ESPN is sending a clear message to LGBTQ+ sports fans: When it comes to condemning virulent homophobia, business takes precedent over decency.
For the cynical among us, that may not come as much of a surprise. Companies regularly sacrifice values for profit.
But the latest slight from ESPN is shocking, even by those low standards.
How about we take this to the next level?
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This weekend, the network is airing UFC 297 on its ESPN+ platform. One of the biggest names on the card is Sean Strickland, who will be defending his Middleweight Championship.
In the lead-up to the big show, Strickland spewed maybe the most homophobic rant we’ve ever heard from a pro athlete. And Walt Disney Co., which touts its supposed commitment to inclusion, refuses to condemn his vile words.
How shameful!
The incident in question happened a couple of days ago, when Strickland exploded on a reporter who asked him a perfectly fair question about his previous statements rejecting a gay son.
The fighter said if he had a gay son, that would mean he’s failed as a man.
When MMA journalist Alex Lee brought up Strickland’s past comments, the octagon star berated him. First, Strickland asked Lee if he voted for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, before calling him the “enemy.”
Then Strickland asked Lee if he was gay. Lee, to his immense credit, kept his composure throughout the ugly ordeal.
“You’re part of the problem. Go f*ck yourself!,” Strickland shouted. “Everything that is wrong with the world is because of f*cking you.”
Lee told Outsports he couldn’t allow Strickland to escape accountability for his previous anti-LGBTQ+ stances. The writer hails from Toronto, and felt obligated to broach the uncomfortable subject on behalf of the city’s vibrant gay community.
In other words, Lee was doing his job. And Strickland calls him the “enemy,” along with other profanity-laced insults.
Yet ESPN, which employs thousands of journalists, can’t even offer modest pushback. When Outsports reached out to ESPN, the network said it “wasn’t commenting.”
How sad.
Later in his presser, Strickland attacked transgender people.
“Here’s the thing about Bud Light, 10 years ago, to be trans was a mental f*cking illness,” he said. “And now, all of a sudden, people like you have f*cking weaseled your way in the world. You are an infection. You are the definition of weakness. Everything that is wrong with the world is because of f*cking you.”
The fighter continued, “The world’s saying, ‘No, there are two genders. I don’t want my kids being taught about who they could f*ck in school. I don’t want my kids being taught about their sexual preference.’”
The irony of Strickland, who parades around in skimpy outfits for the pleasure of gawking men, reacting so viscerally to LGBTQ+ people isn’t lost on us. When checking out his Instagram, it’s debatable whether he’s getting ready for a championship fight, or the Atlantis gay cruise.
His cute little look would be welcome at any gay circuit party.
“Sean Strickland shows RIPPED new physique ahead of UFC 297 title,” beams the Daily Mail.
UFC competitors have an inglorious history of bursting into anti-gay tirades. Just a few months back, Charles Radtke launched into a homophobic rant following a match that he won.
“It felt great. And so f*ck you all you f*ggots up in the f*cking crowd,” he said.
Radtke’s opponent that night, Manel Kap, also heaped homophobic insults on one of his rivals.
“No-one, no-one is going to do anything, you know why? All your teammates is a bunch of f*ggots,” he said.
Classy guys!
There is one out fighter in UFC, Jeff Molina. He came out as bisexual last year following a video leak.
Unsurprisingly, UFC president Dana White doesn’t seem compelled to clean up the rampant homophobia in his organization. When asked about Radtke’s and Kap’s remarks, he said he doesn’t make his fighters apologize for anything.
With that in mind, White almost certainly won’t discipline Strickland, or even criticize him. But sadly, ESPN, which has a seven-year agreement with UFC worth about $300 million annually, won’t go there either.
When USA Today reached out to ESPN, a network spokesperson passed the buck. “I’d suggest you speak with UFC since Strickland is a UFC employee and they handle athlete relations,” said the person.
Any doubts how that would go?
National sports talker Mike Ryan Ruiz, who used to work for ESPN, laid into the network on Dan Le Batard’s show this week.
“While the UFC isn’t going to do anything about it, I would challenge ESPN to make a public statement on this because that kind of hate is going over their airwaves, The Walt Disney Company,” he said. “Like, are you a chickensh*t that you allow this with impunity? Regularly? But it’s never been this vile.”
While ESPN’s stature is diminished, along with the rest of the cable industry, it still provides one of the biggest platforms in sports. ESPN may need UFC, but UFC needs ESPN, too.
It’s hard to figure out ESPN’s fear. Execs couldn’t possibly think UFC would walk away from the network and $300 million annually, right?
In this case, doing the right thing is easy. ESPN is coming up woefully short.
Chrisk
Oh please. The fans go hoping they’ll hurt each other bad. They want to see someone just like him. The more racist, misogynistic, and homophobic the better.
Nothing will be done.
dario717
We’re talking about men who have no skills other than hitting each other in order to get them through life.
Jim
Wait wait Queerty calls him a homophobe and then presents him as a thirst trap.
What am I missing?
quantum
The part where the writer says, “The irony of Strickland, who parades around in skimpy outfits for the pleasure of gawking men, reacting so viscerally to LGBTQ+ people isn’t lost on us. “
Invader7
Brain damaged morons flailing each other. He has issues,. LOTS of issues.. I bet he secretly craves getting plowed by lots of dick !
Fahd
Wrestling, including UFC, is a gay sport…it’s just most of the participants are in denial. A friend has told me that wrestling videos can be found on many a gayporn website. Maybe in a few years UFC will be hosting LGBTQ fan nights, but until then….
Alex Reimer is right to call out ESPN. ESPN’s silence is inappropriate. No way Strickland’s loud mouth homophobia should be tolerated. He’s a terrible role model for young people.
bgeorge59
Thirst trap??? This guy is damn ugly!!! Hope we never get to see the mess from the fruits of his procreation
JRamonMc
He whines about homosexuality being the problem when in fact it’s assholes like this marching out in public in his underwear with a damn gun tucked in there to make up for what he doesn’t have in his underwear.
bachy
The one good thing about someone like this is that if you have any trouble understanding, he makes very clear the reasons why so many Americans will be voting for Trump.
sgb609
This has been going on for years. Floyd Mayweather? Connor McGregor? They are promoted on ESPN platforms over and over and over, regardless of their violent, angry homophobia.
Diplomat
The violent angry “homophobia” seems to be focused mainly on trans people, the most high maintenence sexual minority in the known galaxy. The guy is only saying what everyone is thinking. Good for him.
The guy has a right to say what he thinks so take it or leave it is the only option. Too intense? Life’s tough. Get a Helmut.
bachy
“Get a Helmut.”
Forgive me for my cluelessness, but is this some kind of reference to Helmut Lang? Or are you saying “Get a helmet“?
Diplomat
Hi Bachy,
The comment was referring to a physical helmut. The capital H was how my phone printed it. I didn’t catch it.
bachy
I think I was thrown off by the spelling.
helmet: a hard or padded protective hat, various types of which are worn by soldiers, police officers, firefighters, motorcyclists, athletes, and others.
Helmut: a German name
Diplomat
Yes I can see how that could distract. Good catch.
LumpyPillows
I always wonder what Helmut Lang would say.
LumpyPillows
He’s not as stupid as I thought he would be. I won’t go to him for guidance on anything, but he is no more offensive than the misogynists screaming trans women are women, and we have to put up with them.
strap2900
Unless you are transgendered yourself, you do not know how these people feel Trans people really feel like they are a different gender than their physicality. Most people can’t imagine how that must feel. Of course you can’t turn a man into a woman (biologically), but getting surgery to match how they feel, for the sake of their sanity, is no one’s business but their own.
Diplomat
Strap,
Intentionally jumping into the wrong sex body at birth for shitz and giggles just hasn’t turned out to be the day at the beach trans people expected. Every mammal on earth is binary and nothing is going to change that, no matter how opposite you think, who you offend, how many surgeries you get or how loud you scream.