AMITA PARIKH and CYRUS CHANG present two opposite answers to the controversial question: “Should homosexual athletes reveal their sexual orientation to their teammates?” in the latest instalment of Which Side Are You On?
In the past few years, the issue of homosexual athletes “coming out” has been brought to the forefront of the sporting world. More have come out in the past two decades than ever before is noteworthy.
While the athletes who have spoken up about their sexual orientation have been praised by many for their courage, there are still those who believe that the sexuality of an athlete has nothing to do with his or her athletic performance and capability. Though there is much room for debate, I believe that athletes who are grappling with their sexuality should tell their teammates and coaches because doing so could benefit everyone in the long run.
Some coaches will tell their athletes to check their personal lives at the door; when they come in for a practice or competition, they should be focused on the event at hand and nothing else. I applaud this attitude because it forces athletes to become real competitors-people who can prevail even under extenuating circumstances.
But I think that a person’s sexual orientation is a fundamental part of who they are. The stress caused by repressing one’s feelings could result in a terrible athletic performance, not to mention strained relations with teammates and coaches.
Yet many athletes stay closeted simply because they fear the reaction from those around them. Rather than risk being ostracized by their fellow teammates, they stay quiet, even if doing so compromises their athletic performance.
In an article about the gay marathon swimmer Diana Nyad, author Patricia Nell Warren argues that repression doesn’t always lead to poor performance: “Often an athlete’s fierce inner battle over sexual orientation can drive that person into an equally fierce battle with outer challenges and barriers in the sport and society itself. Pilots talk about ‘pushing the envelope,’ a term for taking an aircraft to the limits of its technical capabilities. In sports, the ‘craft’ is usually the human body. Nobody pushes that envelope harder than the gifted athlete who is still closeted or struggling to come out.”
So, while some athletes may turn in less-than-stellar performances because of sexual repression, others manage to channel the repression into brilliant feats of athleticism, making the decision whether to come out or not very complicated.
But there is another reason for athletes to reveal their sexual orientation. Those who “come out” can also act as role models for younger people who may be struggling with the same dilemma.
Coming out in the sporting world can show others involved in athletics that it is possible to be comfortable and proud of their sexual orientation. It shows that homosexuality can exist in all walks of life, and this may result in wider acceptance of gays and lesbians in society.
Everyone should be comfortable and proud of his or her sexual orientation, on or off the field.
-AP
To my mind, there are only three groups with which most gay individuals might willingly disclose their sexual orientation: potential dating partners, close friends, and family. Due to the subject’s sensitive and personal nature, it’s not something you would tell a teammate without good reason. What positive implications could possibly come from telling Fred the linebacker or Sarah the goalie that you are gay?
Liberals will say that there is nothing wrong with being gay, and will counteract my question of “Why tell?” with “Why not?” Well, I’ll tell you why not. As a disclaimer let me tell you that I have no problem with those who are gay, nor with a gay teammate. But I’m a realist, and only negative things are going to come from revealing your orientation in the locker room.
For one, distancing by closed-minded teammates could occur, leading to a disruption of camaraderie, which is crucial for success in sports.
Yes, Fred and Sarah would be morons for changing their attitude when they learned the truth. Everyone should be mature enough to accept anyone’s sexual orientation, but we all know that we’re not there yet.
Discrimination is still present in society, whether it’s towards a certain colour, gender, or sexual orientation. Add to that the fact the social stigmas attached to locker room culture, and congratulations, you have guaranteed yourself at least some resentment.
And let’s be real: even those who don’t have a problem with it might find it weird and incredibly random to hear that sort of personal information from a fellow athlete. Some would go as far as to consider it unnecessary to know the sexual orientation of a teammate.
Some will use the “If they can’t accept me for me, then they can’t be my friends and I don’t need to play with them” argument when supporting the pro-disclosure side of the debate. This phrase has its strengths and its weaknesses. For starters, “teammate” is not synonymous with “friend.” The difference can be attributed to one thing: familiarity.
With a teammate, you’re more likely to discuss what you did last weekend than the reasons for your last breakup. The latter might be something you would talk about with a friend. While friends are in it for the long haul with you, respect for teammates and camaraderie is built between players during competition, but doesn’t necessarily carry over away from the game.
“I respect him on the field, but not off it” is a quote often heard in professional sports, but it stresses the point that there should be a separation between one’s personal and professional life.
It’s my hope that sometime down the road, discrimination will disappear altogether. But until then, I’m still a realist and believe that it is more beneficial to all athletes to not discuss orientation with teammates than openly disclosing sexual preference.
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