The Gayest Sports Things You'll See This Week

Michael Sam

University of Missouri defensive lineman Michael Sam, almost assuredly a draft pick for the NFL next season, has come out. It is my fervent hope that Michael Sam is the gay Jackie Robinson. What a scary position to put oneself in. And how courageous and loved Mr. Sam must be. And the great thing is, if he's not drafted, then the NFL proves itself the bastion of homophobia that Chris Kluwe claims (undoubtedly so), it is.

Regardless of whether or not Sam is drafted, the good news is that more and more high-profile LGBT people are coming forward, refusing to be silent and refusing to deny who they are. The world over,  athleticism and physical prowess are celebrated far more than scientific. literary or artistic achievements. And while that hardly makes me happy, it's good to know so many high-profile athletes are stepping up for young fans to know that being gay is not a bad thing. Sam joins my personal list of sports heroes, which includes Greg Louganis; Orlando Cruz; Jason Collins; Martina Navratilova; Chris Kluwe; Brendon Ayanbedjo and British Rugby Bear Ben Cohen, among others. 

Speak out. Speak up. Visibility and Familiarity are the keys to Equality. 

So, sociopolitical rant over, here's a video by The Perez Brothers called "Weigh In." It's hardly surprising or unexpected but then, that's hardly the point. Enjoy the possibly NSFW short, below (via):

Maybe I should start training for ring...

More, anon.
Prospero

Get a Kluwe

A Man Whose Hand I'd Like to Shake - Chris Kluwe

One of my personal sports heroes has struck again. Writing for The Guardian, former NFL Kicker and staunch LGBT ally Chris Kluwe implores Olympians attending the 2014 Winter Games to be outspoken advocates for civil rights. 

Personally, I'd like to say that I agree with Mr. Kluwe. "We're Here! We're Queer! Get Used to Us!" has just as much meaning today as it has throughout the LGBT Rights movement. And while the fact that straight athletes like Kluwe; Brendon Ayanbedejo and Ben Cohen have lent their voices to the cause does a world of good, there are still so many unenlightened and superstitious asshats out there. Yes, the ignorant and therefore, scared seem to be slowly but surely dying out. Straight people my age (my friends already agree and my regular readers have figured that out, long ago) and younger, know how ridiculous it is to be so stupid and backward. Of course, lots of people my parents' ages have long ago agreed, but weren't able to do so publicly, until recent events have proven them to be on the right side of history.

Still... were I a gay athlete participating in the Sochi Olympics or a gay friend and/or family member of a gay and/or straight Olympian, I would completely understand your reluctance to speak out. I may not like it (visibility is our strongest asset), but I would respect your decision to remain silent. 

You can read Kluwe's piece here (via).

And just to keep things weird, here's some Olympic Nonsense:

Zombie-lympics?



It's somehow comforting to know that Rednecks are Universal:



Hmmmm... Does that make Yakov Smirnoff the Russian Jeff Foxworthy? The mind boggles.

More, anon.
Prospero

The Hottest Str8 Ally You'll See This Week

Ben Cohen

Regular readers know how I feel about 'reality' shows, in general. I mean, I get it. Everyone loves a competition and if it's not sports than it's animals, cars, film, dance or whatever. As long as it's not 'Real' Housewives; fake mediums; drunken New Yorkers pretending to be from NJ or children's beauty pageants (among a few others), I can stomach a few moments here and there. And I readily admit to loving "America's Got Talent" (I'll miss watching that one with Mom, who also loved it).

Here in the U.S. we have a show called "Dancing with the Stars," a ballroom dance competition in which D, C and the occasional B-list 'celebrities' partner with professional dancers in a competition not unlike the thousands that go on world-wide, all the time. The first film in director Baz Luhrman's "Red Curtain Trilogy" deals with just just that subject in an Ugly Duckling turned Swan tale of love and dedication. His 1992 film Strictly Ballroom is exactly the kind of Romantic Comedy that proves Romantic Comedies don't have to be terrible:

If you've never seen it, you should. I adore it.

Now, I suppose some of you want to know what a gorgeous, retired rugby player has to do with any of that. Well, Great Britain's most famous Str8 Gay Ally has been competing this season on Britain's version of "Dancing with the Stars," "Strictly Come Dancing." The hot muscle-bear founder of  the anti-bullying Stand Up Foundation started out a bit stiff and scared, but has actually come along quite nicely. I'm not ashamed to admit I've been following his performances on line, mostly via Towleroad, which is where the below video comes from. I have been a fan of Mr. Cohen for a very long time  and while there are jokes about him never not being shirtless, he can be shirtless, pantsless and clothesless all he wants to be, as far as I am concerned. And to be honest, if I had his body, I'd be naked as often as possible! Enjoy:

More,anon.
Prospero

The Gayest Thing You'll See This Week?

Uncle P is not a sports fan by even the broadest definition of the term. I'll watch Olympic diving or gymnastics for about 10 minutes before becoming completely bored, no matter how hot the guys are. I understand the rules of baseball and American football. I know that soccer is 90 minutes of neither team scoring. And while I have played a game or two of Horse in my youth, I was really more interested in playing "Horsie" (if you catch my meaning -- nudge, nudge; wink, wink).

The Philadelphia region just hosted a major college rugby event, which was (from what I've seen on our local news) a huge hit. Rugby is sort of like American football, without the padding. Players often leave the field bruised and bloodied, which is apparently how they like it. And while I love Ben Cohen and his efforts to promote tolerance both here and in the UK, I'd honestly much rather watch him shower than play (TMI?). 

So when I came across the video embedded below on Towleroad, I knew I had to share. Apparently the Toronto Gay Rugby Club is looking to recruit new members and they've put together this video in an effort to do so. Ladies and Germs, I give you "The Gay Who Wasn't Gay Enough:"

Can I be the on-site medic? I'm very good at kissing boo-boos...

More, anon.
Prospero