Out Magazine Interview: NFL Stud Chris Kluwe Talks Same Sex Marriage, Gay Rights, & Football Career.
Chris Kluwe: Kick Ass
10.2.2012
BY CYD ZEIGLER
Photography by David Bowman
“Your insults can’t be the standard fuck, shit, bitch — it has to be something that sticks in people’s minds,” says Chris Kluwe, the Minnesota Vikings punter, explaining how to craft a devastating letter to someone whose views you hold reprehensible. “Generally the way you do that is to take a swear word—usually a part of someone’s anatomy — and attach it to something else that it normally wouldn’t go with. When you come up with a good one, you’ll know you have it because you’ll just start giggling to yourself.”
For example, “lustful cockmonster.”
On September 7, you could sense the howls of laughter reverberating across the Internet after Kluwe’sexcoriating letter to Maryland state delegate Emmett C. Burns Jr. was published on the sports fansite Deadspin and quickly went viral. A week earlier, in a letter brimming with self-importance, Burns had told the Baltimore Ravens to “order” linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo to cease advocating for same-sex marriage. Kluwe’s response was a master class in how to take down a pompous and wrong-headed ass.
“I find it inconceivable that you are an elected official of Maryland’s state government,” Kluwe’s letter started, reasonably enough. “Your vitriolic hatred and bigotry make me ashamed and disgusted to think that you are in any way responsible for shaping policy at any level.” Kluwe then went on to dismantle Burns’s position, point by point, culminating in a crescendo of wit and impishness — and that now-fabled coinage. It’s worth running the penultimate paragraph in full, if only because it does such a good job of clarifying the issues:
“I can assure you that gay people getting married will have zero effect on your life. They won’t come into your house and steal your children. They won’t magically turn you into a lustful cockmonster. They won’t even overthrow the government in an orgy of hedonistic debauchery because all of a sudden they have the same legal rights as the other 90 percent of our population — rights like Social Security benefits, child care tax credits, Family and Medical Leave to take care of loved ones, and COBRA healthcare for spouses and children. You know what having these rights will make gays? Full-fledged American citizens just like everyone else, with the freedom to pursue happiness and all that entails. Do the civil-rights struggles of the past 200 years mean absolutely nothing to you?”
Oh, he also called Burns a “narcissistic fromunda stain” — which is just showing off.
With all the attention on Kluwe’s letter, it’s easy to forget that he was, in turn, inspired by another football player, the Ravens’s Ayanbadejo, busy fighting his own corner in Baltimore. In November, voters in both Minnesota and Maryland will be faced with marriage-equality ballot initiatives, so the high-profile stance of Kluwe and Ayanbadejo could have real and profound consequences. The positions of both men not only reflect how quickly opinion is shifting, but also spotlight the need to check our own preconceptions of the sports world as inherently intolerant and homophobic.
“I’ve always relished breaking that stereotype of the dumb jock athlete because while I enjoyed athletics growing up, I also enjoyed reading and video games, and athletic sport is not what defines me as a person,” says Kluwe. “I think as more and more generations start rising through the NFL, a lot of these kids see that it’s OK to be something other than an athlete.”
ESPN radio sportscaster, Jared Max, who came out in 2011, agrees, pointing out that the lifespan of an NFL player is much shorter than most other sports, generating faster turnover. “I strongly believe that goodness is contagious and that others will jump on board as the younger generation begins to populate the NFL,” he says, with some justification given a recent poll by Outsports.com, which identified 28 current NFL players who’ve expressed support for gay rights. For Max, players like Kluwe and Ayanbadejo deserve comparison to earlier taboo-busters like Branch Rickey, who broke through Major League Baseball’s color barrier by signing Jackie Robinson to the Dodgers in 1945.
But for Kluwe, taking a stand on gay rights is as instinctual as planting his foot into a ball. “It’s all about the Golden Rule,” he says. “Treat other people as you want to be treated. It’s that simple. It’s something that needs to be spoken about, and it’s something I can do while fulfilling my job as a football player.”
Growing up in Los Alamitos, Calif., 20 miles south of Los Angeles, Kluwe’s parents preached to their son a mantra of tolerance with a profanity-free lexicon. Neither stuck at the time. As a tween, gay slurs peppered his speech with the same heedlessness as his peers. “Unfortunately, as kids, sometimes you don’t understand what your words can mean because you’re not emotionally mature enough yet,” he says. “As you grow up and start learning about the world, you realize, Hey, some of this stuff is hurtful; I would not want to be treated that way. That’s part of maturing.”
Kluwe’s voracious appetite for reading was also instrumental. He displays an old-fashioned ability to quote Voltaire or Ralph Waldo Emerson and reads so much sci-fi and fantasy that he jokes that Barnes & Noble can’t keep up. On his active Twitter account, he’ll solicit suggestions for his book list. A recent post reads, “This Vonnegut guy, I like the cut of his jib.” A few hours later, he’d already updated it: “Damn. Slaughterhouse 5 makes me want to simultaneously punch and hug the entire human race. The same stupid cycle over and over.”
It’s easy to trace Kluwe, the outspoken gay rights advocate, through his childhood obsessions with gaming and sci-fi. The thrust and parry of video-game discussion boards, he says, helped to hone his debating skills; his love of books expanded his vocabulary. At the same time, his immersion into the worlds of Terry Pratchett and Iain M. Banks — two of his favorite writers — has merely served to accentuate the flaws and injustices of the real world.
“It’s definitely influenced the way I think,” he admits. “You look at all the sci-fi utopias, and, pretty much in every single one, the basic underlying philosophy is that people treat each other the way they want to be treated and there’s freedom to be who you are. What brings these utopias crashing down is the fact that one group tries to take control of another, and I think that’s very applicable to any sort of human or civil rights campaign.”
It’s no surprise that Kluwe is an avid fan of the role-playing game World of Warcraft (his avatar is a troll called Loate), so much so that his Twitter handle is @ChrisWarcraft. Among the things he loves most about such games are the parallels they offer to our culture’s battle over freedom. In World of Warcraft, he becomes a champion against evil oppressive forces. Losing isn’t an option.
While World of Warcraft forums don’t allow much space for dissecting Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, Kluwe carved a space for himself by learning how to push the right buttons to get into other gamers’ heads. “I’ve found one of the most devastating ways to get a point across was to mix factual information with clever insults,” he says. “I’ve had a lot of training on how to get people riled up.”
Days of Our Lives Gay Scenes: Lucas Struggles To Accept His Son Will’s Gay Relationship With Sonny.
On Days of Our Lives Facebook page, some fans of the American soap are furious about the gay storyline. One woman said she turns off the television set whenever Will and Sonny kiss. Another person said she doesn’t believe the gay storyline should be on television since Days of Our Lives is on during the afternoon. After I read the negative comments, I realize this gay storyline is important if one person can become more open minded about homosexuality after seeing Days of Our Lives this is progress.
I believe this gay romance between Sonny and Will is very progressive. I was concerned that Days of Our Lives producers would not allow the gay romance to have any passion. In this clip, Will’s father Lucas is struggling to accept his son’s homosexuality. Lucas argues with Sonny’s mother Adrienne about their boys dating. Lucas claims to be open minded but he is freaked out that Sonny and Will kiss passionately in public at the Horton Square.
Some fans believe the Days of Our Lives writers are throwing Lucas under the bus because he initially said he was accepting of Will’s homosexuality. Another important point to consider is, although Lucas did say he is okay with Will being gay now he has seen his son kiss another man. Lucas is finally realizing that Will is sexually attracted to other men and he wants to express his sexuality. Lucas is confused, upset, and hurt that Will is gay. I think Days of Our Lives needs some scenes with Lucas talking to Sonny’s father Justin since he is accepting of Will and Sonny’s gay relationship. I think Lucas needs to talk to another man about his feelings about Will’s homosexuality.
I believe this clip touches on the theme of masculinity. What does it mean to be a man? What is a real man? Some heterosexual men believe gay men relinquish our masculinity because we are gay. Lucas seems to think his son Will is less of a man because he is openly gay.
A few years ago, Lucas moved to Hong Kong, he might feel he is responsible for Will being gay because he lacked a male role model in his life. Lucas is not a homophobe, but he is clearly uncomfortable with his son being openly gay.
I also think Will is being a bit cruel to Lucas. It took Will a long time to accept his homosexuality so he should give his father some time to come to terms with him being gay.
I understand Will is heartbroken that Lucas does not accept him yet but his father needs time to adjust.
I think this clip is very realistic, it seems everyone in Salem accepts Will and Sonny’s homosexuality. However, we all know in the real world there is homophobia. Some people claim to be accepting of gay men on the surface. Meanwhile, when gay men express our homosexual desires then all hell breaks loose.
I hope Lucas eventually accepts Will’s homosexuality and they can go back to having a good father and son relationship.
New Gay Days Of Our Lives Storyline: Will & Sonny Kiss In Public But Lucas Is Disappointed His Son Is Openly Gay.
Freddie Smith and Chandler Massey have incredible chemistry they seem so comfortable with each other.
I just checked Days of Our Lives Facebook page and the homophobic comments I have read are disturbing but not surprising. Some people are really upset that Will and Sonny are kissing frequently on their television screen. I believe this gay romance is so important because daytime television needs more diversity.
The kissing scenes are improving but I kind of wish there were deeper kisses and not just quick kisses. I think it is realistic that Will Horton’s father is upset that his son is kissing another man in a public space. Lucas is still adjusting to the fact his son is a homosexual. I appreciate that Days of our Lives is exploring an underlining theme about masculinity. I notice that the only male in Salem who is 100% supportive of Will and Sonny dating is Sonny’s father Justin. Rafe, Lucas, Brady, Bo, Roman, are the male role models in Will’s life aren’t exactly thrilled he is gay. Maybe, the male father figures in Will’s life aren’t comfortable or know how to talk to him? I notice the female family members his mother Sami, his grandmother Marlena, and his other grandmother Kate are very supportive of him being gay.
Perhaps, Lucas feels that he failed Will since he moved away to Hong Kong and wasn’t around for two years during his adolescence? I think Lucas is going to hopefully accept Will and Sonny’s romance.
Days Of Our Lives Gay Storyline: Sonny & Will Finally Have Their First Real Passionate Kiss!!!
Last month, Sonny kissed Will but Will was still terrified because he wasn’t sure if he had feelings for his best friend. On tomorrow’s episode, Days Of Our Lives fans are finally going to see the first real passionate kiss between Sonny and Will.
Some fans have wondered do Freddie Smith and Chandler Massey have the chemistry to prove to the audience their characters are in love?
In previous kissing scenes, some fans have complained that Chandler Massey is awkward regardless of whether he is kissing a woman or a man.
However, I think fans of Days of Our Lives have the answer Freddie Smith and Chandler Massey have incredible chemistry they play off of each other.
Technically, this is Sonny & Will’s second kiss but this time there is desire and passion behind this kiss. Freddie Smith and Chandler Massey are both straight in real life but their acting in this scene is superb. Both Smith and Massey have no hesitation and really nail this kissing scene. I also liked that the guys both closed their eyes and Massey’s grabs the back of Smith’s neck as they lean in to kiss. The kissing scene is hot!
Interesting Article Is the world ready for a gay male athlete?
DICKINSON, N.D. – The moment Jamie Kuntz was dismissed from the North Dakota State College of Science football team, the double standard that exists in the world of sports became all too clear.By: Dustin Monke / Forum Communications, INFORUM
DICKINSON, N.D. – The moment Jamie Kuntz was dismissed from the North Dakota State College of Science football team, the double standard that exists in the world of sports became all too clear.
Gay women can play.
Gay men cannot.
As a sports reporter, I’ve covered several lesbian athletes throughout my career. All of them are fine, normal people and their teams accept them no questions asked.
We rarely hear about controversial lesbians in sports anymore. That barrier was broken long ago and largely brushed aside.
The same isn’t true for gay men in sports.
There has never been an American athlete in any of the four major sports – football, basketball, baseball and hockey – to come out of the closet while still competing. Those players who are gay waited until after their retirement to come out.
That’s why Kuntz’s story presents a new twist for gay athletes.
Kuntz, an 18-year-old Dickinson High School graduate, was dismissed from the NDSCS football team on Sept. 3 for conduct detrimental to the team after admitting he lied to Wildcats head coach Chuck Parsons.
It happened two days after he admitted to the coach he was gay after being spotted kissing his 65-year-old boyfriend while filming NDSCS’s football game against Snow College in the press box of a Pueblo, Colo., football stadium.
The story is now national news.
Kuntz has spoken with countless reporters since Tuesday morning and said that he has been contacted by ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” about a segment.
The story is everywhere.
So what do we take from this and the debate that it has sparked?
Could it be that, despite all of the openly gay female athletes in this country, we’re still not that close to seeing an openly gay male athlete in a major sport?
Kuntz’s story has gained a considerable amount of publicity and traction.
Yet, we have to remember that he was an obscure freshman college football player at a small junior college in North Dakota.
Imagine if he would have been playing for an NCAA Division I university? What if an NFL player would have been cut from his team after coming out?
How big would the story be then? And what closeted gay athlete would be willing to come out publicly and subject himself to the wringer that Kuntz has been put through the past two days.
Dan Savage, the gay rights activist and writer for the Seattle Stranger who broke the story about Kuntz, said he is intrigued by the amount of coverage the story has received and praised Kuntz for the courage to come out in such a public manner.
Savage said Kuntz’s story is inspiring to the gay community, but added Kuntz could have perhaps even become a symbol for young, closeted gay athletes had his boyfriend been closer to his own age.
Nonetheless, Savage believes one day there will be an openly gay pro athlete in a major sport. But, he also said it could be a while if players like Kuntz aren’t accepted after coming out to their coaches.
“This feeds into that whole narrative because there will never be an openly gay player in the NFL if gay kids are thrown out of high school or college football programs,” Savage said.
Kuntz, who was a Class 3A, all-West Region linebacker for the Midgets as a senior in 2011, said he wants to find a place to play football. He never got a chance to suit up for NDSCS after suffering a concussion during a preseason practice.
Wednesday, Kuntz posted on Twitter that he had spoken to a representative of the Florida Atlantic University football program.
Though he wants to stay in the Midwest, Kuntz said he would listen to any type of offer Florida Atlantic – an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision team in Boca Raton, Fla. – would make to him regarding a spot on its football team.
“My main focus right now is finding a school where I can go play,” Kuntz said on Tuesday.
Regardless of one’s personal feelings regarding homosexuality, Kuntz’s actions or his boyfriend’s age, we should all be able to admit that Kuntz is in a difficult situation.
If he can find a team that accepts him for who he is, then it may be a step toward seeing openly gay male athletes in professional sports.
If he cannot, the world may have to keep waiting.
Disturbing News: Toronto Blue Jay Star Yunel Escobar Writes Anti Gay Slur On His Face.
(Getty Images)
Yunel Escobar has always been a controversial player, though the source of the public’s angst has mostly been derived from the difference between expectations and actual production.
The Toronto Blue Jays shortstop, however, finds himself in a bit of hot water as it has been pointed out that Escobar took the field on Saturday with a gay slur printed in Spanish on his eye black. The “tu ere maricon” (sic) can be translated to “you are a f—-t” and was first pointed out by@james_in_to_, a Jays fan who took a similar picture from behind the Toronto dugout.
Escobar has some explaining to do, but there is some reason to reserve judgment. Former Jays pitcher Dirk Hayhurst believes it to be a clubhouse prank — which basically just means there’s a different source for such blatant homophobia. There’s also the fact that Escobar sometimes wears eye black with funny sayings, so this would be out of character. (These, for instance, read “CHILLING”)
Here’s the thing, though: Eye black now comes in a strip or sticker form and players can write motivational sayings (think Tim Tebow) before applying themselves. There would be no need for Escobar to ask another player to write on his face. The handwriting in the “CHILLING” picture also matches the handwriting from the photo above.
No matter the explanation, it goes without saying that the Blue Jays definitely need to address this. Major League Baseball is already looking into the matter as ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reports.
Interesting Article: Are Gay Black Men The New Mammies On Reality Television?
Source: uvtblog.com
So I finally got around to watching the pilot episode of “Hollywood Exes” and let me say, zzzzzzzzzz.
Bore-ring! This show lacks all the waywardness and flat out ratchet-ness we have come to associate from a reality show on VH1. There are no fistfights. There are no petty fights and name calling (thus far). No former strippers turned bougie housewives. And more importantly, the show has yet to exhibit the negative stereotypes of us that many black women have cried foul of as of late. That might be a good thing. For the most part, Nicole Murphy and the crew are pretty tame and chill. Yet, strangely I don’t care about any of these women – well, not enough to watch their boring lives play out for an hour on television.
Anyway, I’m like five minutes into the show and Kells’ (R. Kelly) ex-wife is in her bedroom, talking about her big move to LA. She’s meandering about with her personal assistant – a bald headed gay black man. As they fold clothes and pack stuff in suitcases, the man listens to how Andrea wants to start over and get an image away from Kells and how excited she is about…zzzzzzz. Now there is nothing out of the ordinary about two people sharing a heart to heart with one another, even if it is with a “personal assistant.” But I’m sitting here, watching their interaction, thinking to myself: Why does everyone have a gay black man BFF? And why are all of their gay black BFFs in service to them in some way?
I mean, am I the only one who has noticed that most of these women-led reality TV shows features the quintessential gay manservants? These men do everything: furnish apartments, do hair and makeup, personal shop for clothing, carry purses and luggage and act as a shoulder to cry on. In most of these situations, we know nothing about the gay black man other than that he is sharp-tongued, stereotypically effeminate, and basically says “Gurl” and “Chile” a lot. Oh, and he is a loyal worker to his woman. Evelyn Lozada had one to help run her TV shoe “store.” Tyra Banks had an army battalion of gay men to help her weed through her search for the next top model. And on the “Housewives” series (pick one, any one), there are like 2.5 gay sidekicks to every female character, doing makeup, training them at the gym and tossing their wigs for them. It’s like the gay sidekick has become hot new accessory on reality TV – like the new pocket dog or a Louis Vuitton knockoff.
Source: blogs.cofu.edu
Heck, I’ll even go as far as to say that the gay black man has become the new housemaid “Mammy” to these women’s Scarlett O’Haras. Think about it for a second: most of these gay characters harken back to a time in cinematic history where the white rich women in the antebellum South needed their “sexually non-threatening ” black female maids to nurture and basically make them feel good about themselves. If the black maids weren’t “fussin’ after the mistress of the house, making sure her dress fitted properly and her hair was tight, she was in the kitchen, dancing, smiling and singing Go Down Moses as she whipped up for her mistress a big ole’ mess of her famous fried chicken and sweet potato puddin’. The gay male characters of today act very much in the same vain. But instead of shucking and jiving for the approval, and favor of rich white women, these gay best friend characters trade on their non-sexual “companionship” for heterosexual legitimacy.
In real life, it is not uncommon for homosexual men and women to make friends. If two people, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, share the same personality trait than there is no reason why they shouldn’t form a bond. The issue I have with these characters is that more often than not, it is assumed that since the men are gay, he is there for the sole purpose to entertain or serve these women in some way. I have watched on several of occasions, characters from these shows not only proudly proclaim their affinity for “The Gays” but then go on to declare the gay character as “one of my girls.” Well they are not girls. They are men, albeit gay, but still very much intact with their men parts.
Moreover, on these shows, ALL gay men are into the same thing (i.e., fashion, hair, makeup, electronic music and listening to the women banter about their heterosexual sex life). And because all of these gay male characters are the same, it gives an unfair expectation of how gay men are in real life. I mean, what is to happen to the straight-laced gay guy that rocks tailor made suits, a briefcase, has a boring 9 to 5 like an accountant or lawyer and doesn’t speak with a lisp? I tell ya what happens: he is unfairly stereotyped into the roll of what society, and more accurately television, says a gay man is supposed to be.
Like so many other reality TV show watchers I have began to notice the casting on these shows seems to be on reinforcing our expectations of a certain group. The loudmouth, angry black woman is probably the most notable – if not talked about – of these memes. But there are many, many others, including the non-threatening gay sidekick, which are just as pervasive. The irony is that the gay male sidekick is supposed to show how progressive and completely accepting of homosexuality these women are. However, watching these reality TV show characters tote these men around on their arms like latest handbag would be just as bad as watching a character in an old black and white film, saying that she loves Negro people because, “I have a Black maid.”
It is tokenism at its most egregious. And even Andy Cohen, Bravo TV executive and creative force behind the Housewives series, acknowledges as much in an interview, when he stated that while the gay sidekick character on his reality shows are his favorite, he could never see them headlining a show of their own as, “I think it could be a little relentless. I love them, you know, but I think sometimes when a sidekick gets their own show it becomes too much.”
Too much for who? Those who can’t seem to see people outside of what they feel comfortable with? Outside of a few drinks at the latest posh nightspot, what real connection do we ever see with their gay companions? They don’t champion causes. They never ask them about who they are seeing or their families. Heck, we are not even invited into their homes. Another irony is that rarely, and I mean almost never, will you see a woman befriend a lesbian. I guess that would mean being a little “too” accepting of homosexuality.
Gay Australian Soap Neighbours Clip: Chris Wants His Ex Boyfriend Aidan Back But He is Rejected.
I love this gay storyline on the Australian soap Neighbours. It is wonderful to watch a gay male storyline from a different country. It is just nice to see male homosexuality on my television screen. Currently in Australia, homosexuality is a hot topic with the debates about same sex marriage and gay rights. Gay marriage is still illegal in Australia and the Prime Minister Julia Gillard is opposed to changing the marriage act.
Some fans are disappointed that Chris and Aidan gay romance is not more intense. However, Neighbours is a conservative Australian soap. I agree that Chris and Aidan deserve to have more love scenes but there is still a double standard on television. Heterosexual characters are allowed to express their sexuality while gay male characters have to be chaste. Chris and Aidan have kissed a couple of times but their kisses are so tame.
Chris and Aidan are a cute couple but a few months ago Chris lied to Adian. I can understand Aidan is worried that Chris is going to lie to him again but the last scene is so sad. Chris loves Aidan but sometimes love just is not enough.
Sad News: Gay Couple Christian & Syed Axed From British Soap Eastenders Leaving In November.
By SARAH FITZMAURICE
Their relationship caused controversy both on and off-screen but two of Walford’s biggest characters are set to leave the soap.
Christian and Syed, as played by Marc Elliott and John Partridge, are to leave EastEnders later this year, it has been revealed.
Marc,32, is said to have told bosses he wanted to leave the show in February, according to Digital Spy.
Bye Bye Walford: EastEnders has confirmed that they are writing out the characters of Christian and SyedIt has not be revealed how the characters will be written out of the soap
Speaking about the characters exit Lorraine Newman said: ‘Marc and John have been a fantastic part of EastEnders and the characters of Syed and Christian have been a huge success for the show. Their storylines have broken boundaries that have not been seen in a soap before and the love for them by the viewers can be seen in the ‘Chryed’ fans.’
‘When Marc announced he had decided to move on, we had a tough decision to make and after numerous conversations, which included John, it was decided that there is only one outcome for Syed and Christian. We wish them both all the best for the future.’
Speaking about the show, where he has been since 2009 Elliot said: ‘I have had a brilliant time on EastEnders over the last three and a half years and made some amazing friends. During this time, I have been blessed with some incredible storylines and am especially pleased that the show has tackled and raised awareness of the sensitive subject matter of being a gay muslim.’
Making history: EastEnders showed the first prime-time gay kiss in 1987 when Barry Clark and Colin Russell shared a smooch‘As an actor you are always looking for new challenges and I feel that now is the right time to move on and explore different projects, perhaps returning to my roots in theatre. I would like to thank everyone at EastEnders for the wonderful opportunity they have given me and for making this experience so much fun.’
Partridge added: ‘I have had the time of my life at EastEnders – but I have always gone with my gut – and leaving at the same time as Marc felt like the ONLY thing to do.
‘It is the right end to the story and for Christian. But also, excitingly, the start of a whole new chapter for me.’
Today John tweeted: ‘I am so very proud to have been a part of the show, I have LOVED it, but you have to know when to call time and it was time! #vivachyred’
When it was announced that Syed would share a kiss with Christian it caused controversy among some Muslin groups.
At the time Asghar Bokhari from the Muslim Public Affairs Committee said: ‘The Muslim community deserves a character that represents them to the wider public because Islamophobia is so great right now.
‘There’s a lack of understanding of Muslims already and I think EastEnders really lost an opportunity to present a normal friendly Muslim character to the British public.’
EastEnders made history in 1987 when the show screened the first on-sir gay kiss on prime time TV between Barry Clark and Colin Russell.
Gayblackcanada 