Sheryl Swoopes annouces she is lesbian
 

http://sports.espn.go.com/wnba/news/story?id=2203853

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that Swoopes is the most recognizable athlete to come out of the closet. A major leaguer and former NFL player both came out after retiring, but neither had close to the fame of Swoopes.

And we were suprised!!!!!

Oh, wait, no we weren't...

Yay for rugmunchers.

I would say Martina Navratilova is lot more famous Swoopers.

True...I should have amended my statement to say "most famous athlete in a team sport."

Who's surprised?

I understand the reason that this story makes headlines.

But someday we'll be past that. It's too bad we aren't already.

Here's a question for the audience out there; when do you think a major athlete in one of the big four men's sports (baseball, basketball, football or hockey) comes out of the closet? Obviously it would only be a guess, but I'm interested in what people are thinking.

I'll say two years.

I was.

I've always been a Swoopes fan, and I remember how much emphasis the league put on her -- particularly showing her (now ex-) husband on the sidelines with their son, and with the knowledge that the character in "Love and Basketball" was loosely based on Swoopes.

The WNBA has a terrible record with how it treats lesbian players. Heck, all women's professional sports have a pretty shabby record, but the WNBA just stands out. A former LA Sparks player was accused of sexual assault against another woman, and she was railroaded out of the league, while Kobe Bryant goes to trial for damn near the same thing and is still allowed to suit up and play with the LA Lakers. Then there's that Penn State Lady Lions coach who dismisses players that she considers "too lesbian" from her team roster. It's shameful.

Swoopes becomes the first openly gay player ever who is still actively participating in a team sport. That took guts for her to do, especially an athlete of her caliber. I don't see any male athletes running to the microphone.

Honestly? I don't think it'll happen that soon - I'm thinking more like 10. Male athletes have a lot more to lose -- lucrative player contracts and endorsement deals in the millions of dollars. Plus, there's the whole macho myth that exists in the culture of male sports. Any gay player in any sport (okay, except for maybe figure skating or tennis) will be considered weak. That person will become a target, and his personal safety may be jeopardized.

Emotionally I can understand why male pro athletes keep quiet. Intellectually it doesn't make sense.

Do you think that has to do with the locker room environment though? I've obviously never been in a women's locker room, but I know men's locker rooms can be pretty intimidating places. Gay jokes can be commonplace, and often times there's the threat of violence if someone in the room is gay.

There's also the thought of what happens when you get out onto the playing field; if you're a quarterback, will someone not block for you? Will someone go for your knees? In baseball, will someone flash their cleats, Ty Cobb-style? In hockey, will a check include a stick to the face? You see my point. There's the perception that coming out in a men's sport could help ruin your career, or worse.

I'm not taking anything away from Swoopes announcement; she's opened herself up to homophobes and the like, and that takes guts, as you said. I'm just saying there may be more severe issues at play when we're talking about men's sports.

i could be wrong, but didnt she have a baby, took off a season and came back? maybe it was someone else.

Nope, you're right. She came back something like two or three weeks after her son was born.

That's why the news was a surprise to me. Not in a "How can Sheryl Swoopes be a lesbian," way, but more in a "Wasn't she married with a child?" way.

*raises hand*

I was suprised. But yay for her doing what she felt was necessary.