![]() ![]() That kiss was a huge moment in American sporting and global LGBTI history and I’m very proud to have witnessed it. I’m confident no one would have taken an issue with, or raised an eyebrow at, the kiss if he was kissing his girlfriend. It was a normal, human reaction in the circumstances. By oppressing true gender and sexual identity, and rabidly denying the natural existence of ‘alternative’ sexualities, we are denying and oppressing our very humanity.Ĭonsequently, I’m particularly taken aback, though not entirely surprised, by some of the reactions to Michael Sam spontaneously kissing his boyfriend (live on TV, OMG!) upon finding out the great news. Humans are more complicated than that, and both gender and sexuality sit on a fascinating continuum, giving extra colour and flavour to our human experience, which should be embraced and celebrated rather than maligned and oppressed. This may be news to many, but gender and sexuality are not two predetermined (male or female, straight or gay, masculine or feminine) boxes to be ticked and matched according to society’s stereotypical expectations. It seems few things confront society more than a masculine, manly gay man, because it shatters the ‘comfortable’ societal stereotype of the emasculated, ‘unthreatening’, limp-wristed homosexual male. Meanwhile, gay men have always been considered, to the point of caricaturistic stereotyping, the opposite of male masculinity. The male sports world, especially the various football codes around the world, has always been saturated with hyper-masculinity. ![]() Louis Rams for picking him up and I hope he will have a stellar career in the sport.Īdmittedly, sports have always been an area fraught with cultural and societal complexities for gay men. Regardless, in this day of age one would have hoped the NFL would draft on merit, not on sexuality. However, the way he has been selected (eventually) clearly indicates this was a giant leap for the sport. I am so very proud of Michael taking the next natural step in his career by becoming a leading NFL sportsman (and a role model for LGBTI youth around the world), something he worked very hard for and is very well deserved. Think about that! Unfortunately, we all know why this had happened … In the meantime, the last seven SEC’s co-defensive players of the year were all picked up in the 1st round. He had to wait until the 7th round, selected 249th overall.
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