Why There Few Openly Gay Athlet In Men's Profsnal Sports : NPR

Contents:

• WHY THERE ARE FEW OPENLY GAY ATHLET IN MEN'S PROFSNAL SPORTS
• GAY VOLLEYBALL PLAYER’S SELF-ACCEPTANCE LED TO EPER BOND WH LLEGE TEAMMAT
• THE UNOFFICIAL GAYT SPORT: VOLLEYBALL
• GAY VOLLEYBALL PLAYER, ACH FDS NFINCE HIMSELF AND RENEWED LOVE OF THE SPORT
• THIS GAY STANFORD VOLLEYBALL PLAYER ME OUT TO HIS TEAM, AND THEN HIS SPORT GOT CUT
• WE NEED MORE GAY MALE PRO TEAM SPORT ATHLET TO E OUT
• GAY LLEGE VOLLEYBALL PLAYER CLASS PROJECT TO E OUT PUBLICLY
• Q: WHY DO GAY MEN LOVE THE OLYMPICS? A: ISN’T IT OBV?

WHY THERE ARE FEW OPENLY GAY ATHLET IN MEN'S PROFSNAL SPORTS

When Nashville Predators prospect Le Prokop me out this week, was the first time an active player unr ntract to an NHL team had ever publicly acknowledged they were gay. Overnight, Prokop's announcement doubled the number of out gay athlet currently playg the untry's four major men's sports — football, basketball, baseball and hockey.

GAY VOLLEYBALL PLAYER’S SELF-ACCEPTANCE LED TO EPER BOND WH LLEGE TEAMMAT

They also highlighted the arth of openly gay players the hypermascule world of U. Though many retired former players have e out, is more unual for male profsnal athlet to say they are gay while still playg. Gay male athlet face cultural barriers Part of the reason for the lack of out gay players men's profsnal sports uld be that there are jt fewer of them the game.

Rory Magrath, a rearcher at Solent Universy England, has suggted that 's possible gay men are unrreprented profsnal sports.

"Gay men are a fe rource, so they n't exist great numbers every quarter, " Magrath told "Gay men are overreprented some areas, and as a nsequence are gog to be unrreprented sports.

THE UNOFFICIAL GAYT SPORT: VOLLEYBALL

That uld be due to the mascule culture at the center of the major sports, experts say, creatg an environment that is ls welg to gay athlet. Magrath helped thor a study that found that male athlet who me out as gay while still playg sports were largely met wh acceptance by their teammat.

Robbie Rogers ma history 2013 when he took the field for the Los Angel Galaxy after as the first openly gay player profsnal U.

GAY VOLLEYBALL PLAYER, ACH FDS NFINCE HIMSELF AND RENEWED LOVE OF THE SPORT

NBA player Jason Colls, who me out 2013 while he was still playg the league, later told NPR " went great" when he scribed the perd after announcg he was gay. After Michael Sam beme the first openly gay athlete to be drafted to the NFL 2014, then-Miami Dolphs safety Don Jon tweeted "horrible, " rultg penalti and a spensn.

THIS GAY STANFORD VOLLEYBALL PLAYER ME OUT TO HIS TEAM, AND THEN HIS SPORT GOT CUT

David Kopay, a former NFL nng back who me out 1975, was unable to land a profsnal achg job after he announced publicly that he was gay. There are key differenc the cultur of men's and women's athletics While few active players the major men's sports leagu have e out, many female profsnal athlet have said publicly that they're gay, om U.

"I don't like volleyball bee 's a gay sport".

WE NEED MORE GAY MALE PRO TEAM SPORT ATHLET TO E OUT

Homophobia asi (that's a whole other n of worms), there's nothg volleyball that I n see beg herently "gay", 's not even a ntact sport. This year my school is gog to have a club men's volleyball team and I'm serly nsirg playg, but my lacrosse iends are all llg me gay for even thkg about . So do you thk is a gay sport?

GAY LLEGE VOLLEYBALL PLAYER CLASS PROJECT TO E OUT PUBLICLY

Gay volleyball player’s self-acceptance led to eper bond wh llege teammat. “How n you tell when another guy is gay?

Francis Universy near Ptsburgh when I me out as gay. I was hont wh them about what kept me the closet: the homophobic locker room talk, wonrg if people would accept me and not beg able to accept myself. Some part of me always realized that I was gay.

Q: WHY DO GAY MEN LOVE THE OLYMPICS? A: ISN’T IT OBV?

In high school the tim I would hear words and phras like “fag” or “that’s gay” thrown around really ma hard to accept that I was gay.