In the midst of a rumored mass outing in the NFL and growing support from Magic Johnson (via his own fabulously dapper gay son), NFL star Kerry Rhodes is one of the first to be pegged as a homosexual after giving his assistant some hands-on lovin’ while on vacation this week.
The photos, posted by Media Takeout, show Rhodes pulling the old arm-around-your-shoulders-in-the-movie-theater trick and carrying his presumed lover to the pool. He’s shirtless, and his man is beaming with the glow of 1,000 suns (a natural reaction for anyone being carried by a beautiful, jacked, shirtless football player).
Rhodes spoke exclusively with TMZ shortly after the photos leaked. “Photos have been circulating of my former assistant and I that have caused some rumors regarding my sexuality, and I want to address the situation,” he said. “I am not gay.”
Bummer!
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According to Rhodes, the shots were taken “in a casual environment” in good fun. He’s managing to be a good sport about the situation, using it as an opportunity to show support for fellow athletes struggling to come out: “I know a lot of people are recently talking about athletes struggling to come out to their fans right now, and I support them, as well as wish those individuals comfort.”
Aww! With an attitude like that, how could you not want to jump into his arms?
M
“Bummer!”?
“Aww!”?
Come on. You don’t actually believe this fool, do you?
Boricuaex
“Not gay”, my ass.
Kieran
A REAL heterosexual man’s man would NEVER get that close to or touch another man. Even playing around. The guy is seen actually carrying another man! With his shirt off no less!!! That is SOOOOOO gay!!!!! No homo.
Ogre Magi
That man is a gay homosexual
Dionte
Guys stop, he is straight. Mr. Kerry, if you are looking for a new personal assistant, I am available.
Scribe38
@Kieran: @Ogre Magi: I don’t know if the man is gay or not, but we as gay men should not be outing other gay men, unless they are GOP politicians voting against gays. Some guys are just comfortable with other men, specially gay men. I work in construction and most of the guys know that I am gay. I have seen some really gay behavior directed towards me and others on the crew. Most of these guys have wives and kids, but at the same time they play with me and each other, occasional brush, push, or tickle, a dirty joke about oral sex here and there. I think the assistant is gay and the player was just cool with it. Not all str8 guys are jerks with gay men, some of them know who they are and don’t mind relating to another male in a way not always socially acceptable.
Dionte
@Scribe38: That’s true, I’ve had straight friends that get really close but to my knowledge they are completely heterosexual. They are just comfortable cuddling on the couch while we watch TV. I do it with girls and I never had sex with one of them.
RickinTheCity
@Scribe38:@Dionte Both very true. Who cares? You don’t like having your life decided for you? Quit trying to decide theirs for them! If he says he’s not gay, then that’s his business. Gay men get so pissed if someone dare tell them who they are or what they’re supposed to be or act like. So quit trying to tell everyone else who they are! As one gay man to another…mind your own business and let him mind his. Who gives a shit whom he picks up without his shirt on? And you wonder why some straight men are hesitant to ally themselves with us? Good Lord!!
M
@RickinTheCity:
You’re taking a fly-by-night gossip story way too seriously.
There’s nothing wrong with saying someone is gay, especially if they most likely are.
Rumors about him have been around for a very long time, anyway.
If he’s not…good for him.
DuMaurier
@M: I was once roommates with a very straight, macho guy. In our gossipy little apartment complex there were the inevitable, snickery little rumors about us being lovers. I was worried he’d freak and even move out, but he just thought it was funny, especially when a hot girl in the complex came by while I was at work and decided to try to “convert” him to heterosexuality. He was still letting her “try” when I got home.
Still, I do agree with RickingTheCity that faux-outing straight allies is probably counter-productive and not respectful. Some of the comments here are really snide and weirdly accusatory. They sound exactly like what a homophobe on Yahoo! would post.
M
If rumors are affecting our straight allies that much, I would really start to question whether or not they’re allies. People talk. But if one is truly not gay, said ally could articulate that properly and then proceed to not give a shit what people are saying about him….especially on the internet.
I’m not convinced Kerry here is straight anyway, so that’s besides the point.
Also: Welcome to Queerty. Snide, and weirdly accusatory comments are what people do here.
LadyL
@DuMaurier: Um…. I get what you and RickingTheCity are saying, but examining that argument up close I’m not sure I agree. Like M, I think when we see photos like this we should be able to speculate, playfully or seriously, about what it means. If we’re truly agreed there’s nothing at all wrong with being gay (and frankly I sometimes wonder about a few of the commenters on this site…) then why is it so unacceptable to suggest it about someone else, even if they’re famous? How exactly are we defaming or harming them?
*
Yeah, there are bigots out there who might believe the gossip, but should we be in the business of trying to appease them? Who gives a crap what haters think?
And btw–I have no patience or respect for straight would-be allies that back away from us for fear of being “labeled” gay. I mean, come on.
LadyL
@LadyL: Oops–typo–meant “RickinTheCity” Sorry.
LadyL
So Magic Johnson has a gay son–I was about to post that there’s a fabulous poetic justice in that, but realized how that sounds, especially after what I’ve just said above.
*
What I mean is this: years ago Magic Johnson made an appearance on the Arsenio Hall Show, not long after his HIV status became public knowledge. Arsenio carefully questioned him about the inevitable sexuality rumors, and in response Magic smiled rather smugly and reassured the audience that he was “a long way” from being gay. The studio audience erupted in cheers and rousing applause, of course.
What Arsenio thought about that reply is anybody’s guess. I wondered if he was as pissed off as I was, thinking, as I did: Really, Magic? You couldn’t find a less insulting way to respond to that question, you insensitive ass?
*
Fast-forward to here and now. Whenever he looks at his child, do you suppose Magic remembers that moment on Arsenio and regrets the blinding ignorance of his statement?
Charles175
@DuMaurier: Not “probably counter-productive” it IS counterproductive. I’m fully gay and almost all of my close friends are straight. My motto has always been this: First give decency and respectability and ye shall get it in return. These people (not to be mistaken or confused with the staunchly religious fundamentalist nut jobs) have given me greater friendship than I ever expected. Showing them that we are at root not that much different then they are goes a long way. As the old saying goes: “You can draw more flies with a drop of honey than with a gallon of vinegar.” On the other hand, for those that immaturely toy with the idea of forceably “outing” someone like this as represented in this article, that is flat out disrespectful and just plain wrong. Not only disrespectful but no one has the right to remove another’s right to come out on his own if he so chooses. Those that do this and things like unto them shoot us all in the foot.
Charles175
@DuMaurier: PS: I really think it cool how your friend used the situation to land a girl for himself! Cool, really cool indeed.
Scribe38
@Dionte: Never have cuddled with a co-worker but have given one a non-sexually back massage when he complained of pain.
hotshot70
most of these athletes are only “a-drink-away-from-being-gay”
Peter
Of course he is gay! We gay bois know this for a fact! Men cannot touch each other. They cannot smile at each other. They cannot enjoy each others company. Or else they are gay. There is no such thing as platonic friendship, or buddies, or brotherhood. Everything is gay. Oh, yes, and when you have two happy men together, THEY ARE GAY! Come out the closet Kerry! You are GAY!
Victor_in_PA
Won’t it be nice when people stop caring who someone ELSE sleeps with? Personally, I don’t care whether he’s gay, straight, alien, or plant life. I have straight friends (yes, I KNOW they’re straight) who don’t have a problem dancing together with me in a straight club and don’t mind putting their arm around me or kissing me on the cheek in public. Not EVERY straight man is a closet case. Some men are just very comfortable with their sexuality and don’t mind showing a connection with another person whether it be male or female. It’s what we’ve been asking for for decades and when someone who is apparently straight does show that he doesn’t care, people start saying all kinds of crazy things. So what if he IS gay? He’s not sponsoring legislation to hurt gay people. No one should care! There’s no reason to out him if he’s not ready. Leave the guy alone. If he’s gay, he can come out on HIS terms. (Unless of course those pictures ARE his way of coming out). In any event, we need to not be so critical and condescending. It doesn’t help our cause and makes us look bad as a community. We should strive to set examples not tear people apart because of our own insecurities.
marcange
You have to wonder how these pictures emerged. It could have been Kerry himself who let them leak.
jar
@Charles175: I agree with you that we should not publicly out anyone (unless, for me, they are publicly homophobic). However, no one here has outed this man. The paparazzi presumably took these photos and sold them to a gossip site. Furthermore, I don’t think there is anything wrong with forming an opinion about his sexuality in the context of this public issue. There is a difference between not outing someone and adopting the view that any speculation or discussion that someone might be gay is critical or condescending. It is only so if you hold the view that labeling someone as gay is offensive unless the subject is guilty of the offense.
jar
@marcange: As the old saying goes: The truth will out. (No pun intended.) One of the most destructive aspects of the closet is that it compels more and more reckless behavior until the closeted person has unintentionally (at least consciously) outed himself. Kind of like De la Hoya and his cross-dressing. He had to let it get to the point where he wanted to be photographed.
remyfacade
@Kieran: how would you know what a man’s man would do? any man who is secure within themselve and about their sexuality would do silly funny things like that. People need to stop trying to make eveything and everyone gay.
iluvcakes
As much as I’d love him to be gay, I doubt he is and MediaTakeOut is notorious for twisting things to suit their narrative. What’s strange is I think the owner of MTO is gay and yet their posts are quick to paint anything gay as a huge negative. Even if they believe a guy is str8 and does something gay they’ll say “He is Zesty” or “Suspect” SMH you have to take anything MTO says with 1000 grains of salt
DOFEK
It`s OK for straight guys to have fun sometime before someone ask them if they “GAY”. AdamHomo