"Hyperbolic Homophobia" By Greg Hernandez

One gay football player in the locker room is a major issue. The major issue is how fifty-two other guys can potentially find it to be a major issue.

It was simply inevitable. Michael Sam an All-American Defensive End for the Missouri Tigers announced that he is entering the NFL draft, he also announced that he is gay. "I am an openly, proud gay man," were his exact words. It came as a shock to his father who found out like the rest of us, in the news. Michael Sam is the first, of what will most likely be more gay college football players to announce their sexual orientation and interest in playing pro-football. A majority of Sam's teammates in college support him. The NFLPA supports him. I support him.

Now, the irony is that Sam will most definitely face discrimination in the days, weeks, months, and years to come as he pursues his career. It cannot be something he is not used to, but the sheer scope of it might be difficult to grow accustomed to, which is why there is a NFLPA. The ironic part comes with current player's perspectives, which I will admit are pretty understandable, if you're an ignorant human being who grew up with parents who failed to teach you about diversity for intellectual reasons, personal reasons, or religious reasons. I used the word ignorant not stupid-there is a difference.

These two quotes are from Saints Linebacker Jonathan Vilma: 

"I think that he would not be accepted as much as we think he would be accepted," Vilma said. "I don't want people to just naturally assume, like, 'Oh, we're all homophobic.' That's really not the case. Imagine if he's the guy next to me and, you know, I get dressed, naked, taking a shower, the whole nine, and it just so happens he looks at me.

"How am I supposed to respond?"

Yes, how are you supposed to respond? One draft, one player, Thirty-two teams. If he lands on your team surely you will not avoid him in the showers, will you? You will not set some sort of ground rules for a potential meeting, shall you? You could just simply look the other way or say please man don't look at me, it makes me feel uncomfortable, couldn't you?

Of course Vilma clarified his comments: "It was a poor illustration of the example I was trying to give on the context, so I do apologize for that," Vilma said (via Nola.com). "I was trying to explain that whenever you have change into something that's been set in stone for so long, something that's been going for so long, that change always comes with a little resistance."

Read up on the full interview here:  http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/saints-linebacker-jonathan-vilma-clarifies-homophobic-views-prior-151112471--nfl.html

That is an obvious answer, but let us take this into context. Bayard Rustin who organized the Civil Rights march in Washington of 1963 was shunned by some civil rights leaders, however when it came time to organize and mobilize, they turned to him and he delivered. Fast forward fifty-one years later and there is resistance to an African-American gay man wanting to be drafted into the NFL.

Vilma, must research his history, as all African-Americans should. After all they have gone through to secure their civil rights, there should be no resistance to Michael Sam.

Picture a young boy asking his mom about an interaction with a gay person:

"Mama, I don't want him staring at my pee pee." says the son.

"Don't worry, I will not let him." assures the mother.

"Mama, will I grow up to stare at other boy's pee pees too?"

"I don't know dear, will talk about it when you get older, ok..."

Sexuality is a versatile magnet full of unexpected possibilities. You can grow up and stare at a woman's or man's body parts or both. You can desire one or the other or both. It does not matter.

Vilma sounds like a child who has never had the talk before. He is sexually ignorant.

The irony of it all is how men are intensely homophobic and incredibly ignorant. One gay man in the locker room is not a threat. His teammates in college accepted and supported him. Now, they are from ages of 18-24. Vilma is 31, yet his maturity level screams the adolescence stage. How does he look at women? Is he merely afraid of getting the same potential hungry and desirable look from a man eight years his junior in the showers? This innate fear must dissipate. Accept instead of resist. Mankind resists things that they fear and do not understand.

Be progressive, not backwards. Talk to the man before you judge him. If there is a minority of people in the NFL who feel doubt toward the inclusion of Michael Sam, let them meet and get to know the man before they express their doubts, fears, and concerns. Do that and then you will understand him better.

A quick Wikipedia search on Sam can produce this: "Sam is the seventh of eight children born to JoAnn and Michael Sam. As a child, Sam watched one of his older brothers die from a gunshot wound. Another older brother has been missing since 1998, and his other two brothers are both imprisoned. A sister who was born before him died in infancy. Sam is the first member of his family to attend college"

It is foolish for African-Americans to discriminate against other African-Americans or anyone else for that matter. Forget the sexual orientation for a second. This is a human being who found salvation through playing football. Do not exclude him, include him. The NFL is supposed to be a brotherhood of men. Well, it is time to diversify that brotherhood.

Diversity should be the issue, not resistance. Homophobia is not the true word, it is hypocrisy.