...the late Reggie White was, plain and simple, a strange alloy of athletic
talent and hardcore bigotry. The twisted "memorials" on Fox and CBS NFL
programming this morning have already tried to gloss over his 1998 campaign of
homophobia. In fact, the Green Bay Packers' failure to fine and suspend White at
the time (something, if you check David Maraniss' book WHEN PRIDE STILL
MATTERED, Vince Lombardi would not have hesitated to do) immediately made a
Chicago Bears fan out of me...
GLAAD Outraged at Comments of
Green Bay Packer Reggie White
|
March 26, 1998 |
|
|
NEW YORK, MARCH 26, 1998 -- The Gay & Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation (GLAAD) is calling a speech delivered by Green Bay
Packers player Reggie White "shocking and appalling." White spoke before
the Wisconsin State Legislature yesterday, where he accused the United
States of "going away from God" by "allowing homosexuality to run
rampant," called homosexuality "a decision," and applauded various races
for their "gifts" based upon stereotypical traits. To an audience of
political leaders stunned into silence by the hour-long diatribe, White
made comments about gays, African-Americans, Asians, Latinos, and
others.
"I'm absolutely appalled that someone of White's stature would be so
insensitive to a group that has faced so much discrimination and bigotry,"
said openly gay ex-Green Bay Packer Dave Kopay.
GLAAD Executive Director Joan M. Garry said, "White's stardom gives him
influence over millions of youth and adult fans. I am shocked that he
would irresponsibly use his voice in such a damaging manner. White's
assertion that being lesbian or gay is a malicious 'lifestyle' akin to
dishonesty and cruelty is bizarre, wrong-headed and factually inaccurate.
GLAAD calls upon him to apologize for his divisive and hurtful comments
and asks the National Football League and the Green Bay Packers to
separate themselves from White's prejudicial views."
In addition to demanding an apology, GLAAD will urge all of its
GLAADAlert subscribers to contact the Green Bay Packers and the NFL to
voice their concern. More than 70,000 people receive the weekly online
publication, which is available here.
GLAAD is a national organization dedicated to promoting fair, accurate
and inclusive representations of individuals and events in the media as a
means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or
identity.
-30- |
White Is A Real
"Cheesehead"
|
March 27, 1998 |
|
|
During a shocking March 25 speech to the Wisconsin Legislature, Green
Bay Packers player Reggie White accused the U.S. of going away from God by
allowing homosexuality to "run rampant." White said, "homosexuality is a
decision, it's not a race. People from all different ethnic backgrounds
live in this lifestyle. But people from all different ethnic backgrounds
also are liars and cheaters and malicious and back-stabbing." He then
said, "I've often had people ask me, 'Would you allow a homosexual to be
your friend?' Yes I will. And the reason is because I know that that
person has problems. If I can minister to those problems, I will. But the
Bible strictly speaks against it." He then explained that God had created
different races for different reasons. Blacks, he said, are gifted at
worship and celebration, while whites are good at organization. "Hispanics
were gifted in family structure, and you can see a Hispanic person, and
they can put 20, 30 people in one home," he said, adding that the Japanese
and other Asians are inventive and "can turn a television into a watch."
Assembly Speaker Scott Jenson had invited White, who is also an ordained
minister, to speak about his community work. Jenson said that sexual
orientation is biologically based, and not a decision.
Ironically, White has received the prestigious Tolerance Award of the
Simon Wisenthal Center "for his commitment to fostering tolerance and
pursuing his vision for a better America." While he later claimed his
comments were about "coming together as a society" and not meant to
stereotype the races, he explicitly stereotyped races and equated being
gay with lying, cheating, and malicious and back-stabbing behavior. "I'm
absolutely appalled that someone of White's stature would be so
insensitive to a group that has faced so much discrimination and bigotry,"
said openly gay ex-Green Bay Packer Dave Kopay. GLAAD Executive Director
Joan M. Garry said, "White's stardom gives him influence over millions of
youth and adult fans. I am shocked that he would irresponsibly use his
voice in such a damaging manner. White's assertion that being lesbian or
gay is a malicious 'lifestyle' akin to dishonesty and cruelty is bizarre,
wrong-headed and factually inaccurate. GLAAD calls upon him to apologize
for his divisive and hurtful comments and asks the National Football
League (NFL) and the Green Bay Packers to separate themselves from White's
prejudicial views." |
GLAADAlert Round-up: Reggie
White Reactions
|
April 17, 1998 |
|
|
Several weeks after Green Bay Packers player Reggie White's anti-gay
and ethnic stereotyping comments in front of the Wisconsin State
Legislature (GLAADAlert 3.27.98, "White Is A Real 'Cheesehead'"), a number
of media outlets have responded with a variety of views. Some completely
ignored his statements about gay people, which included his saying that
the U.S. is "going away from God" by allowing homosexuality to "run
rampant." White said, "homosexuality is a decision, it's not a race.
People from all different ethnic backgrounds live in this lifestyle. But
people from all different ethnic backgrounds also are liars and cheaters
and malicious and back-stabbing." But others recognized his backwards
views on sexual orientation as connected to his well-intended but
nonetheless gross stereotypes of ethnic groups. In addition, companies
such as Campbell's Soup have remained silent on their sponsorship
relationships, while Nike and S.C. Johnson Wax, the makers of Edge shaving
gel, have announced they will tentatively continue to retain White as a
spokesperson, claiming White was not speaking for them at the time. These
companies have already heard from mobilized campaigns from radical
religious groups. Please insist that Nike, Campbell's and S.C. Johnson Wax
sever all ties with such a divisive and controversial figure as White. Be
sure to let them know that their products are now overshadowed in your
mind by White's words. Following are some media items from around the
nation:
- On April 11, commentator Daryle Lamont Jenkins in the St. Paul
Pioneer Press notes that White's comments put him in the same camp
with Angie and Debbie Winans, who have followed up their anti-gay song,
"Not Natural," by joining up with the radical religious lobbying group,
Traditional Values Coalition (TVC). "It was foolish for the Winans,"
Jenkins says, noting that TVC "rallied against affirmative action and
social programs geared to help inner-city youth and has campaigned to
unseat African-American congressmen." Of White and the Winans, he adds,
"African-Americans cannot set themselves up to be oppressors. It is just
plain wrong, and it's dangerous."
- Walter Williams in an April 1 column in the Deseret News
(Utah) entitled, "Lay off Reggie White-He's Right," says that "race and
sex convey information [from which one can make generalizations] but
they are not necessarily true." Of White's comments about Asians being
able to "turn a television into a watch," Williams reduces the entire
continent to one country, Japan, saying, "from all the evidence I see,
Japan has lead the world in miniaturization." He adds, "Because we must
respect the human rights of homosexuals doesn't mean we must accept
their lifestyle as morally equivalent to heterosexuality." Of course,
White seemed to be speaking of rights when he claimed sexual orientation
is a "decision, not a race." Why else would he have said that?
- Boston Globe writer Ron Borges on March 29 comments, "As for
the issue of homosexuality, White later said anyone who disagreed with
him should read the Bible. As anyone who is more than an occasional
readers of the Good Book knows, it is tough to argue with White on that.
The God of this book considers homosexuality a sin. The point here is
not to bash gays." Yet White equates gay people to "liars and cheaters
and malicious and back-stabbing?"
- Finally, columnist J.A. Adande writes in the March 27 Los Angeles
Times that, "Any time a person's attempts to praise the diversity of
a society sound as bad as his railing against homosexuality, then you
know he isn't making sense. White said homosexuals should not compare
their civil rights situation to the plight of African Americans....I
wonder if White has read any of the medical studies that indicate there
are genetic predispositions toward homosexuality....In a way I'm glad
White shared his thoughts on race with us, because it showed just how
narrow a frame of mind he was operating within when he denounced
homosexuals."
|
Reggie Continues To Preach
Bigotry
|
May 01, 1998 |
|
|
The media continues to follow the Green Bay Packers' Reggie White after
his March 25 statement to the Wisconsin State Legislature, in which he
compared gay people to "liars, cheaters and backstabbers." On an April 27
20/20 interview he claims to "hate the sin/love the sinner," while his
wife accuses CBS Sports of dumping White because of pressure from
something called "the sodomite community." White also stated that in
calling homosexuality a sin he is "speaking out against things that are
hurting our children, and killing off our people. If people think that's a
contradiction and that's hate, they need to take it up with God." On April
24, the Wall Street Journal claimed "Minister White is in fact in
big trouble for having said, 'Homosexuality is a decision, not a race,'"
ignoring his assertion that tolerance of gay people was harmful to America
or his comparison of gay people to "liars, cheaters and backstabbers."
Greg Cote in the April 27 Miami Herald provided a different
perspective, saying, "Disappear, Reggie White." Cote says, "Reggie White
has shamed himself. Worse, he has shamed that which he would wrongly hold
before him as a shield: His religion."
White is using attacks on the gay community to influence political
issues by speaking before the Wisconsin Legislature. In addition, White is
currently joining anti-gay radical religious groups in an attempt to
repeal a non-discrimination ordinance which protects people from being
fired or thrown out of theirs home simply on the basis of their sexual
orientation. In the United States, something called the Separation of
Church and State allows White to hold his divisive and ignorant views,
however disappointing and destructive they may be. Many people of faith,
including Coretta Scott King and Rev. Jesse Jackson, disagree with White.
Yet White not only believes his view of God is the only right view, he
seems to feel it is a justification to deny basic human rights to gay
people. |
Reggie White Encounters Limits
of Free Speech
|
July 23, 1998 |
|
|
A July 15 ad in USA Today's Sports section pictured Reggie White
in his Green Bay Packers uniform. The headline read: "Toward an open
debate on homosexual behavior." A large-type photo caption read: "In
defense of free speech." Reporters thought the defensive end might
exercise those rights again after practice this past Monday (July 20). But
The Associated Press' headline read: "Packers stop White from addressing
media," and quoted White as saying that, "'What me and Mike talked about
is between me and Mike.' White said. 'I mean, it don't make no sense for
me to be telling you what me and Mike talked about." White was referring
to Coach Mike Holmgren who canceled White's spontaneous group interview,
saying it was in order to avoid training camp disruptions. In addition,
White has been ordered not to appear in uniform in future ads. "Not a
problem," said his agent, Bill Horn (not GLAAD's Assistant Entertainment
Media Director). "Everybody knows who Reggie White is. So he doesn't have
to be in uniform." Furthermore, in a letter of apology to the Human Rights
Campaign dated July 21 Packers President Bob Harlan wrote: "As an
organization, we regret the use of our uniform in the advertisement.
Please accept our apologies."
Please thank Green Bay Packers President Bob Harlan and Coach Mike
Holmgren for insisting that the team image not be used for homophobic
purposes. |
-- King Daevid MacKenzie, WLSU-FM 88.9 La Crosse, Wisconsin,
USA How Radio is done. No brag, just fact. http://snipurl.com/bl7j http://ultimajock.blogspot.com"Fear
and God do not inhabit the same space." DICK GREGORY "In an ugly time as this
the true protest is beauty." PHIL OCHS
Apply for Commercial Real Estate loans online and submit your deal to dozens of hungry lenders in just minutes. Loan programs for all types of business and commercial real estate. Apply anytime at http://realestatezoo.com
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