“Looking back, I wish I had told the whole world that I’m gay from day one.
That feeling of being relied upon, that people must turn to you as a closer to make things right, to have that role – and to have people have that feeling about me in that role – as a gay man, I think that would have been a powerful message.
If we are talking about changing people’s opinions, I do think that would have been a powerful message. But I wasn’t really thinking about that at the time.”
— Former professional baseball player Jason Burch to OutSports on his choice to remain in the closet until now
stanhope
Better late than never but I still stand for Michael Sam!
Xzamilio
“Matt Kemp Comes Out” is the title I want to see. Otherwise, I do not care lol
DarkZephyr
@Xzamilio: Oh yes? *wink*
Tackle
I swear ,queers and their superficiality will never play itself out. Instead of congratulating someone and showing support, shade is thrown because he’s not their ideal type. Matt Kemp could have a sh!tty personality for all we know. And besides, even if he were gay, he probability wouldn’t even spit their way.
Support to you Jason…
Xzamilio
@Tackle: Come @ me, bro. You clearly were talking to me, so why don’t you man up and reply to me directly. “Support to you, Jason”… man, please. That was as empty as “You’re in my prayers.” I bet you won’t even remember his name in a week…. and that’s being generous. Talking about “not their ideal type.” I’d beat the brakes off of this dude… he looks good. But who is he? Matt Kemp is hot… I was making a funny. Unbunch your panties, man, it’s not that serious.
Xzamilio
@Tackle: And THIS guy could have a shitty personality for all we know. And of course Matt Kemp wouldn’t spit my way… a gentleman swallows.
navybiboi
I think you gain nothing by coming out when you are an active player on any professional team. Michael Sam had an agenda when he came out before the nfl scouting combine and it backfired. Michael Sam physical abilities was questionable way before the combine, but it was more scrutinized when he came out as gay. If you take a look at some of those teams with bad defense’s and the players currently on it, Michael Sam definitely would have been on a team somewhere if he had not came out.
Jason Collins had an agenda, because he was already on the way out but decided to come back to be the first “openly” gay basketball player. Jason Collins did got to play as an openly gay player but he wasn’t getting any playing time.
Meanwhile you have Kerry Rhodes, who can’t even get signed as a free agent because people “assume” he is gay. Kerry Rhodes have always denied being gay but even he can’t even get on a team and that is sad, because he is definitely a good nfl player.
The only way for people to even start to begin to accept players who are gay, it is going to take someone with a high profile like a Lebron James or Michael Jordan to smack them in the face with reality.
Black Pegasus
I wish Jason and his white lover all the happiness their little hearts can contain. What a joyous day for everyone!
Curty
I hate when they say, “I wish I done it sooner.” Well you could have but you let fear, cowardice take over. Much respect for those who come out when it means something, like Michael Sam, Ellen, Wanda sykes, Lee Daniels, NPH, Anderson Cooper etc.
Kangol
Wonderful for him, and I hope he inspires even more pro athletes to come out, especially in the MLB.
(Great too that another African American athlete is helping to blaze a path for other black and gay people.)
rextrek
@Kangol: it’s especially more Intense in some cases for black males …just listen to some of the Hate spewed by other blacks “Christians” against Gay people in general..let alone – black- gay men…..they Use the -white man’s- Christianity Against others, as easily as it was Used Against them……???
Duecer
@Black Pegasus: What is this nonsense? So what his boyfriend is white? Jesus?!?!?! Some of you jealous bitches need to grow up.
sangsue
No Jason, you don’t regret it because you had a baseball career. Yay for coming out and all but you wouldn’t be coming out if your career was still active. That’s why Michael Sam is in “Dancing with the Stars” instead of playing football.
gaym50ish
You can’t really blame a professional athlete for not coming out during his career. Basketball player John Amaechi wrote in his book “Man in the Middle,” that nyone’s chances of getting into the major leagues are comparable to the odds of getting hit by a meteor, which is why hr advised young gay athletes not to come out of the closet and add one more reason why they might not make it.
The late Glenn Burke once said, “It’s harder to be gay in sports than anywhere else, except maybe president. Baseball is probably the hardest sport of all.”
Burke was a promising outfielder in the 1970s, thought to be a potential great in the mold of Willy Mays. He was closeted, but his sexual orientation was well-known by his teammates, who accepted him because he was very likable and a great athlete. But homophobia on the part of team management was his downfall.
Playing for the LA Dodgers, he was vilified by manager Tommy Lasorda, who was in deep denial that his own son, Tom Lasorda, Jr., was gay. (When Tom died of AIDS in 1991, the senior Lasorda even denied the cause of death, telling the press it was cancer and pneumonia.) Lasorda was disturbed that his son had befriended Burke, so he traded Burke to the Oakland Athletics.
Oakland A’s manager Billy Martin turned out to be even more homophobic than Lasorda. He introduced Burke as “a faggot” to teammates on his very first day.
TemptyK
Yaaaaaaawwwwwnnnnnn!!!!
Who the hell cares about a has-been? He’s yesterday’s news!
Bob LaBlah
Couldn’t a better picture have been found where you can actually see what they guy looks like HERE instead of having to google it?