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tfan
Joined: 31 May 2010 Posts: 9544
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Posted: 07/21/17 2:33 pm ::: |
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jmvcity wrote: |
Unfortunately, this news is (and will be) getting more coverage than the upcoming All-Star festivities. |
I don't know. After Augustus, McCoughtry, Griner/Johnson, Taylor/Taurasi, Delle Donne, "WNBA player comes out as gay" is losing impact.
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jmvcity
Joined: 21 Jun 2013 Posts: 330 Location: Big Apple
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Posted: 07/21/17 2:58 pm ::: |
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Somewhere Wiggins is crossing out names.
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bballgrl
Joined: 15 Sep 2007 Posts: 3629
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Posted: 07/21/17 4:42 pm ::: |
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tfan wrote: |
jmvcity wrote: |
Unfortunately, this news is (and will be) getting more coverage than the upcoming All-Star festivities. |
I don't know. After Augustus, McCoughtry, Griner/Johnson, Taylor/Taurasi, Delle Donne, "WNBA player comes out as gay" is losing impact. |
Don't forget Cleardon and I don't think Johnson counts as she stated she wasn't gay.
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tfan
Joined: 31 May 2010 Posts: 9544
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Posted: 07/21/17 4:49 pm ::: |
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bballgrl wrote: |
Don't forget Clarendon and I don't think Johnson counts as she stated she wasn't gay. |
Yeah, that was weird. She was engaged to a woman and Griner said that "Glory identifies as straight". Seems like when you are dating someone of the same sex you would at a minimum "identify as bi-sexual".
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cthskzfn
Joined: 21 Nov 2004 Posts: 12851 Location: In a world where a PSYCHOpath like Trump isn't potus.
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bcdawg04
Joined: 12 Apr 2016 Posts: 562 Location: Seattle
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Posted: 07/21/17 10:50 pm ::: |
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Sue Bird: Feedback after coming out as gay has been ‘great’
Quote: |
During an interview with ESPNW’s Mechelle Voepel, the Storm star was asked if she felt comfortable talking about her private life, which she said momentarily caught her off guard.
And then Bird surprised herself and opened up about her relationship with Megan Rapinoe, the Seattle Reign star and member of the U.S. women’s soccer national team.
Afterward, she called Rapinoe and said: “I think I just came out.” |
Quote: |
“Everyone handles it different,” Taurasi said. “Sue without the limelight is a private person. So I think it was something that came very organically to her.”
Bird realized she was gay at UConn, but said she never went out of her way to keep her private life a secret.
“I can literally and confidently say everybody in my life knew,” Bird said. “The team — they all knew. This was not something — and I really want to stress that — this wasn’t something I was hiding or something that I was tormented by.
“There’s a misconception that if you’re not coming out publicly, then you must be struggling. And that wasn’t the case.” |
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Hoops9092
Joined: 04 Nov 2008 Posts: 1631
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Queenie
Joined: 18 Nov 2004 Posts: 18013 Location: Queens
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Luuuc #NATC
Joined: 10 Feb 2005 Posts: 21903
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scullyfu
Joined: 01 Jan 2006 Posts: 8851 Location: Niagara Falls
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Posted: 07/22/17 8:54 am ::: |
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nice article. that's something that I always loved about Sue. she always remembered having met you. always willing to stop for a moment. always give a wave from across the street when you'd see her at her fave eating hole by the Key. just a real sweetie. so happy that she's at a point where she feels comfortable being totally open with her fans. makes us only love her more.
_________________ i'll always bleed Storm green.
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ClayK
Joined: 11 Oct 2005 Posts: 11105
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Posted: 07/22/17 10:21 am ::: |
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miller40 wrote: |
ClayK wrote: |
I think highly of Sue Bird. I don't know her at all, but she seems like a quality person and she's obviously a great player. And like everyone, she has every right to choose when and where to open up to the public.
I have to say, though, that I'm somewhat disappointed that it took this long for her to come out. Not majorly disappointed, not saying she's a bad person, not trying to shame anyone ... just commenting that someone like her coming out might have made a difference to other young women and girls, and might have advanced the cause a bit.
Again, it's her choice and her decision, and it didn't feel right to her. It's her life, not mine ... but I still feel a little disappointed, if that's OK to say. |
I get what you mean, I think it's natural to feel that way in areas that struggled with representation for so long. I'm glad she's at the point where she feels comfortable now.
Just curious, and not judging your opinion so I don't want it to come off that way, did you feel the same disappointment with Taurasi for not coming out sooner than she did? |
Interesting question ... and I did not react the same way. In fact, I don't even know when DT officially came out.
Thinking about it, I guess my reaction is about an all-American girl coming out, as I think Bird gives off that vibe. She's very attractive (I know, body judgement, but it's true), she fits the feminine stereotypes of the culture, and never "played like a guy" (a meaningless statement at some levels, but one that does resonate at others).
(That whole paragraph is full of land mines that could explode in my face, and justifiably so, but these are the kinds of things that came to mind ...)
Taurasi, on the other hand, came across as the girl next door who would kick your ass if you took her basketball. I'm a big fan of DT (and Bird) but her persona was completely different, and her coming out just didn't seem as big a deal as an all-American girl coming out. To me, at least ...
I still have this feeling, though obviously I'm not articulating it well, that if Bird had come out (not saying she should have, it's her choice) five years ago, it would have had a much bigger cultural impact than DT doing so.
But I could be wrong ...
_________________ Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā
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justintyme
Joined: 08 Jul 2012 Posts: 8407 Location: Northfield, MN
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Posted: 07/22/17 11:04 am ::: |
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ClayK wrote: |
miller40 wrote: |
ClayK wrote: |
I think highly of Sue Bird. I don't know her at all, but she seems like a quality person and she's obviously a great player. And like everyone, she has every right to choose when and where to open up to the public.
I have to say, though, that I'm somewhat disappointed that it took this long for her to come out. Not majorly disappointed, not saying she's a bad person, not trying to shame anyone ... just commenting that someone like her coming out might have made a difference to other young women and girls, and might have advanced the cause a bit.
Again, it's her choice and her decision, and it didn't feel right to her. It's her life, not mine ... but I still feel a little disappointed, if that's OK to say. |
I get what you mean, I think it's natural to feel that way in areas that struggled with representation for so long. I'm glad she's at the point where she feels comfortable now.
Just curious, and not judging your opinion so I don't want it to come off that way, did you feel the same disappointment with Taurasi for not coming out sooner than she did? |
Interesting question ... and I did not react the same way. In fact, I don't even know when DT officially came out.
Thinking about it, I guess my reaction is about an all-American girl coming out, as I think Bird gives off that vibe. She's very attractive (I know, body judgement, but it's true), she fits the feminine stereotypes of the culture, and never "played like a guy" (a meaningless statement at some levels, but one that does resonate at others).
(That whole paragraph is full of land mines that could explode in my face, and justifiably so, but these are the kinds of things that came to mind ...)
Taurasi, on the other hand, came across as the girl next door who would kick your ass if you took her basketball. I'm a big fan of DT (and Bird) but her persona was completely different, and her coming out just didn't seem as big a deal as an all-American girl coming out. To me, at least ...
I still have this feeling, though obviously I'm not articulating it well, that if Bird had come out (not saying she should have, it's her choice) five years ago, it would have had a much bigger cultural impact than DT doing so.
But I could be wrong ... |
I get what you are saying. In writing we call it "subversion of tropes" or "confronting the cliché", and doing it almost always makes the writing more powerful and interesting than telling a story that follows the same old patterns.
There are (terrible, reductive, and ridiculous) stereotypes that exist about lesbians, especially lesbian athletes, and Sue doesn't really fit them. Because of that she has the ability to expand people's understanding of the issue in the way others might not be able to. She subverts the trope.
_________________ ↑↑↓↓←→←→BA
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toad455
Joined: 16 Nov 2005 Posts: 22470 Location: NJ
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Posted: 07/22/17 11:07 am ::: |
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Yeah, I had always assumed Taurasi was gay. Just due to her toughness, her attitude, how she dressed. Bird has always come across as the All-American girl. The one married the guy next door.
_________________ LET'S GO LIBERTY!!!!!!
Twitter: @TBRBWAY
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Michelle89
Joined: 17 Nov 2010 Posts: 16464 Location: Holland
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Posted: 07/22/17 12:43 pm ::: |
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ClayK wrote: |
miller40 wrote: |
ClayK wrote: |
I think highly of Sue Bird. I don't know her at all, but she seems like a quality person and she's obviously a great player. And like everyone, she has every right to choose when and where to open up to the public.
I have to say, though, that I'm somewhat disappointed that it took this long for her to come out. Not majorly disappointed, not saying she's a bad person, not trying to shame anyone ... just commenting that someone like her coming out might have made a difference to other young women and girls, and might have advanced the cause a bit.
Again, it's her choice and her decision, and it didn't feel right to her. It's her life, not mine ... but I still feel a little disappointed, if that's OK to say. |
I get what you mean, I think it's natural to feel that way in areas that struggled with representation for so long. I'm glad she's at the point where she feels comfortable now.
Just curious, and not judging your opinion so I don't want it to come off that way, did you feel the same disappointment with Taurasi for not coming out sooner than she did? |
Interesting question ... and I did not react the same way. In fact, I don't even know when DT officially came out.
Thinking about it, I guess my reaction is about an all-American girl coming out, as I think Bird gives off that vibe. She's very attractive (I know, body judgement, but it's true), she fits the feminine stereotypes of the culture, and never "played like a guy" (a meaningless statement at some levels, but one that does resonate at others).
(That whole paragraph is full of land mines that could explode in my face, and justifiably so, but these are the kinds of things that came to mind ...)
Taurasi, on the other hand, came across as the girl next door who would kick your ass if you took her basketball. I'm a big fan of DT (and Bird) but her persona was completely different, and her coming out just didn't seem as big a deal as an all-American girl coming out. To me, at least ...
I still have this feeling, though obviously I'm not articulating it well, that if Bird had come out (not saying she should have, it's her choice) five years ago, it would have had a much bigger cultural impact than DT doing so.
But I could be wrong ... |
Tbh Bird looks more feminine on the court playing ball then off the court. You dont see that often. I agree with you. I think there was more pressure for Sue because not everybody (outside of wnba fans) knew that she was gay or guessed it. She has the girl next door look that attracts a lot of male fans. She is one of the faces of this league and also one of the first names that you mention to assholes and trolls when they say that every player in the league looks or plays like a man.
I think with the coming out of EDD (who has that same girl next door vibe and where most people dont know she is gay) its no longer that big of a deal. Although EDD hasnt been in this league that long.
_________________ "Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson were and are the dynamic duo. They're the one-two punch. They're all the clich�s possible to describe people that perfectly complement each other, who make each other better and also bring out the best in the team." �Karen Bryant
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cthskzfn
Joined: 21 Nov 2004 Posts: 12851 Location: In a world where a PSYCHOpath like Trump isn't potus.
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Posted: 07/22/17 12:44 pm ::: |
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The inside info that I really want from Sue is a recount of the halftime locker room at the 2001 FF
_________________ Silly, stupid white people might be waking up.
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SDHoops
Joined: 09 Nov 2007 Posts: 1183
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Posted: 07/22/17 12:56 pm ::: |
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tfan wrote: |
bballgrl wrote: |
Don't forget Clarendon and I don't think Johnson counts as she stated she wasn't gay. |
Yeah, that was weird. She was engaged to a woman and Griner said that "Glory identifies as straight". Seems like when you are dating someone of the same sex you would at a minimum "identify as bi-sexual". |
More like buy-sexual. You pay, I buy; girl or guy. -Johnson's motto
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Libra_Girl
Joined: 12 Jul 2013 Posts: 1237
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Posted: 07/23/17 12:32 am ::: |
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Good article I enjoyed reading it.
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CourtsideTix
Joined: 19 Nov 2004 Posts: 4565 Location: Washington, DC
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Posted: 07/23/17 6:09 am ::: |
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What an amazing and disappointing amount of gender and lesbian stereotyping is reflected in this thread.
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toad455
Joined: 16 Nov 2005 Posts: 22470 Location: NJ
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Posted: 07/23/17 8:06 am ::: |
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I just bothers me that still today if someone is in the spotlight(actor, athlete, etc.) that they're still basically required to make a public statement saying they're gay. Bird's been out to her family, friends & teammates since she graduated college(2001). We all knew Griner was gay since she entered Baylor, but couldn't actually say so until she graduated. This "let me make a public statement saying I'm gay" thing shouldn't be something that's required anymore.
_________________ LET'S GO LIBERTY!!!!!!
Twitter: @TBRBWAY
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Bob Lamm
Joined: 11 Apr 2010 Posts: 5065 Location: New York City
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Posted: 07/23/17 9:10 am ::: |
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toad455 wrote: |
I just bothers me that still today if someone is in the spotlight(actor, athlete, etc.) that they're still basically required to make a public statement saying they're gay. Bird's been out to her family, friends & teammates since she graduated college(2001). We all knew Griner was gay since she entered Baylor, but couldn't actually say so until she graduated. This "let me make a public statement saying I'm gay" thing shouldn't be something that's required anymore. |
I live in New York City. Even in the most allegedly LGBT-friendly neighborhoods of New York, there are still homophobic and transphobic hate crimes, including murders. Meanwhile, despite his campaign promise to the contrary, Donald Trump's administration is making appointments to executive branch posts and the judiciary and implementing policy changes that will hurt adults and kids who are LGBT. So I believe it matters when people in the spotlight tell the world that they are LGBT.
Are they "basically required to make a public statement"? They obviously aren't, since many prominent people in the spotlight still haven't and some probably never will. Should anyone be "required" to make such a statement? No. Not Sue Bird and not anyone else. And who could "require" someone to do that?
But does it matter when someone in the spotlight comes out publicly? Yes. And it will as long as we continue to live in a country and a world with lots of anti-LGBT bigotry, including hate crimes and murders.
_________________ Remember Roe v. Wade. Work for and support legal abortion all over the world and full reproductive rights for everyone.
Last edited by Bob Lamm on 07/23/17 11:11 am; edited 1 time in total |
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auntie
Joined: 16 May 2006 Posts: 1774 Location: Brooklyn, NY
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boogiezen
Joined: 29 Nov 2004 Posts: 958
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Posted: 07/26/17 11:54 am ::: |
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Why does everyone feel we all need to know their sexuality?
BTW Good for her.
_________________ Queen Yuna!
"Kim Yu-Na. A living, breathing work of art from Korea" - Cam Cole, Vancouver Sun
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mercfan3
Joined: 23 Nov 2004 Posts: 19725
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Posted: 07/26/17 1:22 pm ::: |
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toad455 wrote: |
Yeah, I had always assumed Taurasi was gay. Just due to her toughness, her attitude, how she dressed. Bird has always come across as the All-American girl. The one married the guy next door. |
Ironically, and I can't really tell you why (maybe just more instances of Diana talking about men she thought was attractive?) I assumed it was the other way around. (Until it was obvious Dee and Penny were together #whenGenoTreatsYouLikeYouArePartOfTheFamily ...)
Anyway, DT at least, told us years ago why it would take a while to come out. "Whenever an athlete comes out, its 'that gay athlete' instead of being about the sport."
_________________ “Anyone point out that a Donald Trump anagram is ‘Lord Dampnut’”- Colin Mochrie
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StevenHW
Joined: 25 Jul 2005 Posts: 10979 Location: Sacramento, California
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