Come Out And Play
Edited 04-16-2018: Grammatically and Readability
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I am a firm believer in the saying, "If you're not a part of the solution, you're a part of the problem.".
"No Pride", will have a wide range of stories but, for the most part, my life as an openly gay man doesn't have nearly as many positive stories to tell in comparison to the negative ones. This is going to be a positive story, and I hope, one day the story I'm focusing on today will come true.
It starts with this article.
I came up with an idea for a non-profit organization.
An organization focused on helping the LGBTQ community participate in sports. No fear of judgment, discrimination, harassment, or bullying. It would require the participation of openly gay professional athletes. The organization would be called, "Come Out And Play".
When I was younger, I played several sports.
I played Basketball, Baseball, Tae Kwon Do, Volleyball, Track, and Field. I had some success but, there were some sports where, no matter how much effort I put into practicing and trying to become a better athlete, I didn't feel like I was wanted.
Locker rooms and overnight bus trips brought about numerous awkward instances and I felt insignificant to the team.
Even if I spent an entire game as a bench-warmer, I felt like I had lost the game as well but, nothing compared to having to endure punishment for something I didn't have any direct influence with.
I cheered, I helped with the water bottles, I did whatever I could to fit in and show interest in being a part of the team.
To no avail.
This theme still plays out in professional sports to this day. The list of American LGBTQ athletes is limited and most are from individual sports.
The majority of athletes who are open about their sexual orientation only did so after they were no longer playing professionally. Make no mistake, the stigma is real.
The list has grown with a few athletes coming out this year but, there is still a lot more work to be done.
Giving the LGBTQ community a place to express their desire to play sports has been taken for granted. If I had the power and influence to do so, I would love to see something like, "Come Out and Play", become a reality.
_________________________________________________________________________________
I am a firm believer in the saying, "If you're not a part of the solution, you're a part of the problem.".
"No Pride", will have a wide range of stories but, for the most part, my life as an openly gay man doesn't have nearly as many positive stories to tell in comparison to the negative ones. This is going to be a positive story, and I hope, one day the story I'm focusing on today will come true.
It starts with this article.
I came up with an idea for a non-profit organization.
An organization focused on helping the LGBTQ community participate in sports. No fear of judgment, discrimination, harassment, or bullying. It would require the participation of openly gay professional athletes. The organization would be called, "Come Out And Play".
When I was younger, I played several sports.
I played Basketball, Baseball, Tae Kwon Do, Volleyball, Track, and Field. I had some success but, there were some sports where, no matter how much effort I put into practicing and trying to become a better athlete, I didn't feel like I was wanted.
Locker rooms and overnight bus trips brought about numerous awkward instances and I felt insignificant to the team.
Even if I spent an entire game as a bench-warmer, I felt like I had lost the game as well but, nothing compared to having to endure punishment for something I didn't have any direct influence with.
I cheered, I helped with the water bottles, I did whatever I could to fit in and show interest in being a part of the team.
To no avail.
This theme still plays out in professional sports to this day. The list of American LGBTQ athletes is limited and most are from individual sports.
The majority of athletes who are open about their sexual orientation only did so after they were no longer playing professionally. Make no mistake, the stigma is real.
The list has grown with a few athletes coming out this year but, there is still a lot more work to be done.
Giving the LGBTQ community a place to express their desire to play sports has been taken for granted. If I had the power and influence to do so, I would love to see something like, "Come Out and Play", become a reality.
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