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I'm sure by now, you've all heard that 1 of the 2 Collins brothers has come out and finally admitted to everyone, what everyone already knew. That he was gay. My question is, in today's society, is it even relevant anymore? Furthermore, how does the media get away with calling him an NBA star? Sure he's tall, but star? Meh not really.

Poll:  Is coming out relevant?

It's not relevant that he's gay, I couldn't care less about that, but it is relevant that's he the first active openly gay athlete in the US. That takes some guts.

It's not relevant that he's gay, I couldn't care less about that, but it is relevant that's he the first active openly gay athlete in the US. That takes some guts.

Honestly, I don't think it's relevant, or courageous. What is it about a person expressing what types of body parts they are turned on by is particularly courageous? Only gay people seem to be "defined" by their sexuality. I don't introduce myself to people and feel the need to make it clear I like boobs...so I don't know why a gay man needs the world to know he likes penis' to feel validated and accepted.

This whole issue has gotten out of hand. If a man likes men, or a women likes women, so be it...just do your own thing...but it doesn't require a press conference or public announcement for it to mean anything different than what it already means.




Last edited by Jason at 4/30/2013 3:28:25 AM

Only a heterosexual person, who never had to worry about a co-worker's, schoolmate's, a friend's, or their own mother's or father's reaction when they told them who they wanted to go on a date with, or who they wanted to hold hands with, would be able to say something like this.

And to reduce it to "what gets inserted where" is a pretty shallow understanding of sexuality. I'd like to think my relationship with my wife is a lot more than just that.

While a little crude, what you just described is I'm pretty sure what the gay community would like. I don't think they want to be defined by their sexuality anymore than an African-American wants to be defined by their skin color. This is about changing a long-standing homphobia in professional sports more than it is about Jason Collins wanting the world to know his sexuality.

The last two posts said it better than I could, so I both tip my hat to Tangosz and yeppers and give them my balls.

Maybe now Chris Paul can come out.

Chris Bosh, you mean? ;)

I guess it's a sign of American's rapidly changing view on homosexuality that folks can now make the straight faced arguement that it's not "relevant or courageous" to come out. Even if not as often as in the very recent past, being openly gay sets people up for being ostracized, discimination, and real violence. While Collins is not likely to face these as much as your average schmo, I'd argue that anyone coming out still remains a courageous act in this country.

Only a heterosexual person, who never had to worry about a co-worker's, schoolmate's, a friend's, or their own mother's or father's reaction when they told them who they wanted to go on a date with, or who they wanted to hold hands with, would be able to say something like this.

And to reduce it to "what gets inserted where" is a pretty shallow understanding of sexuality. I'd like to think my relationship with my wife is a lot more than just that.

I think that's the irony of this issue....A gay person can say how they feel, give all the reasons they believe they are the way they are, and it's acceptable....a straight person can defend gay people, same thing...but if a person is not sympathetic or in agreement with anything dealing with this issue, and they are shallow, right-winged, Bible thumper, narrow minded, or whatever else.

You are correct, your relationship with your wife is more than just about the act of sex...and a gay person should feel free to love who they want....and I don't look at your relationship with your wife as courageous, or anything that should be put on a pedestal, just like gay people in love shouldn't be either. Who people love shouldn't matter to the next person....but with this issue, and the sympathetic nature that has come from it, like Fewmit said, a changing view on homosexuality, the media and others are now esteeming them for declaring this aspect of their lives.

We can get into the a big debate of all the pro's and con's if you like...but when it comes to Professional Sports, the Military, and other fields, this "courageous" decision has far reaching implications that affect more than just the person coming out....and not all of those things are positive for everyone involved.

I am not saying that a gay person shouldn't come out, or shouldn't be able to be honest with who they are, but just like in this post, where I point out a different point of view, and am called shallow...there are others that have to work in close proximity with that person, who might be very uncomfortable it (their feelings are real too, and it doesn't make them a bad person)...whether its a trust issue on the basketball court, in the battlefield...or a new-found awkwardness taking a shower around that person...others are affected. But if any of those people are genuinely uncomfortable about it, their feelings don't matter, because we are "evolving" as a nation, and their teammate made a "courageous" decision.

I'm just waiting for UFC fighters to come out as they're basically making gay porn for supposedly straight guys on a weekly basis. On a more serious note, sort of, good for Jason Collins. Like all other happily married straight men out there, my only wish for the homosexual community is that they be allowed to marry and get yelled at for not doing the dishes and not making the bed like the rest of us.

It's not that those people's feelings don't matter, but history is filled with people who found a way to say they were uncomfortable with others for reasons that we no longer look at as legitimate. They were just prejudiced, and we don't have to go out of our way to make prejudiced people comfortable. The burden is on them.

50 years ago, Jason Collins wouldn't have been allowed to eat at the same lunch counter or use the same drinking fountain as a white teammate playing in many parts of this country. Go watch "42" and see how Jackie Robinson tried to put his white teammates at ease by showering last and separately.

But today, if a white NBA player said he had awkwardness taking a shower next to a black teammate, we wouldn't give it a drop of credence as feelings we need to respect. And Jason Collins has no more control over his sexual preference than his skin color, and it's as simple as that.

Everyone should go read "The Sneetches" and remember that we're all people, and none of the other stuff matters. Seriously.