Women's Soccer and Homophobia Still Linked and A Major Issue in Africa ⇢

gayinnj:

On a continent where homosexual behavior is widely considered immoral, lesbians are sometimes ostracized and subjected to beatings. In countries like South Africa and Zimbabwe, some women are raped in a so-called corrective treatment for homosexual behavior.

In one high-profile case in South Africa, a top female soccer player and lesbian activist, Eudy Simelane, 31, was murdered in 2008. Although one of her attackers testified that robbery was the motive in the stabbing death, Simelane’s death became the focus of a campaign to draw attention to violence against gays and lesbians.

Last year, Nigeria, which is making its sixth appearance in the World Cup, accused Equatorial Guinea, another Cup participant, of using at least one and perhaps two male players on its team because of their supposed masculine appearance. Soccer officials from Equatorial Guinea called the charge unfounded, saying it stemmed from an “inferiority complex” among rival African teams…

NHL agent who made anti-gay marriage remarks loses client ⇢

It’s been a rough few days for NHL agent Todd Reynolds: Over the weekend, the state of New York passed a bill that grants the same rights to married couples regardless of their gender, of which Reynolds is an outspoken critic.

Now, with the start of NHL free agency less than three days away, Reynolds has lost a client because of past comments. Minnesota Wild forward Andrew Brunette, a potential unrestricted free agent, fired Reynolds and replaced him with Don Baizley, Michael Russo of Minneapolis Star Tribune reported on Twitter.

Good for him!  Everyone has freedom of speech, but you still have to deal with the consequences of what comes out of your mouth.  I hope more male athletes start to speak out in favor of LBGTQ inclusiveness and marriage equality.  We are definitely headed in the right direction there!

Two Straight Athletes Combat Homophobia ⇢

“It’s massively important,” Cohen said Friday in New York, a stopover on a cross-country campaign for his fledgling Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation. “Massively. Of course it is. I’m the other side of that bridge.”

Cohen, 32, just retired from a rugby career that included a World Cup title for England in 2003 and more than a decade with the Northampton Saints. Despite being married with 3 ½-year-old twin daughters, he has long had a huge following among gay fans.

With the surge in the use of social media in recent years, Cohen — whose Facebook page has been “liked” by more than 150,000 people — began hearing more and more personal accounts from fans who have felt ostracized for being gay. Some said they quit sports because of the harassment, or had been shamed into staying closeted, unable to find support from friends, family and teammates.

“It brings me to bloody tears,” he said, as he read a few e-mails aloud. He wore a T-shirt that read, “I stand up with Ben Cohen,” and included his silhouette as a logo.

But his quest to get involved is even more personal. In 2000, Cohen’s father, Peter, was attacked by several young men outside the nightclub he owned. He sustained severe injuries, including bite marks to his face, and died a few weeks later.

With those experiences as a backdrop, Cohen started this year what he believes is the first anti-bullying organization led by a straight athlete aimed at helping the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. After a couple recent stops in England, he is promoting the campaign in Washington, Atlanta, Seattle and New York in the next two weeks. Beyond raising his family on his English farm, he plans on making the foundation his postcareer priority.

“I can say something, and it can be so little for me,” said Cohen, scheduled to be a celebrity presenter at Saturday’s Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation awards in San Francisco. “But it can be so powerful for tens of thousands of people.”

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Chicago Pro Sports Teams Show Pride ⇢

Professional sports is one of those areas that has been slow to see the light on being open and supportive of gay players.  Bravo to the Blackhawks and the Cubs for taking the first steps in the right direction.

“Andrew Sobotka, president of the Chicago Gay Hockey Association, invited the Blackhawks to join his group in the parade. Defenseman Brent Sopel represented the team, and marched along with his wife. He even carried the Stanley Cup itself, which the team had flown back early from the NHL Draft in Los Angeles just for that purpose.

Sopel (who has in fact just been traded to Atlanta) wanted to march in honor of Brendan Burke, the gay son of Toronto Maple Leafs and U.S. men’s Olympic team general manager Brian Burke, reported OutSports. Brendan was killed in a car accident earlier this year, just months after coming out and receiving the unconditional and public support of his father. Brian Burke continues to speak out against homophobia in sports and schools. He had drafted Sopel when he was GM of the Vancouver Canucks.

Burke will march in Toronto’s Pride Parade next week alongside the city’s PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) group, said the Toronto Star.

Back in Chicago, the Cubs this year also had their first float in the Pride Parade. The Cubs are the first Major League Baseball team to have an openly gay owner — Laura Ricketts, a member of the family that bought the team last year. Cubs Hall of Famer Ernie Banks rode in the parade with the Ricketts family.”