I'm glad she finally feels comfortable revealing her true self. I'm a big fan of women's basketball. A lot of people ignorantly assume that most female athletes are lesbians, but it's still a big deal to me when somebody is strong enough to publicly reveal their sexual orientation. It makes me happy to know that she now feels happy. From ESPN:



Three-time MVP 'tired of having to hide my feelings'
By LZ Granderson - ESPN The Magazine

Calling life in the closet "miserable," three-time Olympic gold medalist and reigning WNBA MVP Sheryl Swoopes announced she is gay in an exclusive interview in the current issue of ESPN The Magazine.

"My reason for coming out isn't to be some sort of hero," Swoopes, a forward with the Houston Comets, says in the article. "I'm just at a point in my life where I'm tired of having to pretend to be somebody I'm not. I'm tired of having to hide my feelings about the person I care about. About the person I love.

"Male athletes of my caliber probably feel like they have a lot more to lose than gain [by coming out]. I don't agree with that. To me, the most important thing is happiness."

Swoopes, 34, is the most recognizable athlete, male or female, to come out in a team sport. Former WNBA player Michele Van Gorp, who played for the Minnesota Lynx, publicly acknowledged she is a lesbian in July 2004. Before Van Gorp, former Liberty player Sue Wicks had been the only member of a female professional team to publicly come out while still playing. Previously, Swoopes has said she plans to continue her career.

Former NFL defensive tackle Esera Tuaolo and MLB outfielder Billy Bean made headlines when they revealed they were gay, but both were retired when they made their announcements and neither had a career that comes close to Swoopes.

After being named NJCAA Player of the Year while at South Plains Junior College in 1991, Swoopes transferred to Texas Tech and two years later scored a NCAA title game-record 47 points in leading the Lady Raiders to the national championship. Swoopes was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player to go along with her national player of the year award. In 1994 she won gold at the Goodwill Games, and, in 1996, was a member of the Olympic gold medal-winning team that became the building block for the WNBA.

Since then, she has won two more Olympic gold medals, four WNBA championships and three regular-season MVP accolades, including this past summer. Swoopes, a five-time All-WNBA First Team honoree who was the All-Star MVP this past season, is also the first female athlete to have a shoe named after her, Nike's Air Swoopes.

"Some people might say my coming out after just winning the MVP award is heroic, and I understand that," she says. "And I know there are going to be some negative things said, too. But it doesn't change who I am. I can't help who I fall in love with. No one can."

In the article, Swoopes goes on to talk about her three-year marriage, her 8-year-old son, Jordan, and life with her partner, former Old Dominion basketball coach Alisa Scott.

"Discovering I'm gay just sort of happened much later in life," Swoopes says. "Being intimate with [Alisa] or any other woman never entered my mind. At the same time, I'm a firm believer that when you fall in love with somebody, you can't control that."

The news could be particularly perplexing for the WNBA, which has struggled to both recognize the homosexual element connected to its league and grow its fan base. Ironically, in its infancy, the WNBA marketed a pregnant, married Swoopes to put a heterosexual face on its promotional campaign. Now the league, which will play its 10th season next summer, has to decide what to do now that one of its best and most recognizable players has announced she's gay.

"The talk about the WNBA being full of lesbians is not true," Swoopes says. "There are as many straight women in the league as there are gay. What really irritates me is when people talk about football, baseball and the NBA, you don't hear all of this talk about the gay guys playing. But when you talk about the WNBA, then it becomes an issue. Sexuality and gender don't change anyone's performance on the court."

Damn, I was planning on fucking her too.

If I said..."who cares"...is that bad. Just play fucking basketball.


I'm sorry. Maybe I'm not sensitive to the whole "coming out" process. I just want her to play ball....I don't care who she's fucking.

Rhondab said:

It's more than who she's fucking - it's who she's being.

Like thats a surprise!!!! As u say she chose to be gay not born that way. Just like me, I choose to have sex with young guys younger than me (28) cause i want too. I can do it with girls too but i choose to do it that way not born. I am sick of hearing that i am born that way mess. When i was 15-20 all girls, the non e night wit ha boy that was it for me. Both get stuck by me. MY CHOICE!!!!

I respect u now Swoopes but the WNBA still sux!!!!

RipHer2Shreds said:

okayyyyy.....

Rhondab said:

Come on, now. Yeah, in an ideal world her sexuality wouldn't matter, but because it does it's sort of a big deal when somebody opens up in this way. The comment goes beyond her own life, and to those that are still in the closet, comments like this mean a great deal. It helps create a more comfortable environment for those who don't otherwise feel they can admit who they are. She, in turn, can just be herself and get back to just playing fucking basketball.

RipHer2Shreds said:

i'm probably being too insensitive to the issue.

sorry.

Rhondab said:

No need to apologize. Just trying to explain how I feel about it. I sort of agree with you - shouldn't even be a news story, but it is.

saintsation said:

If you choose who you sleep with you are Bi-sexual. I can choose to have sex with a woman, but it wouldn't work because spiritually and sexually I'm attracted to men.


M
[Edited 10/26/05 11:17am]

I read this on Yahoo just now. Good for her

saintsation said:

I try to support women's sports, but I just can't deal with the WNBA. I'd rather watch paint dry honestly.

why do you guys think it sucks?


just curious. My daughter plays basketball and watches the WNBA just to see women play at a professional level.

There are lesbians in the WNBA!?!?!?

ReturnOfDOOK said:

GOOD FOR HER! Closets are for clothes

Rhondab said:

I enjoy women's basketball sometimes more than men's. Lots less ego. I think a lot of people wanna see dunking, and it just ain't gonna happen in the WNBA!

Thats great, really it is. But why does every gay person in the limelight have to be a damn advocate? If thats the case, I should let out a press release saying I'm not of hispanic descent.


Okay-- she is attracted to women exclusively, like millions of other women before and after her.

Personally, I think its for publicity. I havent heard a peep out this bitch in years; all of a sudden she's on the scene because she's gay.



Who gives




stupidedit.
[Edited 10/26/05 14:50pm]

cinnamonjo said:

If you had to go through your life trying to cloak the fact that you are black, it would be practical revelation to not have to be ashamed of who you are any longer. People don't understand what it's like to live a lie. THAT is the point in all this.

RipHer2Shreds said:

exactly.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

so if I said, I don't care who she's being, would that be better?


I just think that she is known for being a great athlete and that's all i'm interested in. .

Rhondab said:

Her coming out has to do with her entire life not just how she plays a game. It's only getting this kind of attention because she's famous. Now when I came out, you don't think it was like having a press convference in my house? My whole family was a buzz and the only reason America didn't know my "business" is because I'm not famous.

So really, she's just being honest about hef life and the fact that she's a sports figure is secondary.

Whats possibally sad is if her team hadn't won this championchip recently would she of come out publicly like this?

alright, lemme expound on this a bit: coming out is a pretty serious thing--and just like ripher2shreds said, it ain't at all about who you have sex with. people who aren't quite attuned to homosexuality and what it is tend to look at it as simply that, the sexual aspect of it. "ohhhhh, he has sex with other men??? she likes other women??? wha?" much like those who are heterosexual, those of us who are gay are much, much more than who we are intimate with. also, if nobody came out to begin with, regardless of social status, then the world would be hell for those who are gay. i'd be absolutely miserable too if i held in the fact that i'm gay and didn't allow myself to say so.

...and right on for ms. swoopes.

thesexofit said:

think about it on a smaller scale: say if she weren't a basketball player and she was, say, up for an award or a promotion at work and then she didn't get it after all...then she decides to come out and tell her friends and family.

either way it wouldn't make a whole lotta difference, the way i see it. at the end of the day, she'd still be gay.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Precisely.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

True but would the WNBA and the media accept it as much? She has a career to think about.....i see ur point though.

thesexofit said:

it wouldn't harm her career too much at all, i think...the WNBA has a pretty big lesbian (and het!) following anyways, so it isn't harmful at all.

thesexofit said:

And that is precisely why it's relevant to the fact that she's a famous athelete. How many cannot be truthful about their lives because of the blowback?

Being gay is like being colour-blind - seeing red instead of green. It alters your whole perception and can be restricting when others don't acknowledge this.