Sheryl Swoopes comes out

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NEW YORK (AP) - The W-N-B-A's Most Valuable Player is talking
openly about being a lesbian.
Houston Comets forward Sheryl Swoopes (swohpz) tells E-S-P-N The
Magazine she's tired of having to hide her feelings about the
person she cares about.
Swoopes was once married and has an eight-year-old son. She
tells the magazine she didn't always know she was gay. And she says
she fears coming out could jeopardize her status as a role model.
The three-time Olympic gold medalist says she wasn't "born this
way," and adds that's probably confusing to some people.
She says she doesn't want to throw the issue in people's faces,
but says she's tired about having to pretend she's somebody she's
not.

― teeny (teeny), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 11:57 (twenty years ago)

Here's the outsports story:

http://www.outsports.com/women/20051026sherylswoopes.htm

the '95 Air Swoopes have now surpassed Bapes as the gayest sneakers ever.

― scrimhaw1837 (son_of_scrimshaw), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 16:44 (twenty years ago)

What great news. Here's the outsports story:

http://www.outsports.com/women/20051026sherylswoopes.htm

the '95 Air Swoopes have now surpassed Bapes as the gayest sneakers ever.

― scrimhaw1837 (son_of_scrimshaw), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 16:44 (twenty years ago)

(Just in case my good wishes were lost in a swipe at sneaker nerds.)

― scrimhaw1837 (son_of_scrimshaw), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 16:46 (twenty years ago)

Yeah that's pretty amazing, although women's basketball seems to be the one "professional" sport that has a large gay-to-straight ratio among fans. Good for her though. For the rest of her life this is what she's going to be known for, not for any of her basketball accomplishments.

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 16:52 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I think pro golf has a few out athletes as well. And pro fisting. But that has yet to be incorporated into a revenue-sharing model.

There's a tremendous burden here, and yeah, it does eclipse athletic achievement.

Tommie Smith and John Carlos' times in the 200 in 1968 or Jackie Robinson's batting average in '47 don't really matter, except in light of their legacies.

― scrimhaw1837 (son_of_scrimshaw), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 17:06 (twenty years ago)

For the rest of her life this is what she's going to be known for, not for any of her basketball accomplishments.

Maybe, but let's not disregard the fact that Swoopes is one of the best women's basketball players of all time. As the reigning MVP she's arguably one of the most visible players in the league right now; niche sport or not, Swoopes enjoys superstar status in women's basketball.

Obviously, the climate of the WNBA and the demographics of its fanbase (as well as the league's forthright marketing of its product to gay fans), make this a much less controversial move than if a male player were to make the same announcement, all issues of gender aside. Whether Swoopes' sexual orientation will resonate with casual sports fans (most of whom, I'd argue, at least recognize her by name already) ahead of her athletic accomplishments remains to be seen; Martina Navratilova certainly hasn't been pigeonholed as a lesbian at the expense of her tennis success.

― d4niel coh3n (dayan), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 18:23 (twenty years ago)

pro fisting

Do they televise this?

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 20:06 (twenty years ago)

(xpost)

Oh don't get me wrong, my criticism was more aimed at how the story will be reported / how the public will perceive her. I think it's extremely brave that any athlete would come out of the closet, no matter which sport it is.

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Thursday, 27 October 2005 13:57 (twenty years ago)

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