ESPN.com is carrying Sheryl Swoopes’ — what should I call it? — announcement, I guess, that she’s gay. The article is in Swoopes’ own words and it’s yet another interesting look into the personal decision process that gays have to go through when choosing to come out. Beyond that, though, my original reaction is, “Oh, ok.” I filed it away as a bit of trivia, and moved on.
I don’t mean to trivialize her decision or the pain or process she had to go through to come out. My point is that I think we’re just at a point that unless their sexuality contradicts something about their public persona, well, it’s not news. So, for example, if a hard core Republican and Christian conservative comes out it’s big news. If Anne Heche decides she’s really bisexual after being very loud and proud about being a lesbian, it’s news. I guess I should add “to me” when I’m talking about this. But Sheryl Swoopes… her abilities and my perception of her has nothing to do with her sexuality in the same way that I don’t care that she’s a mom or a divorcee or lives wherever she does. So, I’m happy for her, but I’m not really going to linger on that story like I would something else.
Jim Rome just took Swoopes to task on his show about this statement:
Male athletes of my caliber probably feel like they have a lot more to lose than gain. I don’t agree with that.
He doesn’t believe that this is true, and he’s probably right from his perspective. Professionally, it’s probably very hard for a male athlete to enjoy the same professional life if he were to come out. Keep in mind, the male equivalent to Swoopes would be Shaq, Kobe, Iverson, or one of that tier of guys. Life would probably be different (and get pretty ugly) if someone with that visibility and those endorsement deals came out. I still think Rome missed Swoopes’ point, though, which was about the personal, not the professional:
To me, the most important thing is happiness. I could have all the endorsements and all the money in the world, but if I’m not happy with who I am, that other stuff is not going to make me happy either. I know I’ve got to deal with the consequences of coming out, but I feel like I’ll be able to be free.
To be me.
Good for her.
October 26th, 2005 at 9:07 pm
I completely agree with you, Sujal. I really didn’t give it a second thought, that is until I talked to a friend this morning. He said that this would not change the average person’s view of the WNBA even one iota. For the average person, he said, they already think that most every woman in the WNBA is a lesbian to begin with. He commented that the “ex-football player who came out was much much bigger.” It never really struck me as important. I just didn’t care, but then I started to realize that it would be huge if Donovan McNabb or Tiger Woods came out. Since the WNBA is already trivialized, it just doesn’t matter that much, and probably won’t advance any sort of cause, if that was a goal.
Like I said, I just didn’t care that much, but there are many good points to be had here.