A Private Life?

The father of a college football hunk heading to the NFL should have known better than to publicly distance himself from his son’s public Gay proclamation. All the sports pundits — broadcast journalists and former players — could barely contain themselves. Although they conceded Pop’s right to an opinion, many loftily denounced him as an incorrigible father. He is the latest face of Intolerance, Injustice and Prejudice. Welcome to the new normal, Mr. Sam. No one — but no one — bothered to question the athlete’s media motives beyond the various trite expressions of “liberation.” For that matter, pundits never examine the pragmatic reasons behind public declarations of sexual orientation. You are left to believe that sexual preference must be the decisive attribute of Gay persons — more critical than character, personality, spirituality, disposition, temperament, intellect or ability. Failing to understand the motives behind the need for public testimony, you are left with an obvious conclusion: Certain homosexuals want to make sure everyone gets the message about the most personal, private aspect of their lives, perhaps for three reasons: one, to conveniently broaden companion opportunities in their personal lives; two, to conveniently narrow or eliminate interest from the opposite sex; and three, eliminate the confusion and conjecture of family, friends and co-workers. You get it. Clear the air. While these motives make practical sense, you can’t help wondering if they constitute the entire story. You have known and worked with homosexuals and lesbians who went about their lives quietly with no announcements or other fanfare of any kind. Friends and co-workers knew the score without being told. A private life was — well — a private life. The attitude was live and let live, as long as everyone pulled his/her weight and respected the workplace. As a former athlete, you can appreciate that NFL players must feel the same way about their workplace. But there’s a compelling difference between a business office and a locker room. Something tells you that school cheerleaders would feel somewhat uneasy if either you or an avowed lesbian joined their showers. Or maybe times have changed. Maybe today’s athletes couldn’t care less. The pundits seem to think there’s no room for discrimination in the locker room, regardless of the intimate atmosphere. And, certainly in the case of Sam the Younger, his college teammates, we are led to believe, are fully supportive and pass no judgment whatsoever. Which again raises the question: If Sam the Younger opened the closet door with those that knew him best, why did the entire world have a need to know? Some logically might accuse him of politicizing the issue. Or seeking Gay celebrity status. At least you can be sure of one thing. You’ll never discover the true motivation because media critics won’t touch it. No, they have Sam the Elder to skewer for daring to express his provincial opinions.

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