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Homosexuality in Pro Sports

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Submitted By austin23
Words 1827
Pages 8
Abstract
The track of homosexuality in sports has been long, twisting and for the most part, very restrained. There have been very few athletes blazing a trail for gay tolerance among the top four professional athletic associations; the top four being the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB. In fact, the early athletes who openly admitted their sexual orientation were women, participants of individual sports or retired athletes. The more popular male sports as the top four, have seemingly been opposed in accepting a gay teammate in the locker room. With this being said, one can understand why the gay athlete’s path has been so difficult and private.
The culture of sports has long been viewed as being extremely homophobic. Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender From the beginning of sports existence, athletes have been considered hyper-masculine and barbaric. Even women who participated in sports were often viewed as “manly”. However, the ever changing social climate and the sharp awareness of gay rights and same-sex couples, almost assures us that there will be a cultural shift in the sports world as we know it. The younger generation proves to be more accepting and laidback of homosexuality; thus, it will only be a matter of time until professional sports teams find a gay athlete on their roster. I ask you this, if gay tolerance is to be expected in the workplace, in the halls of our educational centers, in the United States Congress, and in the United States Armed Forces, then why should professional sports teams be excused?
It’s the year 2014 and looking back, we have seen our country undergo many civil movements and pass many civil laws eliminating discrimination. Our country is viewed as one of tolerance and fairness. We live in a

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