Fox News Takes 3rd Party Statement From Bryce Faulkner.

This is the story of Bryce Faulkner. A story lived by many young gays but not a story often told.

Bryce is gay. After many years Bryce found someone he loved. He decided to come out to his family and move in with his boyfiend. They had been together for about 5 months. With-in that 5 months they fell in love but before he was able to come out to his parents, his mother found his password for his email account and decided it was ok to invade his privacy and read his emails. She found emails between Bryce and his boyfriend (Travis Swanson). Emails that were private and personal. She being a holly roller baptist, would have nothing to do with her son being gay

His Mother, Father and Sister had an "intervention" and told him that if he did not go to an ex-gay program, one of the many put on by the Exodus Christian Ministry,(The one ,many believe, he was sent to is in Pensacola, fl, at the Harvest Outreach Church, 812 N "W" Street Pensacola, FL 32504)they would take away his phone, his car, all his money, stop paying for his collage and put him out in the streets. This is his family. Your family should never disown you and put you out in the streets to die.

Coming from a small town, in Arkansas, he felt he had no option but go to this ex-gay program (many gays that go in to these programs commit suicide because they are made to think they are abominations in the eyes of god). No one has heard from him since. Not his friends or his boyfriend Travis.

Now the family has come out to Fox New and told Fox that this story was made up by Travis and that Bryce went because he wanted to not because he was going to be disowned by his family. His family even made a statement for Bryce, that they said came from Bryce, but Bryce was not there.

Here is what they said Bryce said: "Every decision that I’ve made has been based solely upon my beliefs and I have not been manipulated or coerced by anyone to do anything."

Fox News decided it was ok to publish this 3rd party statement as if it came out of Bryce's mouth.

Here is the link to the story that Fox News put out: Fox News

Here is a link to the save Bryce Faulkner website: ergonomicalministries

I don't want to put thouhts into your head so read the story yourself and decide on your own.

Sinking To A New Low With The Matthew Shepard Act

I do not understand why anyone would sink to such a low. virginia foxx decided that the murder of Matthew Shepard was because of a robbery, not because he was gay.



Now the same people that she "runs" with, "The American Family Association", is saying that the Matthew Shepard act is there to protect pedifiles. We all know that is not the case. The Matthew Shepard bill was designed to protect people from being harmed because they are different.

This has nothing to do with pedifiles. Read it for yourself and see how absurd these people are.

I hope that you and everyone else in America knows that this bill is set to protect all Americans not just gays.



Here is Matthew's mother at the Matthew Shepard Act Press Conference. How anyone can take what she is doing and turn it into a wrong,I will never understand.

Please contact your sentor and tell them you support the Matthew Shepard act. This bill is not only important to the GLBT community but to all Americans. One day you might be attacked because you are different.

Click here to find your sentor and show your support of the Matthew Shepard act.

Rep. Virginia Foxx VS Matthew Shepard Bill

When I heard this it turned my stomach. It made me think about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his denial of the holocaust. She should be kick out of office.

Day Of Silence: April 17 2009

Founded in 1996, the Day of Silence has become the largest single student-led action towards creating safer schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. From the first-ever Day of Silence at the University of Virginia in 1996, to the organizing efforts in over 8,000 middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities across the country in 2008, its textured history reflects its diversity in both numbers and reach.

Last year’s Day of Silence on April 25 was held in memory of Lawrence King, a 15-year-old eighth-grade student in Oxnard, California, was shot and killed by a 14-year-old classmate because of his sexual orientation and gender expression. Hundreds of thousands of students at more than 8,000 schools participated. Their efforts were supported by hundreds of community-based "Breaking the Silence" events at the end of the day. Together, concerned students created a powerful call to action in order to prevent future tragedies.

There are simple steps that all schools can take to make schools safer for all students, to end the endemic name-calling and harassment that LGBT students and their allies face every day. We need to act now so that Lawrence King and the countless others who endure anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment will not be forgotten, and so that we can create an enduring legacy of safer schools for all in their names.

Check out the websight for more info: Day of Silence

Congress To Vote On Gay Marriage

The next battleground over gay marriage could be the U.S. Capitol.

A preliminary vote by the District of Columbia city council to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere puts the issue on a path to Congress, which has final say over D.C.'s laws. That may force lawmakers to take up the politically dicey debate after years of letting it play out in the states.

"Let's be clear, this is a new era," openly gay D.C. Council member David Catania said Wednesday, expressing optimism that the city's law would clear Congress after a final council vote in May.

He said the measure is the first key step toward eventually allowing gay marriages to be performed in Washington, too.

The council's unanimous vote Tuesday came the same day Vermont became the fourth state to legalize gay marriage and the first to do so with a legislature's vote. Court rulings led to same-sex marriages in the three other states where it's legal: Connecticut, Massachusetts and Iowa.

Like the measure approved in D.C., New York also recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere but hasn't issued its own marriage licenses for gay and lesbian couples.

The situation in D.C. is unique, though. After the legislation receives final approval from the council, which is supposed to come next month, the bill is then subject to a 30-day congressional review. That review could be the new Congress' first opportunity to signal its appetite for re-examining the Defense of Marriage Act, which bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages and allows states to do the same.

Via AP

Lex Luthor Loves Penises

Kevin Spacey was caught on camera getting a hard-on for hard-ons.








Via: queerty

Larry King's Parents Want to Sue Everyone For Him Being Gay

This is a new twist in the story of Larry King. His parents want to sue his school district, a shelter, and a gay rights organization for not telling him that being gay is not right. What the hell are they thinking? This is a classic case of parents not taking responsibility for their non-actions. The poor boy was living in a shelter for troubled children. He should have been living at home with his "parents". Only now, that the parents of Larry King see that they can make a profit off of him, do they want to be his parents.

The 18-page lawsuit filed by King's parents and brother names nearly two dozen defendants. It claims that everyone from King's teacher to his social worker failed to urge the effeminate teen to tone down flamboyant behavior. The suit also claims they failed to heed McInerney's alleged threat to kill King a day before the shooting.

In addition to his teacher and principal, the suit names McInerney and his parents; the nonprofit Casa Pacifica, a shelter for troubled children where King had been living; counselors; a county social worker, and the Ventura County Rainbow Alliance.

The school and shelter knew that King's behavior was "sexually assertive" and
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threatening but failed to take action, the suit contends.

The shelter gave him "cross-dressing clothes and makeup and women's boots," and the Rainbow Alliance encouraged King to make sexual advances on McInerney, the suit claims.

Alliance Executive Director Jay Smith denied the allegation.

"No facilitator or mental health therapist would say anything even remotely like that," Smith said. "This whole thing is just frivolous."

Casa Pacifica did nothing to contribute to the boy's death, administrator Steve Elson said.

The Hueneme School District earlier denied responsibility for King's death. [AP]

Via: queerty

Woman Writes A Letter For Brandon Mclnerney

This letter makes me sick to my stomach. I can not believe that anyone can find any right in the actions that Brandon McLnerney took. He took adult actions and should be tried as an adult. There has been to many violent crimes committed by teenagers and it is time they learn that their actions are not going to be tolerated.

Here is the letter for you to read:

I have been saddened since first reading the article regarding the death of Larry King. As a parent and a grandparent my heart ached for the parents and loved ones of Larry and Brandon McInerney. What a tragedy . Now our self righteous district attorney Totten and Fox wishes to compound this tragedy further by having Brandon charged as an adult. This is not only cruel but borders on insanity.

There is an abundance of scientific evidence to prove that a child of 13 years and 19 days does not have the capability of adult thinking and reasoning. I suspect the district attorney has no children or not ones that have hit 13 years of age. Any parent (especially mothers) of a teenage child can tell you what they are like in middle school. First, they are scared to death of being different, they want to be accepted by their peers. I always laughed and thought they are little clones of each other. They dress the same, wear their clothes, hair and make-up the same, listen to the same music, and speak the same (strange to adults) teen language. If you are different in any way from the norm (too skinny, too fat, too nerdy, an egg head or gay, etc) you are tormented. All though this is not condoned by most parents or teachers this happens, it is part of the beast or right of passage.

Larry was different, he was openly gay. Many adults do not understand the gay lifestyle yet we expect a young teenager to understand and show tolerance? Not going to happen. By accounts Larry teased Brandon that he liked him a lot and would let be known to him and his friends. In Brandon’s mind he panicked. He was mortified that Larry or any of his friends would think he was gay. Of course his action of bringing a gun to school was absolutely the wrong decision. Maybe if he had been raised differently or if the school officials would have intervened much earlier he might have chosen a different course of action. Why didn’t the school (who knew there were problems between these two boys) made a counselor or teacher available for these boys to talk to? Maybe his intention was just to show Larry the gun to scare him. To let him know he would not tolerate him to speak that way about him. (again very inappropriate) We will never know. Teenagers say all the time to friends or parents “I hate him/her, I wish they were dead” of course they do not literally want that person dead. They are a rollercoaster of emotions and hormones.

I am not saying that Brandon’s should not be charged, of course he should be made accountable for his actions. BUT AS A JUVENILE. He should not be charged as an adult. HE IS NOT AN ADULT. It is horrible to think of this child being shoved into an adult prison with men who will surely abuse him. This is his death sentence. How can we justify this action? I understand Larry’s parents wanting justice for their son’s murder, but if it had been Larry who killed Brandon wouldn’t they want Larry charged as a juvenile?

I have spoken in length with many adults in my community who feel the same as I do. They are appalled at the district attorney’s office and the judge who made this terrible decision to charge this child as an adult. What can we the average citizens (but one’s who vote) do if anything about this injustice?

Sincerely,

Mrs. Thomas J. Bright

Letter via: Stolen Boy’s Weblog

First Day Of My Life

I love this video....

Bi Polar Bear and the Glourious Hole

The Horney Homosexual Ghost

Emo Faggot Compilation

This is oh so wrong but oh so funny.....

A Diff Kind Of Love Song

Kinderen voor Kinderen Song - Two Fathers

I wish we someone like this kid here in America to teach kids its ok....

Funky Jesus.....

Thank Joss...

Slow Car Crash

Great song and video....

Schools Can Expel Gay Students

After a Lutheran school expelled two 16-year-old girls for having "a bond of intimacy" that was "characteristic of a lesbian relationship," the girls sued, contending the school had violated a state anti-discrimination law.

In response to that suit, an appeals court decided this week that the private religious school was not a business and therefore did not have to comply with a state law that prohibits businesses from discriminating. A lawyer for the girls said Tuesday that he would ask the California Supreme Court to overturn the unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel of the 4th District Court of Appeal.


The appeals court called its decision "narrow," but lawyers on both sides of the case said it would protect private religious schools across California from such discrimination suits.

Kirk D. Hanson, who represented the girls, said the "very troubling" ruling would permit private schools to discriminate against anyone, as long as the schools used their religious beliefs as justification.

"It is almost like it could roll back 20 to 30 years of progress we have made in this area," said the San Diego attorney. "Basically, this decision gives private schools the license to discriminate."

Via L.A. Times

Vitas!!!...Gay? Or Just Russian?

Is that an Angelina Jolie drag queen playing the violin?



Thanks !!omg blog!!

Gays And Guns...Is It The Answer?

Here are a few stories about gay bashing. After reading them think to yourself what could I have done in that situation. Then leave a comment and let us know if you think gays should start carrying guns to protect them themselves.

Four say they were attacked by gay-bashing thugs in the South End:

The victims, four friends in their mid-20s, told South End News that they were walking home at around 2:45 a.m., along Columbus Avenue, somewhere between Dartmouth and West Canton streets, after a night clubbing at the Roxy in downtown. One of the victims, a Jamaica Plain woman named Jenna, said that she and her friends heard a group of men shouting at them from a parked white sedan. They kept walking, but before they could go far, the four men got out of their car and started coming towards them.

"I saw the men getting out of the car, and I approached them first and said, ’Just get back in your car... We’re just heading home,’" said Jenna, who asked that South End News withhold her last name. "They were like, ’Fuck you, your fucking friends are faggots,’ and one of them punched me in the face."

When her two friends, Scott Cain of the South End and John of Jamaica Plain, who also asked to withhold his last name, came to her aid, the attackers turned on them. Two of them began beating Cain and another kicked John in the face repeatedly as he lay on the ground, shouting "Fuck you, faggots" throughout the attack. Jeffrey, the fourth friend who also asked to withhold his last name, was furthest away from the incident and was not directly involved in the physical confrontation.

The attackers ran back to their car, Jenna said, when she pulled her phone out and threatened to call the police. She ran after them and dialed 911 on her cell phone; when an operator answered, she shouted the license plate number of the car into the phone.

"I was screaming it repeatedly into the phone over and over again," said Jenna. "That’s when the guys in the car yelled, ’Bitch, you better move or I’m going to hit you.’" She jumped out of the way, and the car sped off.
After the attackers fled, Jenna and Jeffrey found John lying unconscious on the sidewalk, but Cain was nowhere in sight. They were able to reach him moments later on his cell phone; he was in his Massachusetts Avenue apartment, but had no idea how he got there.

"I woke up in my apartment, completely covered in blood, like from the movies," said Cain, who said that he could not remember the assault itself or the immediate aftermath.
Via MySouthEnd.com
After reading that story do you think the beating could have been stopped by showing a gun or would it have made it worse?

Is a Burger at Corner Bistro Worth a Black Eye?:

It was nearing midnight last Friday when I stepped into Corner Bistro, the burgers-and-beer hangout for West Villagers who’ve emptied their last dark ’n stormy at Beatrice Inn. I was with my boyfriend and three other friends. Hungry and thirsty, we settled down at a table near the front door, waiting for service. We came for an order of fries, but left with a black eye, a few welts, and an employee screaming “faggots” as he threw me to the floor.
I’ve been contemplating writing about what happened for five days now. Did bringing up a recently buried “attack story” make me sound like a self-righteous victim or, worse, a whiny pussy? Had there been no homophobic rhetoric, would this be lumped in with the rest of the nonsense that transpires in New York after dark? Worse, was I ruining my chances of ever tasting another Bistro burger?
The recap: My boyfriend sat down at a four-top. A man—a busboy or a waiter, definitely not a host—told him that our group couldn’t sit down. “You have to order food,” he said. “We’ll start with fries,” said my boyfriend, not moving. The man then grabbed the back of his shirt, at which point I reached in, instinctively, to take his hand away. I was then thrown down, the side of my head the last thing to hit the ground. There was some confusion as my boyfriend tried to stop the whole thing, and was then punched in the face, while the Bistro worker screamed “faggots” a few times, for good measure.
Via BlackBook and gothamist

This story is a little different because it was in a bistro but the question is still the same do you think showing a gun would have stopped this "fag hater" or would it make the situation worse for the victim?

A Gay-Bashing in the East Sixth 'Dead Zone':

Just after 2am on May 29, Jack Culverhouse was standing outside Emo's on East Sixth Street talking with a group of friends, waiting for another friend who had just played a gig inside to load her equipment into her car. Three men walked by – athletic, clean-cut, in their mid-20s, Culverhouse and others say – one of them talking on a cell phone. As they passed the group, Cell Phone Man leaned over and reached under the skirt of one of Culverhouse's friends, grabbing her. "He was laughing and being cheeky," as he walked away, telling whoever was on the other end of the phone line that he'd "just got up this girl's skirt," Culverhouse said.
But the girl screamed and Cell Phone Man turned back toward her as if, Culverhouse said, he might hit her. Culverhouse stepped between the two to stop the advance. "He still had his phone in his right hand and with his left he just sucker punches me and runs off," Culverhouse said. "I went from shocked to immediately pissed off." Culverhouse followed the man, who'd caught up with his friends. "I just wanted him to look at me – I was trying to figure out why he hit me." The man's friend turned to face Culverhouse and stopped short, staring. "You fucking dyke," Culverhouse recalled him saying. "Are you a man? Are you a woman? I don't know if I should hit you or not."

Culverhouse sighed; it certainly wasn't the first time that had happened. Culverhouse is transgendered – born female but identifying as male and maintaining a male identity. "I didn't think he was going to hit me," he said. "I think, 'He's just going to have to say "dyke" 10 more times.'" Emo's bouncer Lane Anton saw what was happening and approached Culverhouse. "I was trying to pull [Culverhouse] back into the club," he said. But the man ran toward them and punched Anton, knocking him to the pavement, before turning to Culverhouse. "He grabbed me, punched me, and took me down on the pavement," Culverhouse recalled. His head cracked into the pavement, and the second man, "held me down by my hair, [his] other hand on my back, while [Cell Phone Man] kicked me in the head and on my side."

In short, the altercation triggered by the man's initial assault had turned into a melee, a chaotic brawl that raises new questions about how – and where – Austin police patrol downtown's entertainment district.

According to Anton, several Emo's employees joined the group of women and other onlookers, trying – without success – to break up the fight, which was growing in intensity and spilling into the roadway. Several long minutes into the brawl, one of Culverhouse's friends spotted an APD officer standing nearby, watching, Culverhouse said. The friend ran over to the cop, imploring him to help. "You need to get over there," the friend allegedly said, but the officer wouldn't intervene. "What do you want me to do, go get my ass kicked?" he says the cop asked.

"Well, you could at least call some fucking back-up," Culverhouse's friend said before returning to try to help break up the fight. The fight continued until someone yelled out that they'd called the cops, Anton recalled, and Cell Phone Man and his friend ran off.

But the cops never came.
Via The Austin Chronicle

Now what do you think? Do you think if someone would have had a gun that guy would have ran off. Do you think it would have made it worse?

Please leave a comment and lets have a discussion about this very important topic. If you have a story of your own please tell us and let us know if you think it would have helped if you would have had a gun in your hand.

Matthew Mitcham Back In The Flesh

We just can't get enough of Mitcham. He is truly a hero in the eyes of many, gay and stright. Never have I seen a better form. The Advocate has a great articale with even better pics(grrrrr!). I can not believe he does not have a sponsor yet. What the hell is wrong with the world? Not only is he gorgeous but he has accomplished what no other human has done. Just in case you can't remember. He received the highest olympic diving score in history....thats right in history. maybe he needs to smoke on a bong for people to notice him.

Here is just a clip from the articale:

“I don’t want to be just a one-minute wonder,” he says. “I do want to continue being the best, so that when [people] think back, there will be no doubt in their minds that Matthew Mitcham was the best diver of his time. I don’t want people to think that winning the gold medal in Beijing was just me being lucky, you know?”

Matthew we know and we love you. Keep the gold alive.

Shawnee Mission East Fights Back

Hundreds of people came out today with a counter message to Phelp's protest against an openly gay student being crowned homecoming king. The students of Shawnee Misssion East and the surrounding community held up signs of love, peace and tolerance.

The Phelp's cult were held to only one corner, while the anti-Phelps protester were able to feel up 3 corners around the school. As you can see the students of Shawnee were not happy at all that Westboro was there.

According to student Jake Davidson, there is a Gay and Straight Alliance at the school and students elected a homecoming king in 2007 who was openly gay.

“Everyone is equal whether you’re gay or straight,” said Davidson, a 16-year-old junior from Leawood and an organizer of the student protest.

“It’s really cool that everyone wants to be involved and take a stand against this. It doesn’t surprise me that everyone wants to help out.”

He said word of the counterprotest ran through the school like wildfire.

“It’s pretty much all anyone has been talking about this week,” he said.

Via KansasCity.com

I would personally like to thank everyone of Shawnee East and the surrounding community that took time out of their day to make of statment of love and peace. What you did today was no small matter. It will be remembered and talked about for many many years to come. Keep that fire you had today inside you at all times and you will change the world.

Thank you,
PETERPAN

Shawnee Mission East High School....Can You Read?

Build your own Blingee




I was reading one of my fav blogs today(brickbat). They put up a story about Matthew Pope, openly gay student who won homecoming king. brickbat was trying to tell the rest of the world about the hate that is being spread by Fred Phelps and his sheep.

After reading the story I decided to read the comments. The comments I found were obviously written by extremely sensitive, over privileged, whitebread, descendents of a tightass stuck-up "I know a senator" one size too small cutting my balls off tighty whitey wearing parent, that's not even reading what brickbat actually wrote.

My advice for you is to read all of the story not just part of it.

brickbat has always fought for gay rights. The site has done more for the gay community in a year then most of you have done your entire life.

Here is a link to the story please read it. It is something that everyone should know about. It is sad to see that there is still so much hate in America.......and so much ignorance......

OMG! This Is F*@#ing Great!

Little Gordon....

This is great....

The Littlest Food Critic

This is GREAT! It made me laugh and that says alot.

OH HOLY SHIT! Exodus Christian Ministry Doubles In Size

Its so sad to see an organization like Exodus Ministries doubling in size. Exodus makes people hate who they are. We all know that you need to love yourself for who you are. These people want to change everything about you.

They even have a chapter named "Exodus Youth". The teen years are some of the hardest years that a person has to go through. Even more so for a gay teen. There is not alot of support for many gay teens. Yet, there are alot of people out there that tell them they are going to die of Aids and are going to hell. Exodus Youth is one of the worst.

Gay teens have significantly higher rates of both attempts and thoughts of suicide. In his study on gay teen suicide, Patrick Healy concluded that gay teens are "five times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers"(2001). As reported in "Lesbian News", "these youth account for 35% of the American population and 15% of all suicide deaths"(Ocamb 2001). Of the 4,000 students who were surveyed in 1997, 40 percent out of the 10 percent of high school students who attempted suicide were gay. For many gay teens their everyday existence can cause severe psychological damage. When they are at school they are taunted and harassed, and at home if they are not "out" they have the constant fear of "what would my parents say if they new I was gay?" Both of these situations can cause considerable stress on a teen, especially since they have to go through the other stressful problems that all their peers go through. The school environment can be a very unsafe and scary place for an "out" gay teen. Many times they are beaten-up and called names like "fag" "queer" and "dyke". In a survey done last year by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) on 496 gay adolescents "69 percent of gay students reported having been targets of verbal, physical or sexual harassment in school, and that 42 percent said they had been physically assaulted."(Portner 2000) Via Kristin Johnson

Exodus Youth thrives on teens because they have feelings and thoughts that they can not yet understand. Exodus Youth swoops down ,like an angel from heaven, then destroys everything that makes these kids who they really are. They brain wash these poor teens into thinking that what they feel is wrong and a sin. They twist and turn the words of the bible and spit them in the eye of these teens blinding them from the truth. The turmoil that these kids have to go through is so painfull, that many of them end of taking their own lives. All because these gay hating, self-righteous fucks, think they know all, because they "know" God.

Now they are clamming that Exodus has doubled in numbers. Their websight says "In the last six years, the organization has grown from 117 member agencies in 2003 to 234 by 2009."

They claim that they reach over 300,000 people a year, "with a message of hope and freedom through conference events and personal communication with those who call the organization for help each year."

I would like to know how many of the 300,000 people they communicate with try to kill themselves. Organizations like this one should be brought down. We need to start the fight where they began it, With our youth. We need to teach the truth, not the twisted truth. Please if you know a teen that is struggling with being gay or any life problem sit down with them and talk to them. Most importantly listen to them.

The Trials Of Ted Haggard

Ted Haggard has teamed up with Alexandra Pelosi, daughter of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to make a documentary about the life and down fall of the former pastor. It is set to air Jan. 29 on HBO. Ted Haggard nor Alexandra Pelosi have commented on the film.

I can't wait to see the film. I only hope Pelosi does not back off and keeps it real.

Openly Gay Bishop Opens Inaugural Weekend

The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, who was elected the Episcopal Church’s first openly gay bishop in 2003, will deliver the invocation for Sunday’s kickoff inaugural event on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the Presidential Inaugural Committee said.

President-elect Obama is scheduled to attend the afternoon event, which is free and open to the public.

“The president-elect has respect for the Rt. Rev. Robinson, who offered his advice and counsel over the past couple of years,” an inaugural official said. “It also has the benefit of further reinforcing our commitment to an open and inclusive inaugural.”

Last summer, Robinson was united in a civil union with his longtime gay partner. The Concord (N.H.) Monitor reported at the time: “The day marked the five-year anniversary of the New Hampshire election that, once ratified, made Robinson the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican church.”

Robinson’s bio on the diocese website says: “Gene enjoys entertaining and cooking, gardening, music and theater. He is the father of two grown daughters and the proud grandfather of two granddaughters. He lives with his partner, Mark Andrew, who is employed by the State of New Hampshire's Department of Safety.”

Via POLITICO

NBA's John Amaechi Comes Out

I am happy for Amaechi for being open and honest. what I do not understand is, why do all athletes wait until after their career to come out? I know they are afraid of losing their job or even worse, but we all are. We need an athlete to come out while they are still playing. Rats off to ya Amaechi! wish you would have done it 3 years earlier.

In a groundbreaking revelation that began to reverberate around the NBA on Wednesday, former player John Amaechi has become the first professional basketball player to openly identify himself as gay.

Amaechi, who played at Penn State and spent five seasons in the NBA with Orlando, Utah and Cleveland, comes out in an upcoming book entitled "Man in the Middle" to be released later this month by ESPN Books (owned by the Walt Disney Company, parent company of ESPN).


Martina Navratilova, perhaps the most famous openly gay athlete in the world, praised Amaechi's decision and said it's imperative for athletes to come out because of what she called an epidemic of suicides among young lesbians and gays.

"It's hugely important for the kids so they don't feel alone in the world. We're role models. We're adults, and we know we're not alone but kids don't know that," she said. "He will definitely help a lot of kids growing up to feel better about themselves."

Three years after his playing career ended, Amaechi become the sixth professional male athlete from one of the four major American sports (NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL) to publicly discuss his homosexuality.

"What John did is amazing," said Tuaolo, who came out in 2002. "He does not know how many lives he's saved by speaking the truth."

Tuaolo said coming out would be a relief to Amaechi.

"Living with all that stress and that depression, all you deal with as a closeted person, when you come out you really truly free yourself,'' Tuaolo said. "When I came out, it felt like I was getting out of prison."

I dont mean to make this less than what it is. I feel, though, if he would have came out when he was still with the NBA he could have saved many more lives. I am proud that he came out, but it is like a 35 year old man with 2 kids coming out, its to late.

Via ESPN