BAD SPORTS

Jason Collins Receives Homophobic Tweet From Fellow Pro Athlete Who Quickly Apologizes

WallaceWell, it was inevitable. The same morning Jason Collins made history as the first current NBA player to come out publicly as gay, another professional athlete has tweeted a derisive message about it.  Miami Dolphins wide receiver (nudge, nudge) Mike Wallace just doesn’t get it.

As TMZ reports, Wallace tweeted “All these beautiful women in the world and guys wanna mess with other guys SMH (shakin’ my head) …”

Wallace quickly deleted the tweet and apologized to any followers who were offended.

He wrote: “Never said anything was right or wrong. I just said I don’t understand!! Deeply sorry if anyone was offended.”

SaveDade, a Florida-based organization that protects LGBTs against discrimination, was unimpressed and issued the following statement:

It is a sad moment and a huge disappointment for Miami-Dade residents and fans that Miami Dolphins wide receiver Mike Wallace makes such a homophobic statement on the day a fellow professional athlete, NBA player Jason Collins, shows such inspiration and strength with his personal story. It’s time for the hateful speech and bigotry to stop — and we hope that the Miami Dolphins issue an apology to our residents and the broader South Florida community.

Do you believe his apology or do you think he’s just fearful of a backlash?

UPDATE:

A spokesman for the Miami Dolphins has released the following statement in response:

“Mike Wallace has apologized for his comments, and we have addressed the matter with him. Mike’s comments do not reflect the views of the Miami Dolphins. We believe in a culture of inclusiveness and respect, and any statements to the contrary are in no way acceptable to our organization. We will address the entire team about our policy of inclusion and make sure they all understand the importance of respecting individual choices.”

Don't forget to share:

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated