Ex-NFL Player Thinks There's More Racism in Gay Community
Michael Sam created history nearly two years ago by becoming the first publicly gay player to be drafted by a professional football team when the then-St. Louis Rams selected him in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
Although his stint in the league was short-lived, Sam continues to speak up about obstacles that he faces as a gay Black athlete.
When recently speaking with Attitude Magazine, Sam said he believes he encounters more racism in the LGBT community than homophobia in the Black community, comparing the differences in his experiences.
"It’s terrible," he said about the racism he comes across in the gay community. "People have told me I’m not gay enough, people have told me I’m not Black enough. I don’t know what that means. You want to be accepted by other people but you don’t even accept someone just because of the color of their skin? I just don’t understand that at all. How are you saying that, ‘Oh, I want people to accept me because I’m gay but I don’t accept you because you’re Black, or because you’re white or because you’re Asian."
Those views differ from that of his experience in dealing with homophobia in the Black community.
"I can only go by my experience and the people I’ve been around. I think it’s more accepting, actually," Sam said. "There are a lot of Black, openly gay people. A lot of people have [gay] friends, cousins, brothers, sisters. They have at least one openly gay person, at least it’s more accepting, that’s my experience.
"People tell me they have family members who are gay and it doesn’t freak them out and no Black person ever freaked out at me, ‘Oh you’re gay.' None," Sam added. "There are people who are overly religious who go, ‘Oh, you’re a f**, you’re going to hell.’ That’s everywhere. Ted Cruz is pretty much anti-gay."
Interesting thoughts.
What are your opinions about what Sam said?
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(Photo: Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
