It's finally happened: Active pro team sport athlete says he's gay

[Billy B]

It's going to take a player in a game deeply rooted in american culture (NFL/NBA/MLB) before this gets true awareness and hopefully acceptance. Although this is a nice first step!

Exactly. To the common American, seeing a soccer player come out is probably just going to further any stereotypes they have about the sport. It's going to take a player in the NFL/NBA/MLB or a recognizable NHL player to get the nation's attention. You're not going to get a lot of gay athletes coming out because a Canadian soccer player did.

[Milo Meningocele]

For years people have wondered when this day would come. Now that it has, it's been overshadowed, ironically enough, by a same-sex abuse scandal in college football.

Whoa, whoa, whoa...the same-sex aspect is irrelevant. The evil with Penn State is pedophilia, plain and simple. Yeah, they're coincidentally both present in the scandal, but they're two separate things and it's dangerous to necessarily always lump them together.

[Gothamite]

For years people have wondered when this day would come. Now that it has, it's been overshadowed, ironically enough, by a same-sex abuse scandal in college football.

Whoa, whoa, whoa...the same-sex aspect is irrelevant. The evil with Penn State is pedophilia, plain and simple. Yeah, they're coincidentally both present in the scandal, but they're two separate things and it's dangerous to necessarily always lump them together.

Thank you, Milo. I missed that.

Gay men are men who love and have sex with men. People who have sex with kids, regardless of whether that's boys or girls, are something completely different.

[OnWis97]

For years people have wondered when this day would come. Now that it has, it's been overshadowed, ironically enough, by a same-sex abuse scandal in college football.

Whoa, whoa, whoa...the same-sex aspect is irrelevant. The evil with Penn State is pedophilia, plain and simple. Yeah, they're coincidentally both present in the scandal, but they're two separate things and it's dangerous to necessarily always lump them together.

Thank you, Milo. I missed that.

Gay men are men who love and have sex with men. People who have sex with kids, regardless of whether that's boys or girls, are something completely different.

Yeah...it's not even close. One's a deviant and the simply has a preference that puts him in the minority.

As for the timing, maybe it's not an accident. Maybe he saw an opportunity where his story would sort of come out (if you will) slowly, pushed aside by a huge scandal occupying 90% of sports media and a big chunk of news media; not because of the nature of the scandal, but the magnitude of the scandal.

As for how big of a step this is toward general acceptance...I tend to agree, from my ethnocentric US view, that this won't really be much of a step and it'll take an NBA/MLB/NFL (and possibly NHL) player to really get a healthy (and at times unhealthy) dialog here and move in the right direction. Golf and maybe NASCAR are bigger as big as the NBA and bigger than the NHL, but I think the team player is more important because of all the insecure male locker room fears.

[Evil Doctor]

Wel, should've figured, ITS SOCCER!!!

I tend to assume they're gay to begin with. I'm waiting for a soccer player to come out straight...

[Milo Meningocele]

Wel, should've figured, ITS SOCCER!!!

I tend to assume they're gay to begin with. I'm waiting for a soccer player to come out straight...

C'mon, pipe down with that stuff. This is an important topic, and this could be a good discussion.

[Gothamite]

Emphasis on "could be."

[Dexter Morgan]

Won't be a big story until someone in the NFL, MLB, or NBA does it. Don't even think an NHL player unless it's a big name would make a lot of buzz here in the U.S.

[Gothamite]

I think you're right on all counts.

Still, baby steps. Right direction.

[Evil Doctor]

Wel, should've figured, ITS SOCCER!!!

I tend to assume they're gay to begin with. I'm waiting for a soccer player to come out straight...

C'mon, pipe down with that stuff. This is an important topic, and this could be a good discussion.

It's soccer. Being the first openly gay soccer player (which he isn't by the way, hello Alex Bunbury!), is like being the first librarian to be openly gay. It has no cache, nobody cares, it's not a small step, it's no step at all! NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL are the only ones that matter, and it will only be important when someone comes out in one of those leagues. My feeling the NHL will be first...

[Milo Meningocele]

Wel, should've figured, ITS SOCCER!!!

I tend to assume they're gay to begin with. I'm waiting for a soccer player to come out straight...

C'mon, pipe down with that stuff. This is an important topic, and this could be a good discussion.

It's soccer. Being the first openly gay soccer player (which he isn't by the way, hello Alex Bunbury!), is like being the first librarian to be openly gay. It has no cache, nobody cares, it's not a small step, it's no step at all! NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL are the only ones that matter, and it will only be important when someone comes out in one of those leagues. My feeling the NHL will be first...

I'm not getting how that explains the ignorant comments that I quoted.

[winghaz]

Heck, in some sports, a one-woman man is a rarity, if there is one at all.

[vmd9]

Wel, should've figured, ITS SOCCER!!!

I tend to assume they're gay to begin with. I'm waiting for a soccer player to come out straight...

C'mon, pipe down with that stuff. This is an important topic, and this could be a good discussion.

It's soccer. Being the first openly gay soccer player (which he isn't by the way, hello Alex Bunbury!), is like being the first librarian to be openly gay. It has no cache, nobody cares, it's not a small step, it's no step at all! NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL are the only ones that matter, and it will only be important when someone comes out in one of those leagues. My feeling the NHL will be first...

What are you implying that Alex Bunbury is gay?

[Braden]

There has been players in the NBA (John Amaechi), MLB (Billy Bean, NOT the A's GM) & NFL (David Kopay, Roy Simmons & Esera Tuaolo) who have come out of the closet after their playing careers.

The problem is that in sports, there's so much of the unknown when it comes to this. How will it effect their relationship with their teammates, their fans, their sponsors, their employers?

The success stories of Gareth Thomas (Welsh Rugby captain) and Steve Davies (British cricket) who have come out during their playing careers have made it seem like the same could happen for a North American athlete, but you never really know.

[Saintsfan]

To me, this becomes more interesting when people don't feel the need to 'come out' in the first place. When they can just be who they want to be and not worry about needing to make a public pronouncement of their sexuality.

[IceCap]

Emphasis on "could be."

Not to fall into the trap of "lol soccer's gay lol," but the fact is that soccer, in North America, just isn't mainstream. I applaud David Testo for having the courage to come out, and I applaud his team mates for accepting him. It's a fantastic series of events. The cold, hard truth, however, is that this won't get much mainstream attention because it's soccer. It's just not on the radar of the average North American sports fan. This won't have the ripple effect that would have occurred had an active NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, or even CFL player had come out.

[Gothamite]

To me, this becomes more interesting when people don't feel the need to 'come out' in the first place. When they can just be who they want to be and not worry about needing to make a public pronouncement of their sexuality.

Yes, it will be.

And unfortunately, it looks like that is still a long way off. Announcements like this one will help speed it up, though.