The most prominent sports in America require the most prominent players. Michael Sam from the University of Missouri was considered the best of the best in the SEC for football. The man had it all. He had prospects from the NFL and ranked highly as the best defensive end in the SEC conference. NFL media had predictions of him being selected in the draft in the first of rounds, amongst the greatest in college football. His college football class was presumably one of the best classes NCAA football had seen in a while. This was a dream come true until Michael Sam announced that he was gay.
Homophobia peaks high in the NFL because of the social stigma that gay men are not tough enough.
Football is seen as one of the most “masculine” leagues because of injuries, hard hits and groups of men inflicting pain all in the name of winning. A retired gay NFL player, Kwame Harris, applauded Michael Sam for announcing he was gay while being in one of the biggest moments in his life. “I regret not coming out sometimes. But I see my reasons. It wasn’t compatible,” Harris told CNN in 2013. Harris was a 2003 first draft pick. The social gender-sexuality binding stereotype has effectively made it’s way into the sports world.
Though still an issue, lesbians in sports are not outed as much as men. Brittany Griner was not televised and ridiculed as much when she announced she was a lesbian. She was accepted by most of the basketball society and while she did come out to the press, Michael Sam’s speculations were just rising. “I don’t understand as to why men and women’s sports are so different with the topic,” Griner said after an interview days before being selected as the No. 1 draft pick in WNBA.
Being a gay man and an athlete takes a toll that most would not be able to withstand. It affects the personal objective of living well:
money. It also affects the relationships at work along with the way games are played. Though ridiculed highly for his decision, Michael Sam did win the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in 2014.
“I just feel like because I came out, and I was the first to do it — I may start something for others,” Sam said in his emotionally driven speech.
Though he did not get to the top of his dreams and play in the NFL, Sam feels proud to know that he can give other young gay and lesbian athletes courage to come out too.
It takes extreme courage for players to play a nationally televised game, let alone do so as openly LGBT. We should accept players for their ability to win games and leave their personal identifications alone.
