Silver Linings in Trea Turner Tweet Tempest

A local favorite, Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner, became the third MLB player since the MLB All-Star game to have had racist, homophobic and/or misogynous tweets that were posted 6 or 7 years ago unearthed.

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Josh Hader’s offensive tweets surfaced after that game. Atlanta Braves pitcher Sean Newcomb, who was one strike away from a no-hitter on July 29, was forced to deal with his written artistry immediately following the game.  Then Trea Turner’s tweets appeared hours later.  All three players are either 24 or 25 and all wrote their controversial social media insults while they were 17 or 18, prior to being in the major leagues.

There’s no excuse.  At that age they should know that homophobic and racist slurs are wrong because undoubtedly they heard or read them while in high school if not before.  For those who think anti-LGBT bullying or bullying of any kind by adolescents are on the wane, think again.

The Washington Post summarized Turner’s tweets as follows:

“Two of Turner’s resurfaced tweets were replies in which acquaintances were called homophobic slurs. In another, the tweet reads “unless ur gay” in a reply to a former North Carolina State teammate. A fourth tweet suggests that if a woman working at a drive-through were to ask who the [faggot] in the back of a car was, it would be Turner. A fifth tweet reads, “Once u go black, u gonna need a wheelchair,” a line from the movie “White Chicks.”

(Photo: Patrick McDermott, USA TODAY Sports)

Hader was very contrite in his apology.  Newcomb’s was not as potent an apology though the Braves organization condemned the tweets.  

Turner, with his boyish countenance who still looks like he's at N.C. State during the time when the tweets were posted, issued a statement through the Nationals: 

“There are no excuses for my insensitive and offensive language on Twitter,” Turner said in a statement released by the Nationals. 

“I am sincerely sorry for those tweets and apologize wholeheartedly. I believe people who know me understand those regrettable actions do not reflect my values or who I am. But I understand the hurtful nature of such language and am sorry to have brought any negative light to the Nationals organization, myself or the game I love.”

Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo said in a statement,  “I have spoken with Trea regarding the tweets that surfaced earlier tonight. He understands that his comments — regardless of when they were posted — are inexcusable and is taking full responsibility for his actions. The Nationals organization does not condone discrimination in any form, and his comments do not in any way reflect the values of our club. Trea has been a good teammate and model citizen in our clubhouse, and these comments are not indicative of how he has conducted himself while part of our team. He has apologized to me and to the organization for his comments.”

Hader, who has already met with MLB executive in charge of diversity and former ballplayer Billy Bean who is openly gay, will be required to attend sensitivity training and that will likely be the same for Newcomb and Turner.  Apparently, no other discipline is in order since the offenses occurred prior to their service in MLB.

Turner emotionally apologized to the communities affected in a gathering of the media at National Park on July 31 before a game against the New York Mets. "It's not when I said those things I said, it's that I said them at all," Turner explained. 

Getting the matter off his chest must have been cathartic as he had two singles and two stolen bases in the first inning following his introduction to lukewarm applause from the hometown fans.

There are silver linings to these episodes.  For one thing, the players involved were quick to accept responsibility and apologized and the teams they played for denounced the tweets.  And MLB took action in short order.

Second, public shaming in the form of loud booing was experienced by Hader in his first road appearance in San Francisco (after he received a standing ovation in his hometown stadium, Miller Park.)  The expectation is that the majority of fans will not tolerate such public comments and will let their feelings known.  It sends a strong message to players who covet endorsement deals.

Third, one would think (hope) the players have evolved from their adolescent behavior.  All three made that point. In Turner’s case, he has ironically been part of MLB’s anti-bullying initiative Shred Hate where he appears in a video. 

He can now point to his own mistakes as a credible message to youngsters.

The Lesson from Orlando: We’re Still Targets

It doesn’t matter if Omar Mateen was a terrorist or an ISIS sympathizer.  It doesn’t matter if he was a closeted gay man who decided to lash out against a community that had shunned him, or that he was outraged over seeing two men kissing as his father explained, or his Muslim faith prohibits homosexuality.  It doesn’t matter if he was a deranged psychopath.  

Hopefully, the victims did not die in vain

What does matter, despite the denials by many who aren’t exactly on the side of LGBT people, this heinous act at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fl. on June 12 was directed specifically to harm members of the LGBT community.

And for those who believe that he was instead carrying out an attack in the name of ISIS consider this: Mateen could have gone anywhere to commit mass murder. 

He traveled 125 miles from Port St. Lucie to Orlando.  He could have shot up any nightclub in his home town.  If Orlando had to be a target, he could have shot up any nightclub there or gone to Disneyworld or another tourist attraction to do his deed. 

Instead, he chose this place at this time and this crowd.  He singled out Pulse since he was familiar with the establishment, and as witnesses reported, he had been there multiple times.  The people who patronized Pulse that night were his targets of choice.

For sure, the anti-gay crowd was relieved to learn that Mateen phoned the police during the massacre saying he pledged allegiance to the leader of ISIS.  To them, this rampage was simply an act of terrorism and, of course, President Obama’s perceived weakness and inability to eradicate the murderous terrorist group. 

It was not an attack against LGBT people who were celebrating Latin night at the Pulse during Gay Pride month, they concluded.  The terms “gay” or “LGBT” were scarcely muttered; there was massive denial.

President Obama set the record straight as he and Vice President Biden laid down bouquets at a memorial in Orlando.

“This was an act of terrorism but it was also an act of hate,” the President declared. “This was an attack on the LGBT community.”  He’s correct.

The aftermath of the shootings revealed America’s darkest side especially when it comes to anti-gay fervor.  It suggests to me that based on this hate, Mateen carried out what some homophobes would love to have done if they could get away with it.

It wasn't a backlash from the victories in marriage equality.  Anti-gay governors and legislatures are acting on that already under the guise of “religious freedom.” 

No, the reactions reflected pure hatred.  Some have cheered the massacre.  “Better that he killed the perverts and not the normal people,” said one a-hole on the Internet.

Less extreme are those straight people who snickered at the news and offered up what they think are clever comments about the tragedy.  Some don’t even mention it anymore, if they ever did, and want the story to disappear unless it’s couched in anti-terrorism terms.

Remember when terrorists attacked Paris and all those straight folks covered their Facebook profile pictures with French flags?  You don't see as much Orlando or gay images this time around from these people.

Others are more direct, such as the burning of a rainbow flag this past week outside a Washington, D.C. restaurant can attest.  Or this recent incident in D.C..

We’ve made considerable—almost unimaginable—progress in recent years and more and more people are supportive of LGBT people and our rights.  However, LGBT individuals, especially transgender people of color, are attacked violently or killed with chilling regularity.  Kids are still mercilessly bullied in schools.  

Yes, we made progress in recent years and some positives will come out of this tragedy so that 49 innocent people’s horrific deaths will not be in vain.  Hopefully, common sense gun reform will be among them.

As I told a reporter during a candlelight vigil in Baltimore, “We can have laws on the books to confer LGBT rights.  We cannot legislate attitudes.  This has always been the challenge in civil rights movements.”

Hate still exists.  Gay bars were supposed to be a “safe” space—a sanctuary—for LGBT people to congregate and socialize without judgment or violence.  Not anymore.  The horror in Orlando and the reaction of the anti-gay haters taught us that we’re still targets.