogspot.com

Making the Big Play

Baltimore Raven Brendon Ayanbadejo’s support for marriage equality is no small matter.

By Steve Charing

As linebackers in the National Football League go, Brendon Ayanbadejo of the Baltimore Ravens is relatively small. At 6-1, 228 lbs. he is often outsized by his peers. But his heart is big. and he knows how to compete.

Besides being a solid and speedy linebacker, # 51 is also a fixture on the Ravens’ special teams, covering and blocking during kickoffs. His overall defensive prowess in Week 3 of the current NFL season earned the 33 year-old UCLA alum AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Unfortunately, in Week 4 he sustained a season-ending injury.

While he may be considered small by NFL standards, Brendon Ayanbadejo has left a large footprint on lgbt equality. Back in April, Ayanbadejo wrote a 364-word blog on the widely read Huffington Post titled, "Same Sex Marriages: What’s the Big Deal?"

He starts right off by debunking the argument that the opposition to same-sex marriage should be based on religion. "Church and state are supposed to be completely separated when it comes to the rule of law in the United States," he wrote. "So the religious argument that God meant for only man and woman to be together has no bearing here!" As a punctuation mark to this thought, Ayanbadejo added, "We are a secular capitalistic democracy. That's it."

He justified Barack Obama’s lack of support for same-sex marriage by stating, "It seems that Obama felt the need to embrace Christianity more to fit in."

Ayanbadejo chided the stunt pulled off by Britney Spears as an indication of how many heterosexual couples have hurt the institution of marriage. "If Britney Spears can party it up in Vegas with one of her boys and go get married on a whim and annul her marriage the next day, why can't a loving same sex couple tie the knot? How could our society grant more rights to a heterosexual one night stand wedding in Vegas than a gay couple that has been together for 3, 5, 10 years of true love? The divorce rate in America is currently 50%. I am willing to bet that same sex marriages have a higher success rate than heterosexual marriages."

He concluded his blog post with a reflection on the civil rights movement. "Maybe I am a man ahead of my time. However, looking at the former restrictions on human rights in our country starting with slavery, women not being able to vote, blacks being counted as two thirds of a human, segregation, no gays in the military (to list a few) all have gone by the wayside. But now here in 2009 same sex marriages are prohibited. I think we will look back in 10, 20, 30 years and be amazed that gays and lesbians did not have the same rights as everyone else. How did this ever happen in the land of the free and the home of the brave? Are we really free?"

And this much-appreciated support for lgbt equality by Brendon Ayanbadejo did not stop at the Huffington Post. Last month, he appeared with his girlfriend at the new offices of Equality Maryland—right across the street from M&T Bank Stadium—to offer more encouragement during the organization’s welcome reception.

How important is it for a professional football player to stand behind marriage equality? Very. And perhaps it can help open closet doors for some athletes down the road.

Esera Tuaolo was one of three gay NFLers to come out of the closet—after hanging up their pads. All felt they would have been hated by teammates had they chose to disclose their sexual orientation during their playing days. No active professional male athlete has yet to come out.

The main concern for gay athletes appears to be the locker room culture and the potential risks stemming from that culture. There have certainly been a number of anti-gay slurs spewed by athletes of several sports to create an environment where the closet remains shut.

But Brendon Ayanbadejo’s public stance on marriage equality may have opened the door—however slightly—for a gay male athlete to one day feel comfortable enough to extricate himself from the tight closet and be who he really is.

I was hoping to interview Ayanbadejo to see if the climate has improved enough for a gay athlete—football player or not—to come out. If such a player existed on the Ravens, would Ayanbadejo be an enthusiastic supporter of his teammate? Would he stand alone or would his teammates rally behind the player? Or is it best that the player remain in the closet?

But the Ravens PR manager would not allow me to contact Brendon so these questions remain unanswered.

Regardless, Brendon Ayanbadejo plays big on the gridiron, as he has been selected to the Pro Bowl three years in a row. And he plays big off the field. This is an ally we need if we, as a community, are to reach the equality goal line.

http://www.stevecharing.blogspot.com/