Should I post this here or in the College Basketball forum?

 

Thought that some BGP folks might find this interesting. It's not as big of a deal to me personally as some might think, but I do understand this guy's desire to lift the weight off of his shoulders. I'd say too that it is noteworthy considering that he's the first openly gay college basketball player.

 

Society, thankfully has come a long way since I was his age. When I came out, I'd have to say that I was somewhere in the middle ground between society's complete disapproval, and today's more acceptant temperature. It does please me to see things becoming easier for kids today. I have to believe that it's helped lower the teenage suicide rate for kids fearfully suffocating in the their closets.

 

Perhaps we should not be so surprised if in the near future a multitude of college basketball closet doors start busting open. This perhaps has opened a door, so to speak...

 

My personal wish is that one day something like this is not considered news by anyone, and that it's not even an issue one way or another. That might be asking for the moon as humanity somehow naturally has a knee-jerk reaction to feel weirdly about anything considered to be different from the accepted norm. This is naturally found too in the entire Animal Kingdom, so that knee-jerk reaction to object is just as natural in human and animal behavior as is homosexuality itself.

 

Ultimately though it does appear that we as a human race have come along way to resist our innate urges to have our claws come out at the sight of difference, at least in this topic.

 

Player from small Kansas school announces he's gay

I don't think it's a big deal but I would like to know if it would make his teammates uncomfortable using the same locker room.

I don't think it's a big deal but I would like to know if it would make his teammates uncomfortable using the same locker room.

We covered this in the Collins thread. Not sure a college locker room would be different.

I'm still waiting for Coach K to come out of the closet

I don't think it's a big deal but I would like to know if it would make his teammates uncomfortable using the same locker room.

 

Good point. College aged testosterone levels play an undeniable factor in charging up one who has unrestricted access to witness so freely that which might be the object of one's tantalization causing awkwardness for all. If it were me I think that I'd make a promise to my teammates to avoid that sort of closeness to show them respect, just as a straight guy should to not hang out in a woman's locker room while they're taking care of business. I imagine that they can figure out some measure or arrangement to solve the uncomfortableness... or perhaps they ultimately could laugh it off, get over it, and not make anything of it. Probably can't make a blanket statement about it as each case could call for different measures. Think of it this way... over the years when nobody knew their teammate was gay, I'm assuming that most gay dudes for the sake of remaining honored by their team would carefully conduct himself in ways to avoid embarrassment and ostracism, for the ones who didn't certainly caused themselves problems.

 

This reminds me a little of the funny "Seinfeld" episode where Kramer goes to the YMCA and stands in the shower room fully clothed taking notes on how other men shower so that he could learn methods that he might use to lesson his time in the shower. He ends up back at Jerry's door with a black eye.

 

 

Or the Jewish Moyle episode where Jerry asks George if he's ever seen someone who was uncircumcised. George says, "Yeah... my college roommate" ... Jerry says, "What did you think"... George say, "I got used to it"

Didn't Laettner come out in college?

Messersmith said he couldn't have hoped for a better reaction from teammates.

"A couple came up and told me if I have any issues with anybody, they've got my back," he said.

 

The above pretty much debunks PP92's theory.

I'm still waiting for Coach K to come out of the closet

 

Coach K for real??? Although it's not always 100% accurate, my Gaydar never picked that up.

Coach K for real??? Although it's not always 100% accurate, my Gaydar never picked that up.

 

Did it pick up on Jason Collins?

Did it pick up on Jason Collins?

 

I honestly never heard of the guy until he came out. I guess that was one way for him to become an NBA household name, huh?

We covered this in the Collins thread. Not sure a college locker room would be different.

 

College would probalby not be too differnt I would guess also. It is middle school and high school where you may have some issues. Kids there are still immature and still trying to get a grasp of their sexuality.

I guess I ought to weigh in once in a while on other topics as it's probably starting to look like this is the only topic I ever think about, which I assure you, it is not.

When the first roofer comes out, then I'll be surprised.

College would probalby not be too differnt I would guess also. It is middle school and high school where you may have some issues. Kids there are still immature and still trying to get a grasp of their sexuality.

 

Forgive me: No pun intended?

When the first roofer comes out, then I'll be surprised.

 

You just made me chuckle... that is downright funny!