After viewing the documentary, Training Rules and reading the article on Robbie Rogers: “Why coming out as gay meant I had to leave football” I came to the conclusion that although our society as a whole has become more inclusive and accepting of the LGBT population, in the sports world, this is something that is still under stigmas and oppression.
Something that truly struck me about the article on
Rogers, was when he stated, “People love to preach about honesty, how honesty
is so plain and simple. Try explaining to your loved ones after 25 years you
are gay." As many of us may know, today there are many resources and
support/advocate groups for this population, but when exploring the setting of
an athlete coming out, I don’t believe that sport is not a safe space for LGBT
athletes for many reasons, the most obvious being, the pressures and strong criticisms
of the public.
The LGBT community is often stigmatized by that sole label, and
it tends to over-ride any other label the athlete may possess, in this example:
being an athlete. As if a preference or certain aspect of this athlete’s life
could impact their performance out on the court or field.
The greatest improvement that society and sports
fans could use to create a more inclusive culture in American sport is far more
simple stated then placed into action. It’s one thing to accept how one
identifies, but it’s another to truly understand the circumstance and see
things in a positive progressive light, always acknowledging the skill of the
athlete above all, and most importantly no longer seeing these identities with
a negative connotation.
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