“I came out in 1991 at the World Championships. I was training with the Women’s Texas Longhorns Aquatics with (Coach) Mark Schubert and they were great. The girls there protected me but the guys on that team were really rough. I was in their locker room for about three days before they were like ‘we can’t handle him being in here’. So I moved to the public locker room, which was fine, I was more comfortable there anyway. There were a couple of guys on that team that made my life very miserable. I remember one practice I was leaving with Amy Shaw. We were leaving the swimming pool and out onto the parking lot and one of the male swimmers tried running me over, apparently you got ten points for running a gay guy over. It was that sort of thing and someone keyed ‘f*****’ in my car.
People were shooting paint pellets at me from bushes when I’d leave, so it was not easy. Some of the guys were great, some of them were nice, there were just a couple that really let me have it.”— Olympic Swimmer Lawrence Keith Frostad speaking with Nuts & Bolts Sports about the homophobia he encountered in the swimming community. Head here for the full interview.
Gadfeal
That’s a generation ago. It would be “interesting” to see what has happened to the bullies today. Hopefully, they would have become more educated and aware. As usual, some may have been homophobic due to unfulfilled homosexual desire in themselves, as confident straight men would more likely think, “Good – less competition with girls for me!”
miller2900
…. even if it was a “generation ago”, things like that one never forgets. Unless these assholes redeem themselves in the current day, no way should anyone be expected to “forgive and forget”! NO, NO, NO! Until you “atone” for your asshole actions (and I don’t care if you were 12 or 20 years old at the time) you get no forgiveness. I do agree with you Gadfeal regarding the actions of “confident straight men” as I’ve had numerous straight male friends during my life and none of them ever had a problem…. even to the point of sharing a bed in cramped accommodations while traveling or staying at my place while visiting from Europe. I was probably more uncomfortable than they were for fear I’d do something that could be misinterpreted. I was even asked to be Best Man for a couple of my straight buddies.
foxtrot.uniform.charly.kilo
I never understood this logic…
Their hate is actually love…that’s dumb. I hate the subway, that doesn’t mean I actually love it.
It could be many things, disgust, believing that it’s wrong, they could have been assaulted. You never know. To just assume it’s actually is just love is weird.
nevets1980
Been there, had it done to me in 1994…..it was soccer though!!!! There were a few guys that “bothered me”, but the MAJORITY of the team was totally cool. The 3 goons made it clear they wouldn’t share a room with me on road trips, & wouldn’t shower with me…..Now, after 18 yrs., I am actually in a great relationship with “goon #2″……Talk about what goes around comes around!!!! ?
nm4047
so why hasn’t he put a name to the perpetrators, nothing wrong with a bit of public naming and shaming.
cuteguy
Gen X were losers. They’re all old farts now who will hopefully di€ off soon
PinkoOfTheGange
Troll better; you don’t need an “e” when you use a euro sign.
johncp56
No saying it was long ago the sports world is still shit!!! homophobic, this guy should out anyone that attacted him back then, the car thing and pellet guns, I will bet they just said boys will be boys, as much as we see in news some coming out in major teams, are few but seem to fade away after ???? why,
Invader7
His attackers are probably all fat, dumpy, boring, dull ,lame hetero marriages. Karma is a bitch !!!
monty clift
His abusers are probably close to dead or are dead. The kind that nobody will miss once they’re gone. I’m glad he’s safe now.
ryepie2222
He needs to name names and those attackers need to be shamed