Former welterweight boxing champion Emile Griffith, who in 1962 killed a man in the ring who taunted him as a “faggot,” has finally come out in a new book.
From John Robert Cassidy in Newsday:
Imagine this — a gay man being one of the greatest professional boxers in the history of the sport. You don’t have to imagine it, it’s true. Emile Griffith, a six-time world champion and charter member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, is a homosexual.
This is hardly news. People in the boxing community have known (or suspected, few ever actually talked about it) of Emile’s orientation for decades. It has been confirmed in recent years by other forms of media, but never in the form of a book. Until now. Ron Ross has written, “Nine … Ten … And Out! The Two Worlds of Emile Griffith.”
I wrote about Griffith following a 2005 documentary about him and we included his story in our book, “The Outsports Revolution.” Griffith, 70, has led a turbulent life, with his homosexuality being a constant backdrop. He has basically been out for years (he once said he wanted to be the marshal in the New York gay rights parade), but in this book he discusses it publicly for the first time. He is said to be at peace with himself by finally telling his story.
In a 1962 welterweight title fight, Griffith knocked out Benny “Kid” Paret in 12 savage rounds, ending the fight by pummeling Paret in the corner with as many as 25 uncontested punches in a matter of seconds. Paret died 10 days later and his death has haunted Griffith since. In prefight comments, Paret had taunted Griffith as a “maricon,” Spanish for faggot. “When I had him in the corner in the 12th round … I was very angry in the ring,” Griffith said in the documentary “Ring of Fire.” “Nobody ever called me a faggot.”
In the new book, Griffith has this sad but true statement to make about his life as a gay man:
“I keep thinking how strange it is … I kill a man and most people understand and forgive me. However, I love a man, and to so many people this is an unforgivable sin; this makes me an evil person. So, even though I never went to jail, I have been in prison almost all my life.”
–Jim Buzinski
Hat tip to Michael David Smith at AOL Fanhouse
on May 30th, 2008 at 3:45 PM
hooray for another gay
http://www.queersunited.blogspot.com
on May 31st, 2008 at 11:57 AM
hes not the only openly gay boxer. there have been several here in canada , including olympic medalist, mark Leduc
on Jun 2nd, 2008 at 5:03 PM
Wow, those are very strong words in the quote. Leave it to the big sports media to not even do any kind of story on this since boxing is so macho they’d rather side step it (get it?)
on Jun 14th, 2008 at 8:49 AM
canadalaw,
Thanks for setting the record ‘straight’. I knew there was a Canadian boxer (Olympics) who had come out; I had seen an interview on “Shout” (OutTV) but for the life of me I couldn’t remember his name! My only excuse is it going to 6 in the morning and I’ve been up all night!!!
on Jun 10th, 2010 at 5:00 PM
Homosexuality is not an unforgiveable sin but it is still a sin that can be forgiven if someone turns away from it.
People though should not be abusive and hateful towards people who live the gay lifestyle as it is just one sin that people commit and as Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, “he who is without sin cast the first stone” and no one, except God himself, Jesus in the flesh in that instance, had the right to judge her but he didn’t condemn her but he said “go and sin no more.”
However, as Christians it is our duty to tell people what God’s word, the Bible, says and it says that homosexuality is a sin but it up to the individual to believe what it says on the subject or not believe what it says.
I don’t condemn Mr. Griffith at all as in my past I was a fornicator as I have never been married and I have had sex outside of marriage which the Bible also says is a sin but God forgives me for it.
So who am I to say that another’s sin is worse than my own sin?
on Jun 10th, 2010 at 8:23 PM
” . . . So who am I to say that another’s sin is worse than my own sin? . . . ”
You’re delusional is what you are. You live your life by a book written hundreds of years ago by men (not Gods) no more divinely inspired than either you or I.
When are all the Christians in the world going to wake up and realize their religion of Jesus and all their so-called saints is no different than the ancient religions of the Greeks and Romans? And how do people today view those ancient religions?
People hundreds and thousands of years from now (hopefully sooner) are going to look back at Christianity, shake their heads, smirk and ask, “Were people really that gullible or stupid back then?”
on Sep 9th, 2010 at 10:50 PM
“Homosexuality is not an unforgiveable sin but it is still a sin that can be forgiven if someone turns away from it.”
get a grip, kent!
your desires are not your sin.
if you have “sinned” , the sin is of not being kind to another person’s kindness?
on Dec 28th, 2010 at 1:50 AM
I don’t know guys. I was a young teenager back in 1965 when three of his “gay” friends tried to molest me in their apartment. Three black men. I was tricked into going into the apartment in the Park Slope/Flatbush (near Bedford Sty) section of Brooklyn. I was looking for another friend who said he was living with emile. I’ll never forget that terror I felt. I didnt even know who he was at the time. A boxer was all I knew. Gay is OK. Child molestation sucks.
on Apr 5th, 2011 at 12:26 PM
This prick of a man has nothing to lozt his black ass is almost a hundren
on Jun 26th, 2011 at 8:20 PM
Emile is a gentle and proud man who’s overcome alot and it’s a shame that he’s had to keep his sexuality quiet for so much of his life. I truly wish him the very best the rest of the way. I hope people find inspiration from his sense of decency and honor. Thanks Emile – you’re still the champ.