Keeping them on the fields

The Legislative Black Caucus of South Carolina is not calling for a worldwide class revolution, or even organizing a demonstration of thousands to demand bread. These lawmakers are, however, hitting white elites where it hurts by urging black football recruits to reconsider attending the University of South Carolina (USC). The caucus is responding to the university’s board of trustees, which is likely to lose its lone black member.

State Rep. David Weeks, the chairman of the caucus, told the AP, “We are asking young athletes to be aware … there are folks in this state who say it’s fine to play ball but not to be on the governing board.”

You Can Be a Macho, Macho Man

I usually end up with a hopeless feeling after a discussion of a man “coming out” within an hyper-masculine subculture, such as the military or certain athletics. It is completely illogical that a man who has come up through the warrior-like atmosphere around something like football would somehow be committing some irreparable offense to his peers by disclosing one little difference in his sexuality. Even with our current understanding of what it means to be gay, we still find certain subcultures that revert gayness back to something out of Turn of the Century, when there were men, women, and fairies. In a remarkable coincidence, Ohio State University’s head football coach Jim Tressel comes as a beacon of hope with his recent interview with Outlook Columbus. The interview can be found on page 32 of the publication’s “Queers & Sports” March issue.

Gay Marriage as Interpreted by The Onion

In browsing The Onion, one of the recent news blurbs caught my eye as an interesting commentary on how little our society seems to have changed since the days of Gay New York.

Gay Marriage Passes In 9 States After Area Homosexual Dunks On Regulation Rim

MONTGOMERY, AL—A two-handed slam dunk by an openly homosexual man set off a chain of events this week that culminated in the legalization of gay marriage in nine states, including Mississippi and Alabama. “When I saw that dunk, I was like, ‘Whoa!’” said Alabama state Sen. Hinton Mitchem, adding that his office was flooded with calls and e-mails from constituents demanding legal recognition of same-sex marriages following the slam. “A guy with nasty moves like that should be entitled to the same fundamental rights as the rest of us.” On Thursday, the New York State Senate passed a resolution declaring that it would take a pretty sweet roundhouse kick from a gay mixed martial arts champion before it would allow homosexuals to marry.

Okay, okay, so I know it’s satire. But it makes me wonder…why is it an athletic, physical feat that convinces lawmakers to grant gays “the same fundamental rights as the rest of us”? Was this a conscious choice on the part of the writer? I’d be interested to know. Despite the supposed movement away from strict gender roles, there are still a lot of (conscious or unconscious) expectations of both sexes regarding physical appearance and mannerisms. If, in real life, gay men were stereotyped a little less like Johnny Weir and a little more like Johnny Damon–that is, adhering to the traditional “macho” male gender norms–would mainstream society be more willing to accept them and/or enact more equitable social legislation?

Jack McCain and Jack Johnson

John McCain is apparently seeking a posthumous pardon for Jack Johnson, who was convicted of violating the Mann Act in 1913.  Is he trying to atone for voting against the MLK holiday?

Phelps in Hot Water

Jason Whitlock, writer for the Kansas City Star and FOXSports.com, is the columnist whose name I could not remember during our class discussion on race and sports. Whitlock offered here an analysis of the Phelps incident and racial double-standards in the sports world (or the lack thereof in this instance), something that came up during last Thursday’s conversation. For Whitlock,  fan and sporting press reactions to such incidents for have more to do with an athlete’s public image than the color of his/her skin. Other interesting pieces by Whitlock include this article on black coaches in college football, and this article on the NBA’s player dress code.