On Rick Welts, America

A Small Disclaimer: This article is the work of only one of the authors of this blog and reflects only his opinion.

Over the weekend Rick Welts, the CEO and president of the Phoenix Suns announced he is gay. Based on some of the quotes being reported in articles about the story, specifically those from NBA Commissioner David Stern and Phoenix Suns head coach Alvin Gentry, the news is not all shocking to them. But in the world of sports, where toughness and masculinity are traits that are exalted, Welts’s coming out is big news. The fact that it is a headline speaks volumes to where we really are as a society and where we place those who consider themselves queer within it. As a country, we are still relatively close to an era of legalized discrimination against blacks. Women do not receive pay that is equal to their male counterparts. As a country we are not as progressive as we think; the sports world even less so. There are cultural stigmas that come with being gay: men that are homosexual are not “real men” a virtual death sentence in sports; the word lesbians often projects images of butch women, complete with flannel shirts and jeans. It is these stereotypes that make Welts’s coming out news because he is a powerful player in basketball that has not had a prominent face for homosexuality in the sport. (I say that with no disrespect to John Amaechi, a brave and admirable man.) It is a hope of mine that within my lifetime being gay or straight is not a headline but rather a non-starter. A world where the sexuality of a player/coach/manager is a piece of throwaway information will require work by people across all strata of the country to tear down barriers and build up knowledge and acceptance of homosexuality. I believe that such a place is a very real possibility, but it will take time. Until then, those of us who hold nothing but love and support for our queer brothers and sisters have to speak with one eye on a hopeful future and the other eye on a less accepting present. David Stern may have expressed this sentiment best, "What I didn't say at the time was: I think there's a good chance the world will find this unremarkable. I don't know if I was confusing my thoughts with my hopes."