Homosexuality and sports have usually mixed about as well as water and oil, though recent developments in the sports world have shown that gay athletes are an issue that refuses to go away any time soon.
Several news items recently have only fueled the discussion about whether the sports world is ready to openly embrace homosexuality. For starters, today Magic Johnson's son officially came out of the closet when interviewed by reporters about the Lakers and his father's recent acquisition of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"Cookie [Magic's wife] and I love EJ and support him in every way," says the former NBA all-star. "We're very proud of him."
Rutgers basketball coach Mike Rice has made headlines today as well, though the response wasn't as positive. A video has surfaced of some of his practices that shows Rice pelting his players with basketballs and using the gay slur "faggots," drawing ire from the gay community.
Also in the news this past month was a report that an unidentified player in the NFL is contemplating an announcement of his homosexuality soon. So far, the reaction to this announcement has been largely positive.
"If it were a [Washington football team] player, I don't think it would be a big deal," he said. "We have a lot of veteran good guys," said Redskin defensive end Adam Carriker recently.
That doesn't mean that the issue hasn't met resistance, however. 49er's cornerback Chris Culliver immediately shunned the idea of a gay player coming out, stating that they would have to leave the team if they came out. Seahawks linebacker Chris Clemons has recently echoed those sentiments, saying that it would be a "selfish act" that would "immediately separate a lockerroom and divide a team."
On top of all of this, promising American soccer player Robbie Rogers recently announced that he was a homosexual. Rather than continue with his career, however, he quickly retired from the sport despite pleas from others to stay. He has stated that it would not be possible for him to do that given the current climate in the sport of soccer.
While the issue of homosexuality in sports is sure to be one that doesn't go away anytime soon, it is also a process that will take time to develop. It does not appear that the sports world is ready to embrace the topic with open arms just quite yet.
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