Read these wide words by Cy from Outsports:
The measure the progress we’re making in the fight to end homophobia in sports, we need just two things: Cause and effect.
The cause is the news story. Today, professional soccer player Robbie Rogers provided that when he came out publicly. Having struggled with his sexual orientation for years, today he open the door for a glimpse into the world of sports. It was eye-opening.
Rogers’ coming out in itself doesn’t tell us a heck of a lot. We now know he’s a young man who has struggled with his sexual orientation for years. In all likelihood, that struggle held him back from the promise that surrounded him just a few years ago. As we’ve heard so many times before from gay athletes, the closet is a dark place; It’s hard to see the ball when you can’t see the light.
Where we’re best able to measure the state of homophobia in sports is through the effect the story has had: The reaction to these news stories like Rogers’ announcement. Whether it’s Tim Hardaway saying “I hate gay people” or Rick Welts telling the world he’s gay, the reaction to these stories — from athletes, coaches, fans and the media — give us the barometer we’re constantly looking for.
Today we learned something profound. We’ve known the tide has been turning in sports. Support has been shown in the past for athletes coming out like Esera Tuaolo, John Amaechi and Wade Davis.
But the sudden groundswell of support and admiration for Rogers today confirmed in a new way what we’ve suspected for a while: For every person who says how difficult it would be for an openly gay professional athlete, there are a thousand more looking to show their support.
Also, read this insightful article about the historical significance of his coming out.
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