ESPN.com columnist and very good friend of Outsports LZ Granderson was gay-bashed in New Orleans last weekend while there for the NBA All-Star game. As he says in his column, he (ironically) was on his way to the Playboy party when he came across a group of guys who didn’t like how tight his shirt was.
When the eight to 10 guys surrounded me, I knew I was going to get hurt. When the first one pushed me in the back, I remember thinking I was going to die. After a second shove, I had no thoughts at all — only fear.
He also talks in the column about the Brady Quinn gay-bashing incident and calls the media (whom I think are the biggest hurdle in ending homophobia) and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on the carpet for not doing more about the story.
But what I do know is that the incident warranted more attention from the media and the NFL than what was given. I felt that way before nearly getting beat up this weekend and obviously I feel even more strongly about it now. I’m not looking for Tiger Woods/”lynch” controversy attention, but certainly something more than a brief on the back pages or joke fodder for blogs. We should want answers, not hollow apologies and inconsistent PR statements.
LZ will have an online chat today at ESPN.com, and he’ll be talking about Quinn and the incident in New Orleans. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
(Hat tip to Ted Rybka at GLAAD)
on Feb 22nd, 2008 at 3:53 PM
People need to go to his article and read the comments. Really shows how far we have to go to rid society of homophobia.
on Feb 22nd, 2008 at 6:42 PM
I read maybe two comments and stopped. I don’t need to read them to know that there are a great many morons and bigots (and bigoted morons) out there. I don’t want to subject myself to that if I can help it.
on Feb 22nd, 2008 at 11:43 PM
The BQ stuff is crap. It happened on 1/1 and is now an issue? I has been fully denied. Everyone just jumps in thinking they have a clue when they don’t. Bottom line: There are plenty of idiots out there — both gay and straight. I am so tired of all of this.
on Feb 23rd, 2008 at 12:07 AM
Speaking of gay bashing: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news…=yhoo& type=lgns
Is anyone else bothered by all the gaybaiting in this sports news story, or would you consider it “all in good fun”?
pablo | 02.22.08 – 11:05 pm | #
on Feb 23rd, 2008 at 4:06 AM
I read 15 or 20 of the comments and stopped… it’s pretty sad when these sports fans can spew such hate and hurtful comments towards a group of people.
You don’t have to agree with homosexuality… but that certainly doesn’t give you the right to verbally and sometimes physically attack those who are or are accepting of it.
Society has come a long way in the acceptance and understanding of homosexuality… the sad part is that there is still a long and winding road ahead.
KEEP YOUR HEADS UP GUYS… it’s websites like Outsports.com that will help pick away at the road blocks we face.
on Feb 24th, 2008 at 5:53 PM
Some of these headlines seem misleading..he was threatened but, thank god, not hit or actually bashed…there’s a rather significant difference. Those guys were no better than a pack of animals, no intellect, no reasoning, nothing but blind instinct and insecurity. Sounds like a very disturbing experience…I’m glad LZ wrote about it…had to have been theraputic.
on Feb 25th, 2008 at 8:48 PM
Headline should read
Gay Man called Faggot and almost got his ass kicked for letting his Detroit come out.
Just because you’re gay and about to get your ass kicked it’s not always gay bashing, sometimes gay men get the shit kicked out of them for other reasons, like letting their Detroit come out.
Sorry Detroit, I wasn’t intending to Detroit bash.
Avoid the bashing, save yourself and get the hell away from the crazy people. You can report the crime from the safety of your home/car just as effectively as reporting it from the hospital or morgue.
on Mar 9th, 2008 at 9:02 AM
Why can an anti-gay bigot like McFrank make a comment but I can’t?
Straight people don’t own the public square McFrank. Gay people can go wherever they want and wear want they want.
These are the three signs a point-of-view is apart of the straight supremacist ideology:
CONTROL: straight supremacists want to control what gay people can and can’t do.
INSIGNIFICANT/ SUPERSIGNICANT: straight supremacists will treat gay people as if they are insignificant or supersignificant. Example of insignificant treatment: it doesn’t matter if no openly gay person was ever on American Idol. Example of supersignificant treatment: gay people are destroying society.
DIFFERENT RULES: straight supremacists will apply different rules to gay people than straight.