Earlier this week, a report speculating that a current NFL player is “strongly considering” coming out as gay within the near future created a lot of buzz. There are many people who feel an openly gay NFL player would not be accepted among his teammates, while others insist that coming out would be a brave act that would help pave the way for equality. Seattle Seahawks defensive end Chris Clemons believes gay NFL players should remain quiet.
“Who on Gods earth is this person saying he’s coming out of the closet in the NFL?” Clemons wrote on Twitter Tuesday.
Following that question, Clemons made it clear that he feels it would be a bad idea for a player to admit that he’s gay.
@jack_humphreys4 I’m not against anyone but I think it’s a selfish act.They just trying to make themselves bigger than the team.
— Christopher Clemons (@chrisclemons91) March 26, 2013
It’s easy to understand why his comments were seen as offensive. However, Clemons later insisted that he would have no problem with a gay teammate and is not homophobic — he just thinks personal stuff like that should be left at home.
@hbonynge No one said anything about be a homophobic.I just think something’s should be left at home.
— Christopher Clemons (@chrisclemons91) March 26, 2013
Basically, Clemons is trying to say that no player should talk about their sexual preference or anything that pertains to it. If he’s not homophobic but thinks gay athletes should remain in the closet, he must also believe players have no business talking about women they have dated. We all know that would never happen, since many players do things like openly discuss their relationships and post pictures of their girlfriends on Twitter.
Again, we have a player who reaffirms why gay NFL players are afraid to come out. And it’s not just football, as this former MLB pitcher made a very similar argument about gay baseball players. Players like Brendon Ayanbadejo continue to fight for equal rights, but comments like the ones we heard from Chris Culliver and the ones Clemons made prove there are still obstacles to be dealt with.
H/T Huffington Post
