NBA player comes out....

[Guest]

https://www.tmz.com/2022/11/16/nbl-isaac-humphries-reveals-hes-gay-emotional-meeting-teammates/

Not the most handsome man I've ever seen, but I wouldn't throw him out of bed....

[mike carey]

At 211cm and 115kg, throwing him out of bed might well be a challenge. Leaving that to one side, when I saw this a couple of days ago I was more impressed with this 'coming out' and the context of him seeing athletes being an example to others, than I was with Josh Cavallo's, but they get to choose how they do it, I don't. While it should not be news, it still is, and to some extent needs to be as long there's an element of 'you can't be what you can't see'. It's easy for me to say I don't need the example, as it is for most of us here but there are still people for whom 'not looking like the predominant group' in any field of endeavour can make them think that they have no hope of going there.

As with Josh, I had not heard of Isaac before, but then I'm not a follower of the NBL so there was no reason that I would have been aware of him. I doubt I will watch any more basketball than I did before.

[pubic_assistance]

Although I find it sad that people still need to "come out"...I do enjoy the public realization that gay men are not always effeminate cross dressers.

I myself struggled with my same-sex attraction in high school and college. I never felt any connection with the "gay community". I had gay friends and would hang out with them in gay bars...but was always felt myself an outsider because I was a testosterone charged sporty kind of guy with no effeminate tendencies. THIS was the assumption of what a gay man was. I am glad to see that people's perceptions are being challenged.

[+ Lucky]

After years of feeling like I didn't fit in the gay community as I was not effeminate, and let's face it, at that time most of the out gays were the ones who couldn't conceal it, I finally went to a gay bar in Chicago and was astonished at the number of masculine men, especially the go-go boy in the jockstrap. I had fallen for the stereotype and was so glad I got beyond it. Of course, this dates me as the event was a long time ago.