She's a world-class athlete, gold medal winner, three-time WNBA MVP and one of the best female basketball players in the history of the game.
Sheryl Swoopes is also a lesbian.
But why her sexual orientation makes the news and why it is of importance is questionable. There have been many prominent female athletes who are homosexual, and there is a stigma and prejudice that they've faced (e.g., Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Nancy Lieberman). But acceptance has been a lot easier in the women's sporting world than in the men's (contra Esera Tuaolo, the NFL lineman who feared for his life if he admitted his homosexuality in the ultra-macho NFL).
Frankly, I don't care about Swoopes' preferences (she was once married and has an 8-year old son). She's an American, a champion and a fine ballplayer. And I'd rather her be a prominent celebrity as a likeable person and good human being (Ellen DeGeneres) than as a prominent GAY celebrity. Why? Because her character is more important than her sexual preference.
No comments:
Post a Comment