What's the value of pro athletes campaigning against political rights for homosexuals, as was the case in the recent election?It all depends on how one looks at it. How much is a homophobic attitude in the locker room worth nowadays? How much is the word fag trading for on the macho market of our modern day gladiators? How about the price of put-downs with negative connotations, like "suck my dick?"
What's the true cost of homophobic attitudes in professional sports?
Broken spirits, broken sports dreams and kids sacrificing athletic aspirations to spare themselves the wrath of homophobic coaches and teammates.
How many young men have quit sports out of fear?
How many more young men will quit before coaches and players lighten up and let everybody play?
A lot of gay or questioning kids still commit suicide in America. How many of them have sports dreams? How many of them could become good athletes? How much is all this gay-hating worth to the professional athletes of America?
Randy Boyd is a five-time Lambda Literary Award Finalist and the author of "Walt Loves the Bearcat," the story of a lifelong romance between a college cheerleader and quarterback who becomes the first out superstar athlete. Randy himself was a cheerleader at both USC and UCLA.
"Walt Loves the Bearcat" was a Lambda Literary Award Finalist for Best Romance and is available wherever books are sold.
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