Boston Herald Sports Columnist Announces He's Gay in Column...

[RockCreekRunr]

BY Aliyah Shahid; NY DAILY NEWS; January 6th 2011

 

Longtime sportswriter Steve Buckley is having a coming-out party. And the whole world's invited. The 54-year-old announced that he's gay in an especially candid column today in the Boston Herald. Shortly after it was posted, it had more than 300 comments.

 

In the piece, "Welcome to my coming-out party," Buckley recounts how his mother suggested seven years ago that he come out in "that story you've been talking about."

The columnist said he made "the biggest mistake of my life" because he didn't write the piece immediately.

 

"With a vacation lined up for the first week of December, I told her I'd get to it when I returned to Boston -- just before Christmas," he said, not knowing she would die of a heart attack the day after he came back from vacation.

 

Buckley never got around to writing it - until now.

 

"I haven't been fair to my family, my friends or my co-workers. And I certainly haven't been fair to myself: For too many years, I've been on the sidelines of Boston's gay community but not in the game -- figuratively and literally," he wrote.

 

Gerry Callahan, a fellow sports columnist for the Herald and radio talk show host of the "Dennis and Callahan" show on WEEI, applauded Buckley but said coming out won't be easy.

 

"He's on the frontlines down at Foxborough," he said. "He's in the locker room, he's dealing with fans. He's gonna be out there in the open and it's not gonna be easy for him. And he knows it. He knows it and I'm sure that's why he was reluctant all those years."

 

Co-host John Dennis argued it wouldn't be an issue. Buckley isn't the first sports writer to come out. In 2007, the Los Angeles Times' Mike Penner made international headlines when he announced he was transsexual in a column and began working under the byline "Christine Daniels." He committed suicide in 2009.

 

Of course, not all stories end so tragically. And Buckley acknowledges he has "read sobering stories about people who came undone, killing themselves after being outed."

 

But he says it's those stories that helped him with his decision.

 

"These tragic events helped guide me to the belief that if more people are able to be honest about who they are, ultimately fewer people will feel such devastating pressure," said Buckley. "It's my hope that from now on I'll be more involved. I'm not really sure what I mean by being `involved,' but this is a start: I'm gay."

[orbital sander]

Well, if this helps "the community" integrate more with society at large, than I feel it is a positive thing that another pseudo celeb comes out. It is probably a bigger deal for him than the rest of the world. Hopefully he came out on his own terms and was not forced out. People should not have to be a "shining" example for all to see unless they want that and are ready.

[leigh.bess.toad]

I remember very clearly when Mike Penner came out and the media circus it became. Hopefully, even just 3-4 years later it will be far less of a story. I certainly hope Mr. Buckley is content with his decision. I'm sure dealing with players in the lockerrooms may raise some issues with a few of the players. But hopefully that will be the exception. I wish him luck and happiness.

[happyguy2]

Like Lee and everyone else, I also wish him peace. What a time it must be for him, just lost his mother and now, either for good or bad, he will go through some type of upheaval. But I suspect nothing can take away from him the inner peace he must now feel for doing what he believes is right.

[+ azdr0710]

if he doesn't have his hair up in a bun like this Weir guy, it'll help the cause......

[JackTwist]

Good for Mr. Buckley. It's great, imho, that his mother KNEW and accepted him as he is. That is worth so very much. Soon such a disclosure will not be the least bit newsworthy. Looking forward to that day. Everyday we are getting closer. But sadly we are not there yet, I guess.

[Sooner405]

I think it's extremely important when figures from the sports world come out or publicly support others who are gay. Sports is one of those last bastions where being gay is the antithesis of the profile. In high school, college and pro-sports alike, guys in the locker room (and often in public) routinely engage in hyper-masculine and very anti-gay behavior and it's almost expected--a Groupthink mentality. Finally, we're coming to realize how destructive these attitudes are regardless of one's sexual orientation. It's time for the sports community especially to step up. I'm happy to see actors and musicians come out too, but sports is one place where it is still perceived as very cool to be overtly anti-gay and homophobic. That should change.

[orbital sander]

I think it's extremely important when figures from the sports world come out or publicly support others who are gay. Sports is one of those last bastions where being gay is the antithesis of the profile. In high school, college and pro-sports alike, guys in the locker room (and often in public) routinely engage in hyper-masculine and very anti-gay behavior and it's almost expected--a Groupthink mentality. Finally, we're coming to realize how destructive these attitudes are regardless of one's sexual orientation. It's time for the sports community especially to step up. I'm happy to see actors and musicians come out too, but sports is one place where it is still perceived as very cool to be overtly anti-gay and homophobic. That should change.

 

good, you get right on that one...

[happyguy2]

Ditto ... he makes a very good point

[bostonman]

What a time it must be for him, just lost his mother and now, either for good or bad, he will go through some type of upheaval.

 

To clarify. he didn't *just* lose his mother - that happened 7 years ago. So he's had 7 years to seriously contemplate coming out publicly. In his article, he explains how coming out at that point took a back seat to dealing with his mother's passing, etc.

 

As a Bostonian and a big Red Sox fan, I blush to admit I'm just learning about this story now, lol. I've heard Buckley many times on the radio, and have read his columns, and though it sounds so cliche to say it, I never would have guessed, lol. But I'm so glad he had the courage to do this.

 

Here's a link to his column: http://bostonherald.com/sports/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1307703

 

And here's a recent (and, I fear, typical) discussion on the subject from 2 of Buckley's colleagues, John Dennis and Gerry Callahan, of the "Dennis and Callahan" show which airs on WEEI radio (and now also on NESN TV) on weekday mornings; G&C are infamous for their (generally quite conservative and often rather sophomoric) political commentary often in lieu of actual sports talk...;-)

 

http://www.nesn.com/2011/01/steve-buckley-shows-confidence-guts-in-announcing-hes-gay.html

[GoodFella69]

Toughest decision before you actually make it...Once you do, it's the best decision of your life. Congratulations to Steve!