Introduction to Homophobia and Professional Sports

Being an athlete myself, I've seen and experienced almost everything imaginable. Most people admire and appreciate athletes because only a select few people can be an athlete. Only certain people can constantly put their body through training and what not to compete at the highest level. Professional athletes do this and have been doing this since their youth, but they get paid for it and sometimes the money makes it worth it. When you become a professional athlete play becomes your work but sometimes its more work than play because no matter what its always business as usual.

Well since professional sports is looked at as work or a job, when it comes to being "presentable" making sure you represent your boss or "company" (sports team) well. You have to be "socially acceptable". I have failed to see one professional sport where people are different, meaning that they are not socially acceptable. I mean if the country doesn't accept people that aren't socially acceptable then why would they accept it in the workforce.

I'm specifically focusing on the topic of the controversial topic of homophobia but not only homophobia but homophobia in professional sports. I always go back to the example of that the U.S. promises its citizens to live in a country where you have the freedom to do whatever you want just as long as its not interfering with the happiness of other citizens, the pursuit of happiness, so when it comes to homophobia why does that right go away? You would think that when people reach a certain age they should be able to do whatever they want, when it comes to sexual identity, furthermore how does someones sexual identity affect their ability to preform at sports equal to or better than their heterosexual counter parts?

-Latipha Cross