By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
It’s been a big day in the world of professional sports as history has been made since the first active NBA player decided to come out the closet. Jason Collins of the Washington Wizards decided to reveal that he is gay to Sports Illustrated and the basketball player says he felt it was time to do so because he wanted to finally have the chance to be real about who he is despite being a professional basketball player. He tells the publication:
“I realized I needed to go public when Joe Kennedy, my old roommate at Stanford and now a Massachusetts congressman, told me he had just marched in Boston’s 2012 Gay Pride Parade. I’m seldom jealous of others, but hearing what Joe had done filled me with envy. I was proud of him for participating but angry that as a closeted gay man I couldn’t even cheer my straight friend on as a spectator. If I’d been questioned, I would have concocted half truths. What a shame to have to lie at a celebration of pride. I want to do the right thing and not hide anymore. I want to march for tolerance, acceptance and understanding. I want to take a stand and say, ‘Me, too.’”
Not too long after Jason Collins came clean about his sexuality, another professional athlete decided to take to his Twitter account and tweeted what many feel were very insensitive and homophobic tweets. Mike Wallace, wide receiver of the Miami Dolphins, is probably regretting some of his most recent (and now deleted) tweets. Here are the tweets courtesy of the Los Angeles Times:
The football player quickly issued an apology after he got buried in his mentions:
Was Mike Wallace out of line for these tweets during such a big moment in sports history? Speak on it below.
Hmm…he wasn’t trying to be offensive. He just said what a lot of straight men think and I’m sure gay men say the same thing about straight men. The timing was tacky but I don’t think this warrants backlash.
I don’t think he was wrong on his ideas. Everyone has an opinion and this was his. It may not have been said the correct way but I don’t think there should be backlash.
I’ve heard gay men say they don’t understand how straight men are attracted to women. No one even blinked an eye when they said it. So…
Is he stupid? This was not the right time to tweet this. LOL.
I think he should have kept this to himself considering what just happened today. But I don’t think he’s being homophobic.
He was out of line. We’re all entitled to our opinions, but it took a lot of courage for Jason to come out the closet. So Mike should have been more respectful.
I get what he meant but he should know by now that in 2013, you can’t say shat about the gays. It’s just like breaking a law.
Foolish.
I’m with Mike Wallace of the Miami Dolphins I don’t understand it myself. He didn’t bash anyone he just stated that he didn’t understand it. I think the Gay Community tends to get over sensitive on the whole Gay Issue. It would have been wrong of him to bash the Gay Community, but I feel he was very straight forward without any intent to offend.
AGREED!!!!! Everyone is not going to accept and understand everybody’s lifestyle choice. Instead of bashing someone stating his opinion like everybody does on every topic. I wish people would focus on same sex rights. Opinions don’t matter legislature does. When people stand in the way of your rights then go off but a opinion l is ridiculous.
He is wrong. He shouldn’t have tweeted this. Gays are fighting to have basic rights like the right to get married and this is what he tweets right now, the same day someone had the courage to come out the closet in the NBA? He’s all kinds of wrong here.
I’m all for equality, but I don’t see how Mike was wrong to be honest about not understanding homosexuality. A lot of people don’t. Maybe if we didn’t jump on and attack people who didn’t understand it and tried to actually educate these people the world could become a much more accepting place. That’s just my two cents.
I don’t see anything homophobic in these tweets…as usual, the gay community is too quick to attack. That’s not the way to solve its issues and fight for equality.
EXACTLY!!!! COSIGN!! There was nothing offensive he just stated his misunderstanding!!! I dont understand it either…and would have said the exact same thing. I have friends that are in same sex relationships and I tell them the same thing…I dont understand it, and dont care to, but at the end of the day everyone has free will!
Whoa. Bad timing.
His mentions are going to be f-cked for the rest of the week.
Meh, he was just being honest and saying what a lot of straight men say when it comes to homosexuality. And honestly, I’m sure a lot of gays are the same way. They may not understand how people can be attracted to the opposite sex because that’s not their life. Do we call them heterophobic? No. We just call them gay. He’s a straight man who loves women and can’t understand how another man couldn’t. No foul here.
Idiot.
Frankly, I don’t see what the big deal is…. It’s his opinion. And I’m not agreeing with him at all… but people are quick to attack these celebs and athletes over social networks, instead of just simply unfollowing them. At the end of the day he is still going to have the same opinion about the situation, if you don’t agree unfollow him and move on. We can’t make everyone change their opinion… #justsayin
Another example of why someone who is a public figure can’t tweet everything they are thinking.
Much ado about nothing I think. He’s not being homophobic, he’s just speaking his truth. People need to calm down. We are too quick to get angry and offended in this country. No wonder we’re not living long lives anymore. We stress over the smallest things.
And…..what else would a straight man think? Lol. Y’all take things too serious these days
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, no matter if you agree or disagree. But, people need to stop posting any and everything on Twitter.