Openly Gay Athletes

[maatTheViking]

Err, Mitcham was out when he won. He was the only out male athlete in Beijing.

Nope, Hans Peter Minderhoud was out too . I don't think he and his partner has ever made a grand statement, but they have been partnered/married? a long time.

His partner, Edward Gal, is on the Dutch equestrian team for this Olympics, btw.

[Theatregirl1122]

I don't think that is true. The only one I knew before the trials wasn't an American. Or else, are just about as out-dated as Greg Louganis.

I didn't mean that they could name at least one American star or even one modern star. But I think almost everyone in the US could name Usain Bolt and probably Tyson Gay.




I don't know if it is the closeness of sports teams so much as the "macho" factor. Also, at least in the US, I lot of athletes are quite religious so gay athletes might think they would be more likely to offend their teammates if those teammates were religious.

I'm hoping, that at least in the US, the fight JC Penney put up for Ellen will help athletes feel like their endorsements are not necessarily in danger if they come out and help companies see that bowing to pressure from homophobic jerkwads is not the only solution.

[PeterG]

Huffington Post article has a slideshow with their pictures:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1710329.html

This is a great slideshow of out lesbians at the Olympics! Wonder if they will do one for out gay men as well?

[milanessa]

But I think almost everyone in the US could name Usain Bolt and probably Tyson Gay.

I think you're wrong there.

[misskarne]

Matthew Mitcham came out fairly recently, IIRC, well after his Olympic win, so I don't know how much of a factor his sexuality is.

He was out for ages before Beijing. In the interviews after he won he was standing there with his mum and his boyfriend and they were having a cuddle and everything.

Although if you're in the United States, you may not have seen that, because the NBC completely edited out any tiniest briefest glimpse of his boyfriend...

[allezfred]

Didn't Johnson & Johnson () sponsor his boyfriend's trip to Beijing? I think I read that somewhere and have only bought there Q-tips ever since.

[Ziggy]

Matthew Mitcham came out fairly recently, IIRC, well after his Olympic win, so I don't know how much of a factor his sexuality is.

He came out in 2008 before the Olympics, as he was being profiled as one of the medal hopefuls in the Sydney Morning Herald.

He was involved in a battle with Johnson&Johnson who sponsored the Aussie team's partners to join them in Beijing but wouldn't pay for Mitcham's boyfriend.

In the end, IIRC, Johnson&Johnson ended up being shamed about this and they apologising, paying for his partner's trip and releasing some bullshit PR statements about supporting equality, etc.

I don't think the US has problems with openly gay celebrities/athletes as far as endorsements go, if they are successful or have an interesting story. But there is clearly something in the culture of sport that makes it difficult to come out. I don't think that is endorsements, I think it has more to do with the closeness and camaraderie of teams. Having no personal experience, this is only a guess. Maybe now that the military has changed sports will follow?

Celebrities and sports are totally different things though. Sports are still very much connected to a traditional, very exclusive model of masculinity. Gay athletes simply don't fit in. That definitely affects endorsements because if you want to position your brand to be associated with the qualities represented by somebody who is an athlete, a gay male will not fulfil that role well (as gay people are perceived to lack the masculine qualities).

I can't say much about women. I guess you would think that competing in sports makes women 'manly' by default but look at how the commentators, broadcasters and the female athletes themselves can go out of the way to highlight their femininity (here's a very "good" example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TGTm9HBKH0) and to position them in the traditional role as objects existing only for male pleasure. Lesbians do not fit that picture, hence they aren't very welcome either.

[antmanb]

I can't say much about women. I guess you would think that competing in sports makes women 'manly' by default but look at how the commentators, broadcasters and the female athletes themselves can go out of the way to highlight their femininity (here's a very "good" example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TGTm9HBKH0) and to position them in the traditional role as objects existing only for male pleasure. Lesbians do not fit that picture, hence they aren't very welcome either.

Isn't that a video made by a private person? If you google the name then it's just some guy that makes pervy videos of female sports stars he finds attractive. He's certainly a creep but I don't think you can use him as an example of commentators, broadcasters or female atheltes themselves promote femininity in sports. I don't necessariyl diagree wiht your point, I just don't think that's an example of anything other a creep making soft porn out of sporting events.

[Ziggy]

Isn't that a video made by a private person? If you google the name then it's just some guy that makes pervy videos of female sports stars he finds attractive. He's certainly a creep but I don't think you can use him as an example of commentators, broadcasters or female atheltes themselves promote femininity in sports. I don't necessariyl diagree wiht your point, I just don't think that's an example of anything other a creep making soft porn out of sporting events.

Ahh fair enough.

But when I watch track&field (which isn't very often, I admit), I often see the camera focusing on the female runner's butts like this (although maybe not to this extent).

[mazzy]

But when I watch track&field (which isn't very often, I admit), I often see the camera focusing on the female runner's butts like this (although maybe not to this extent).

They know that sex sells. The -by far- most popular video from this years' junior world champs in Barcelona: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMgmY...eature=related
The girl finished 4th in the finals, in case anyone cares. I have a hard time imagining similar popularity for the 4th place finisher of the shot put.

[Lanna]

I can't say much about women. I guess you would think that competing in sports makes women 'manly' by default but look at how the commentators, broadcasters and the female athletes themselves can go out of the way to highlight their femininity (here's a very "good" example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TGTm9HBKH0) and to position them in the traditional role as objects existing only for male pleasure. Lesbians do not fit that picture, hence they aren't very welcome either.

Argh, I forget where it was, but there was a really excellent analysis of fluff pieces about female athletes and about how it de-threatened their image and made them all soft. Basically saying, "don't feel threatened by their athletic accomplishments, they love to cook so they're still women" and "yes, they sweat and work hard, but here they are looking like models, so it's okay, your first reaction should still be to be sexually attracted to them, because Male Gaze Dammit." It was very excellent about the perceived audience (straight men) and who the objects are (women, all women, and therefore de-"masculizing" women so it's not gay to be attracted to them) (sports and all activity = masculine. Sitting passively and smiling = feminine. And let's not get into how children's toys are marketed.)

The "more than a pretty face" ad campaign during one Olympics also comes to mind, but that had male and female athletes. Still, when I see an athlete, my thought is not "wow, they're gorgeous, I hope there's more to them than that", and I'm still a little o.O that the focus of the campaign was "let's get beyond how gorgeous they are and start to focus on how excellent they are at their sport".

[senorita]

Did a quick survey of Aussie, American and British friends, and even gave them that he was an Olympian, and no one had a clue who he was. Couldn't come close to the sport...

I have a collegue who doesnt know who is Phelps. I was so puzzled that I didnt know what to answer. I didnt want her to think I was snob but I was very surprised, even if you didnt follow 2008 Olys still there must have been a tv in the house, he was on the tv 24h a day.

Louganis was my first primary school crush Everybody in Greece knew him.

[*Jen*]

He was out for ages before Beijing. In the interviews after he won he was standing there with his mum and his boyfriend and they were having a cuddle and everything.

Although if you're in the United States, you may not have seen that, because the NBC completely edited out any tiniest briefest glimpse of his boyfriend...

Nope, not in the US. Watched those Olympics from Australia, although he was such a surprise medal winner that they didn't show him live until he was guaranteed at least silver

He came out in 2008 before the Olympics, as he was being profiled as one of the medal hopefuls in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Seriously guys, read the whole thread Allezfred had already corrected me and I had already stood corrected. Time goes by so quickly, I didn't realise it was already 4 years ago

I do vaguely recall his mum and partner cheering him on now

[PeterG]

U.S. women's soccer star Megan Rapinoe explains why she went public with her sexuality

[ks777]

I thought Ian Thorpe was gay? I could never tell unless it's way too obvious like figure skaters and divers. There are a lot more lesbians competing in the olympics, I think. I saw an american diver getting interviewed today. he is definitley gay by the way he talks. Most of the japanese women soccer team are carpet munchers.

[misskarne]

I thought Ian Thorpe was gay?

He's not out. And to be honest I'm just as sick as he is of the constant hounding he gets about it. If he is, leave him to come out in his own time; if he's not, well.

I suspect he probably is, but hounding him constantly is not going to make him want to come out any faster.

[Lanna]

I thought Ian Thorpe was gay?

He's not out.

I saw an american diver getting interviewed today. he is definitley gay by the way he talks. Most of the japanese women soccer team are carpet munchers.

Are you serious?

[berthesghost]

Are you serious?

I suspect ks777 is using magnolia's foolproof "now to detect a lesser gay" kit. Only $5.99 with any chic fil a happy meal

[beepbeep]

I suspect ks777 is using magnolia's foolproof "now to detect a lesser gay" kit. Only $5.99 with any chic fil a happy meal

Ok, I have a new signature

And, honestly, I may live in Utopia here, but I hope we are getting closer to the day that no one has to come "out".
It's just another thing that makes someone be who they are. Gay not gay shouldn't matter.
It's fecking sports.

[PeterG]

Most of the japanese women soccer team are carpet munchers.

There's no way a world class athlete would eat carpet. Carpet is synthetic material, is it not? I would guess the Japanese eat a lot of vegetables and tofu.

he is definitley gay by the way he talks.

That is called gaydar. If your ears can pick up a faggy sounding voice, then your gaydar is working and you know that the person in question is a big fat homo. Or, in the case of the Olympics, a slender, toned, muscular, glistening, steamy, HAWT, fine-assed, Sex-God(dess). Oops. Did I sound gay saying that??