Leave it to some (insert my distasteful opinion of 'professional' athletes here) to promote homophobia...
I strongly agree with the "zero-tolerance attitude toward homophobia and all other forms of discrimination" concept the author suggests, and simply cant understand why, as of November 2002, these things haven't been addressed. I have a zero-tolerance for this crap, and fired a developer on the spot after witnessing him "teasing" a lesbian designer working on a project with him earlier this year. The irony (it isn't even ironic, just pathetic) of the situation was that I hired them to work on a LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) site for a university in New York. Him: "Oh, yeah, a friend of mine is a faggot, so it's okay for me to say "faggot" in the workplace." Me: "Nope, wrong, pack up, get out." Him: "But my kidding Noelle about being a dyke was just that, kidding" Me: "Nope, wrong, pack up, get out." It astonishes me daily how this shit is tolerated. Don't like gays? Better yank your kids out of school, because there's a good chance a gay teacher might work there. Don't ask a cop for help, (s)he might be gay too. Got yourself a nice hot latt�? Did the barista have a "I'm not gay" button? Better not risk it... make it yourself next time. The doctor, the nurse, the EMT? Better not get hurt or sick anytime soon... How about your accountant? The bank teller? The meat department guy at the grocery store? You have a white, a black, a Korean, and someone confined to a wheelchair in your office... you work with them, you have lunch with them, you are quite possibly probably friends with them... But nooooooo, not the 'fag', he just wants my (pick a part of your anatomy)... It's just too bad I cant put a little checkbox on my job applications, "Are you a gay basher?" Anyhow, back to the article... >From the SF Chronicle (02.11.27): http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/11/27/DD27850.DTL "No excuse for 49er's anti-gay comments" by Dave Ford THE MOST INFURIATING thing about the case of 49er Garrison Hearst, who told the Fresno Bee that he didn't "want any faggots on this team," is that this kind of thing just keeps happening. And that likely won't change. All of my 45 years I've watched institutions wittingly or unwittingly sanction homophobia -- from schools doing nothing about bullies calling kids "faggot" to professional sports teams, like the 49ers, playing down the effects of such violent language. Oh, I know. Hearst apologized Friday and the 49ers expressed contrition. Blah blah. But before the PR people got to coach Steve Mariucci, he had told this paper that the team was "too busy trying to block and hit passes to be involved in a social issue." There are those who excuse Hearst's actions by saying some players aren't the brightest bulbs in the stadium lights. Or they say that some people don't like the "homosexual lifestyle," or that players shower together and what happens if a gay man's there? Guess what: Those are excuses. They are called excuses because they excuse behavior. Until the behavior is understood to be inexcusable, the behavior will continue. And violent gay-bashing language is completely and totally inexcusable. (By the way, for you straight guys who think that if a gay man showers near you, he ipso facto wants you: Get over it. We don't.) ALTHOUGH 49ERS OWNER John York publicly denounced Hearst's remarks, the running back received no fine, no suspension. I think Hearst should have been fired. The 49ers, other sports teams and all sports leagues should have a zero-tolerance attitude toward homophobia and all other forms of discrimination. Sports teams should hold mandatory sensitivity training. But they'd be called "Say These Words in Public and You're Out of Pro Sports Forever" training. I don't care if sports stars are sensitive. Indeed, I don't expect them to be. I just expect them to be taught not to make the kinds of public comments that suggest to young males it's acceptable to bash gays -- and that if they do make those comments, they're history. But professional athletes aren't going to change without a compelling reason. Social pressure isn't enough. Change will come only when the institutions paying players' salaries create clear consequences for offensive behavior. Fines and suspensions won't do it. Threaten players' careers, they'll learn. BUT TEAMS WILL change only when they, too, face consequences for their policies and actions. Sports leagues need to step up and say unequivocally that, like racism and other forms of discrimination, homophobia has no place in professional sports. Period. This will not happen, of course. Sports leagues are multimillion-dollar businesses. Fans are customers. As long as some fans agree with the Garrison Hearsts of the world, sports franchises will not risk losing fan dollars by confronting tough social issues. So teams will hold well-scripted press conferences and say Important Words. They may throw a few well-aimed public relations dollars to lesbian and gay charities. Then they will talk about "putting this behind us." And everything will seem fine until the next bonehead millionaire athlete uses a gay slur -- and it just keeps happening. Again and again and again. E-mail Dave Ford at... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=5 Your ad could be here. 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