Cyd Zeigler, co-founder of OutSports.com and co-producer for TLC will be interviewing Mr. Baer along with Grady Schroeder, one of our Jr. Interviewers. You can see some of Grady’s interview in the Video section of this website and/or read more about him in our Resources section.

We will ask Mr. Baer our two basic questions – Will you invite your gay players to come out? and What safety nets will you have in place for them once they do come out?

What would you like to ask Larry Baer, or any owner of a major sports team.

Post your question in the “Comments” section of this post.

Don’t be shy. No question is too simple or too complex.

We’ll post your question as soon as we review it.

Thanks in advance for participating.

Jason Collins – NBA center for the Washington Wizards – although he stated he wished he didn’t have to be the first, has taken that brave leap and hopefully leads the way for others in the professional leagues.
 
The Last Closet is proud to be a part of the movement that has been laying the groundwork for this momentous occasion. There have been many more organizations doing their piece as well and together we will continue to move forward. As with any civil rights movement, all progress comes in increments.
 
This event is the beginning of what we hope will be a groundswell of continued inclusion and tolerance throughout our culture.
 
Because of its strong position of influence in our culture, sports has always been a pivotal component of change. Athletes are our national heroes. Young and old alike revere these players. As more become visible our youth will have role models to point to to say – “He’s like me. I’m like him. If he is out and proud maybe I can be too.” The suicide statistics for LGBT youth are daunting. Each player that comes out can influence these numbers.
 
Jason Collins thank you for joining the handful of brave out male players and for being the first to come out while you are still playing. Our gay youth and the culture at large are better for it and the LGBT sports community will support you in every way we can.
 
Read Jason’s statement in Sports Illustrated – http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/news/20130429/jason-collins-gay-nba-player/

The Last Closet just launched its second campaign – the owners campaign – and selected five owners from each of the major professional sports leagues to speak out about homophobia. We chose these “fearless 5” because they have demonstrated an awareness of LGBT issues and have an inclination to become an ally in the effort to help pave the way for the first professional athlete to come out publicly as gay while actively playing.

So who are these fearless leaders and why did we choose them for our campaign? Here is a brief rundown of some of the most progressive thinking team owners in professional sports:

Francisco Aquilini, Owner of the Vancouver Canucks (NHL):

The Canucks participated in GLAAD’s Spirit Day as well as Vancouver’s Gay Pride Parade. Several players are involved with You Can Play – another great organization dedicated to eliminating homophobia in sports.

Larry Baer, Owner of the San Francisco Giants (MLB):

The Giants were the first professional sports team to participate in the “It Gets Better” campaign. The team has a decade-long tradition of holding an “LGBT night” at the ballpark where partial proceeds benefit LGBT non-profit organizations.

Mark Cuban, Owner of the Dallas Mavericks (NBA):

In an audio interview with TMZ Cuban stated his believe that a gay player will come out in the NBA during the next 3 to 5 years. He also wrote, with great candor, a blog article titled “Am I a Homophobe?” that explores the innate fear of “otherness.”

Robert Kraft, Owner of the New England Patriots (NFL):

Kraft voiced support for Boston Herald sports journalist Steve Buckley after he came out as gay in 2011. Kraft was the keynote speaker at an LGBT executive networking event and he has donated to PFLAG. The Patriots are the first NFL team to become a sponsor of Gay Bowl (Gay Bowl III in Boston).

Merritt Paulson, Owner of the Portland Timbers (MLS):

Paulson was the only Major League Soccer owner to participate in Gay4Soccer’s “Allies” twitter campaign. Paulson’s twitter response read: “happy to declare my support for the gay community.” The team’s fan group, The Timber Army, has also joined the “Allies” campaign.

*****

Comparisons to Jackie Robinson, the great Brooklyn Dodgers player who broke the color barrier, await the first player to come out as gay while actively playing. But we’re also wondering who will be the next Branch Rickey? Robinson showed remarkable poise in the face of constant harassment, abuse, and even death threats during his rookie year with the Dodgers. He was able to endure these hardships due to his own perseverance, talent, and – not to be overlooked – the support he received from the Dodgers organization. In particular, Team President Branch Rickey is credited with championing Robinson and supporting the integration of baseball.

We feel that any one of our “fearless 5” owners could have a similar impact on paving the way for a gay player to come out by using their power to foster and promote a climate of tolerance and acceptance within their entire organization. It is our hope that they will agree to an on-camera interview with The Last Closet and speak out against homophobia in sports.

To join our campaign, please send a letter. It only takes – you guessed it – 5 seconds.

We are about to archive the Commissioner Campaign and move on to the Owner Campaign and wanted to fill you all in on what we’ve accomplished with your help.

* Over 1100 letters have been sent by sports fans and others asking the five major league sports commissioners to interview with The Last Closet to speak about homophobia in their sport.

* We received substantial press coverage – over 40 articles or mentions about The Last Closet on-line and in print.

* We have had two television broadcasts specifically about our project.

* Former San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos facilitated an alliance with The Last Closet and the City of San Francisco.  The city initiated a press conference to introduce a resolution in support of The Last Closet campaign and LGBT pro athletes. Among other things it specifically asks the commissioners to interview with The Last Closet to answer our two basic questions – “Will you invite your gay players to come out?” and “What safety nets will you have in place for them once they do?”. The resolution was passed on Oct. 30, 2012 with a unanimous vote of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

* As a result of this historic event, a coalition has been formed to bring this resolution to other cities and counties across the country that host professional sports teams. The coalition is comprised of former mayor Art Agnos, SF Supervisor David Campos, Outsports and co-producer for TLC Cyd Zeigler , NCLR’s sports project director Helen Carroll, and The Last Closet director Fawn Yacker and co-director Jennifer Kelley.

If any of you are interested in furthering this potentially potent resolution please contact us at: thelastcloset@gmail.com

* We have posted over 400 video clips of pivotal sports figures speaking about homophobia in sports. These include retired out athletes, educators, journalists, publicists, academics, straight allies, sports leaders, young LGBT atletes and others. These clips are categorized with easy reference to the subject matter being addressed. Many more are being prepared and on the way!

* Equality Coaching Alliance has joined our campaign and composed their own letter in support of our project and the need for the sports hierarchy to speak out in support of their LGBT athletes. This was sent to all five league commissioners. We will begin to engage other LGBT sports organizations to do the same. Please let us know if you would be interested in supporting our effort.

*We have been building followers on facebook and twitter about our present campaign and our goal to help facilitate the first athletes in the major league history to come out publicly while actively playing.

* Our next campaign is in the works and begins mid January 2013. We are asking team owners to speak up about homophobia in sports and we also have two basic questions for them to address. The first is the same we asked of the commissioners – Will you invite your gay players to come out? The second has been adjusted to reflect the possibility that the leagues and teams may not have a definitive answer for that question which was: What safety nets will you have in place for them once they do? We are instead asking: Would you be willing to provide viable safety nets for these athletes once they come out? 

You can suggest additional questions by clicking here. 

* Our blogs update you in on what we’ve been thinking, where the movement is headed and what we’ve been up to.

In summary, although none of the commissioners have yet agreed to an interview, we know through our communications with their public relations staff that this campaign has helped move the dialogue forward within the leagues. Commissioners, if they didn’t already, now know that they will be called on to take responsibility for creating safe environments for their gay athletes. We would like to commend several of them for their efforts to create a culture of tolerance and inclusiveness in their leagues. You can continue to request an interview with them on our behalf by visiting our Campaign Archive page  and sending a letter, or by tweeting to the leagues directly.

This is why the goal of The Last Closet is to encourage the first gay professional player to come out publicly while actively playing one of the five major sports in America. As Fawn Yacker, Director of The Last Closet aptly stated, when considering harrowing LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender) teen suicide statistics, “they need a gay sports hero.” Whoever this pioneer is, they will surely become an important role model for tolerance and acceptance for kids everywhere, not just LGBT youth.

But while we wait for this historic event to unfold we should not overlook those who are already engaged in the fight against homophobia in sports. Ironically, it is young LGBT athletes themselves, the very group who would benefit the most from having a pro athlete come out, who have assumed the role of leaders in this movement. The Last Closet applauds the astonishing bravery demonstrated by these athletes who make the difficult decision (or, in the event that they’re outed, must deal with the consequences) to reveal their sexuality, sometimes in the context of a hyper-masculine sports environment.

Photographer Jeff Sheng is in a unique position to comment on the courageousness of gay youth. In his documentary Fearless he has photographed over 150 out LGBT athletes on high school and college teams and exhibited his work around the world. In an interview with The Last Closet Sheng observed:

I see these young people as true heroes. I see these people – when you’re 16 or 17 years old you have a lot to lose. I mean you do not have the support system that professional athletes might have….And to say I’m going to be who I am and come out and take that risk is something so huge.

Two of these “true heroes,” although they don’t view themselves in this light, are Galen Dodd and Grady Schroeder, Junior Interviewers for The Last Closet. Grady, now a freshman in college, first came out to a few close friends in high school and eventually the word about his sexuality spread to classmates and teammates on his cross-country team. Galen, a volleyball player, also came out gradually but ultimately decided to make a bold proclamation by updating his Facebook status to: “Galen + PMS-ing + Oh f*** it = I’M GAY.”

While both young men had the support of their families they were apprehensive about the possibility of facing intolerance or rejection from peers, particularly teammates. But, as Grady describes, coming out in high school, although a difficult process, was one of necessity:

…it felt like a great weight had been lifted off my shoulders, personally. Cause then you got the pressure of the secret you’ve been keeping that’s now out and you don’t have to keep it a secret anymore. For me, when I have something that’s on my mind I like to say it. So, it was killing me little by little inside trying to keep it hidden from anyone.

The reaction by teammates to news of Grady and Galen’s sexual orientation was overwhelmingly positive. Galen’s volleyball coach noted that his athletic performance improved after he no longer had to shoulder the burden of secrecy. There were, however, some bumps along the road – Grady observed that changing in the locker room became awkward to the point where he decided to change by himself, rather then make his teammates uncomfortable. Ultimately, over time, both young athletes found widespread acceptance amongst peers and felt relieved that they no longer had to juggle double lives.

Grady and Galen’s determination to play and excel in sports is remarkable considering that they were raised in a society that often discourages young LGBT athletes from pursuing their athletic dreams, especially at the highest levels. Despite significant advances in gay rights over the past decade, pervasive old school attitudes towards gay athletes hold firm: they’re effeminate, weak, sissies. Compounding these attitudes is the continued use of homophobic slurs by pro players and the reluctance of most Commissioners and team owners from taking pro-active measures to encourage respect and tolerance for the gay community within their leagues. The result is a clear message to LGBT youth: you’re not welcome in the locker rooms of professional sports teams.

Fortunately, this perception is beginning to change. Out LGBT athletes like Galen and Grady, along with high profile straight allies like Vikings punter Chris Kluwe and Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo, are changing the culture for the next generation of athletes – gay and straight. A pro player coming out as gay would undeniably advance this cultural shift and, as Galen states, would be a game changer for LGBT youth grappling with self-esteem issues.

A pro athlete coming out would mean the world to young gay people struggling with their self-identity and their athleticism, or their admiration towards athleticism. It would provide a beacon of hope for anyone who wants to pursue a life in sports and be gay, and it would show it’s okay to be gay and do what you love no matter what it is.

And so, while we wait for this gay hero to emerge, The Last Closet marvels at the courage of a couple of teenagers who have become role models for other young gay athletes. Galen Dodd and Grady Schroeder have succeeded where professional athletes have not: being true to themselves by coming out publicly. Their willingness to speak out about their experiences as gay athletes demonstrates a level of bravery that will hopefully inspire a closeted gay pro to follow their lead and step out from the shadows.

On Oct. 30, 2012, a historic resolution was introduced and ultimately passed by the City of San Francisco via the Board of Supervisors.

It states –  Resolution requesting the Commissioners of professional men’s sports to take part in The Last Closet Campaign, by going on record in a public interview in support of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender athletes and to commit to setting up support systems and safeguards that allow athletes to be openly out and participate in sports without worry of discrimination or retaliation. 

All of this happened in record speed. Here’s how it came down.

Wed. Oct. 24 late evening – I read an earth shaking email from the former mayor of San Francisco, Art Agnos saying – “My political instincts tell me this world series is an opportunity to call attention to your project about Commissioner interviews.” He explains that he and his former speech writer, Larry Bush, wrote a letter in support of The Last Closet and its basic campaign premise – asking the commissioners of the five major pro sports leagues to say on camera that they support their LGBT athletes by inviting them to come out. The letter also states our second objective – to have a safe and respectful environment for these athletes to step into.

Mayor Agnos suggests asking the Board of Supervisors to create a resolution based on his letter.

Thurs. Oct. 25 – The next morning, not even waiting for an email response from me, the mayor called and asked if we should proceed.

My answer, of course, was a resounding yes.

A series of tasks ensue that spun so fast, food and sleep became irrelevant.

That morning revisions of the letter go back and forth to prepare it for presentation to the supervisors.

That afternoon Art Agnos presents the letter to San Francisco District 5 Supervisor, Christina Olague. He also lists (8) directives for us all to follow to move forward. One of which was to include District 9 Supervisor David Campos.

Later that afternoon Stephanie Tucker, legislative aide from Supervisor Olague’s office, takes the reigns and gets other supervisors on board to sign the letter. That letter will ultimately be sent to the five league commissioners, a copy of which would be distributed at a press conference slated for that coming Tues. Oct. 30.

By now others on our team have gotten the alert and jumped on board. Jennifer Kelley, The Last Closet co-director, Cyd Zeigler, The Last Closet co-producer and co-founder of Outsports.com and Dee Mosbacher, president of Woman Vision.

We put out an SOS to our friends and allies asking for help getting press to the event. Luckily, Helen Carroll, sports project director for NCLR  (National Center for Lesbian Rights) jumps in and lends us Erik Olvera, NCLR’s media coordinator.

Friday Oct. 26 – Tweets, emails, Facebook posts begin to fly; speeches are written; posters are made and email upon email is exchanged. Press lists are collated. Our knight in shining armor in the form of Kevin Lynch, writer for the Niner Insider Blog of SF Gate, takes our hand. He provides more press contacts than we can shake a stick at. He had written a blog the week before letting his readers know about our site.

All of this is happening as the Giants begin their historic sweep. We worry that the press conference will end up being on the same day as the parade if the Giants win, thus taking any amount of publicity we hope to get. We press on. So to speak.

The weekend Oct. 27,28 – Strategy, media alerts composed, Sean Chapin, the main force behind getting the SF Giants to make an It Gets Better video, agrees to video tape the event. More emails fly.

The Giants WIN the world series!!

Mon. Oct. 29 – Media alert composed and passed back and forth too many times and then finally released. Hurricane Sandy impacts our available help. Erik Alvera has to step out to take the work overload at NCLR. Their lawyers are stuck on the East Coast. We take over his press contacts. Stephanie Tucker makes calls to the press. Late that afternoon all media alerts are out.

AND THEN WE GET THE WORD. Luckily the Giant’s parade will not be on Tues., the day of our conference, but will be on Wed.

HOWEVER, the location of the press conference which was to be held on the steps of City Hall would need to be changed. Tuesday, the city would be building a platform on the steps for the parade on Wed.

New alerts are sent out with the change of location. We hope anyone gets them on time.

Better news is that David Kopay, the first ever NFL player to come out, has agreed to join us at the press conference. There is one seat left on the flight that Cyd Zeigler had booked for himself leaving from LA to SF on Tuesday morning. I scramble to get that seat seat for David. Success.

Tues. Oct. 30 – The press conference takes place at 11:30am. Jennifer Kelley holds down the fort as Sean Chapin and Dee Mosbacher set up cameras. We get broadcast and print coverage even with the change of venue, the fact that naked people were protesting outside City Hall at the same time, and the press was only formally notified the day before. Oh, and then there was the Giants parade preparation.

The proceedings begin – both Supervisors make heartfelt statements as out civil servants. I speak along with Cyd Zeigler (TLC co-producer) and Helen Carroll (NCLR sports project director). David Kopay speaks as well, telling his story of having been closeted and then bursting out. His book, “The David Kopay Story” tells his story in detail. We take questions and answers. Roger Brigham from the B.A.R. and founder of Equality Coaching Alliance asks relevant and important questions as do others.

We decompress and go to a fabulous lunch at Max’s on Van Ness. Thank you Dee Mosbacher for that treat.

And thank you all who helped make this happen.

There are plans in the works to have this resolution be a model for cities and counties nationwide. If you are interested in participating in helping make this happen please contact us at: thelastcloset@gmail.com

You can see more press coverage by clicking this link - http://www.thelastcloset.org/tlc-in-the-news/

The full resolution can be seen here - http://www.thelastcloset.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/City-of-San-Francisco-Resolution.pdf

Supervisors to LGBT Athletes: Step Out of the Closet

District Nine Supervisor David Campos and District Five Supervisor Christina Olague mark the launch of a national campaign to end homophobia in professional athletics at a press conference at City Hall Tuesday Morning.

By Yousur Alhlou

Posted October 30, 2012 4:13 pm

In light of the San Francisco Giants’ recent World Series sweep, members of the Board of Supervisors are teaming up with LGBT organizations to encourage professional athletes to come out of the closet.

District 9 Supervisor David Campos and District 5 Supervisor Christina Olague held a joint press conference early Tuesday to promote The Last Closet, a campaign to end homophobia and provide support systems for male LGBT athletes in professional sports.

The conference was co-organized by former Mayor Art Agnos, an active LGBT advocate, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR).

“There are millions of boys and girls throughout this country who aspire to become a professional athlete,” said Campos, who is openly gay. “We want to make it so that, when they are of age, they don’t have to be closeted to be successful in sports.”

At tonight’s meeting of the Board of Supervisors, Campos and Olague will introduce a resolution to push professional sports commissioners and management to encourage LGBT athletes to come out without fear of retaliation or harm.

No professional athlete has ever come out while actively playing.

Former San Francisco 49ers running back David Kopay was one of the first professional athletes to come out, in December 1975. He attended Tuesday’s press conference to address discrimination in professional athletics.

“The last closet for me was when I came out,” Kopay said. “I needed to step up … I was suffocating. I was so angry, I was going to explode.”

Over the last month and a half, The Last Closet rolled out a letter-writing campaign to reach out to professional sports commissioners. No commissioner has accepted an interview, said cofounder Fawn Yacker.

The Last Closet is now pushing a web and media campaign to encourage commissioners, management and owners alike to speak out against homophobia in professional athletics.

Yacker added that commissioners have taken some action in support of the LGBT community, by imposing sanctions on athletes who use homophobic slurs or by inviting LGBT community members to speak to players.

“But what hasn’t happened — and needs to — is for them to make a definitive statement on camera saying, ‘You are invited to come out and we will do all that is necessary to provide a safe environment for you to do it,’” Yacker said. “They need to be seen and heard.”

Helen Carroll, director of NCLR’s Sports Project, said that similar efforts have for too long operated behind the scenes and in the dark, adding that a national voice for LGBT athletes is key to addressing homophobia.

“To finally see this happen … [for] a city like San Francisco to take this on and to really say to other cities, join us or be left in the dust — I think we’re going to get some results,” Carroll said.

In honor of tomorrow’s World Series festivities, openly bisexual Olague urged Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig to make history as the first professional sports commissioner to openly encourage baseball players to come out of the closet.

“Tomorrow morning, more than a million fans in our diverse city and Bay Area will fill this plaza to celebrate and honor [the San Francisco Giants],” Olague said. “Almost every community will have a role model on the stage to look at and cheer but one — the one in the last closet.”

Cyd Zeigler, cofounder of Outsports, emphasized that silence from commissioners and managers only reinforces a non-tolerant atmosphere.

“Though [the city of San Francisco and the Giants] have won a championship … it takes something very different to be a champion,” Zeigler said. “It’s not about about what you do on the field or the court. It’s what you do for other people and how [you] accept other people.”

When asked about the potential ramifications of coming out, or whether openly gay athletes would be a distraction, Ziegler said: “Athletes can be a distraction to a team with bad leadership. That’s not on the athlete for living his life openly.”

“You can also find good timing. You might not want to come out on the last game before the World Series,” Carroll said jokingly.

The Giants made history recently when they became the first sports franchise to promote an online campaign — the “It Gets Better Project” — aimed at curbing suicides among LGBT youth, who are three to six times more likely to commit suicide than their straight peers, according to Yacker.

The video featured Barry Zito, Matt Cain, Sergio Romo, Andres Torres and Hensley Meulens.

Filed under: Featured, Front Page, Government & Non Profits, Mobile, Sports, Today’s Mission, Topics

Tagged: Andres Torres, Art Agnos, Barry Zito, Baseball Commissioner, Bud Selig, campos, Cyd Zeigler, David Kopay, Fawn Yacker, Helen Carroll, Hensley Meulens, Matt Cain, National Center for Lesbian Rights, Olague, Outsports, Sergio Romo

Oct 22nd, 2012 by Fawn Yacker.

Fawn Yacker is the director of The Last Closet, a campaign to end homophobia in men’s pro sports.

Over 50,000 athletes have participated in the five major U.S. sports leagues since their inception. None have come out publicly while actively playing. The Last Closet is calling on members of the sports hierarchy to help bring forth a new culture in pro sports. Step one: Create viable safety nets for the gay sports heroes who will some day emerge.

The Last Closet Commissioner Campaign is in full swing and is the first of several planned campaigns designed to encourage discussion and begin action plans to combat homophobia in men’s pro sports. Prior to this current campaign, the commissioners of the five major professional sports were asked multiple times if they would be willing to be interviewed by The Last Closet, an award winning film-making team sponsored by Woman Vision. They refused or deflected each request. It became apparent that they were not ready to take the deep dive into homophobia in pro sports.

Our straightforward request of the commissioners was/is that they answer two questions: “Would you invite your gay players to come out?” and “What safety nets would you have in place for them once they do?” We promised/promise to take only 15 minutes of their time.
Our choice to target the commissioners first, rather than say owners or general managers (both are on our schedule), is twofold. The Commissioner represents the face of his (if we are talking present time) respective league and has, as one of his primary responsibilities, the discipline of his brood. He is the one that announces and most probably decides that Amar’e Stoudemire’s homophobic tweet deserves a $50,000 fine.

The issue of discipline is an important element in designing the safety nets needed in place if we are to expect our first gay sports heroes to emerge. We would like to collaborate with the leagues to understand what those safety nets might be. In other words, what would allow a player to finally feel safe enough to come out? This conversation in the pro sports environment is essential and is still unformed.

Thankfully, some of the work has begun. The NBA’s rookie camp invited Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and Athlete Ally to present the first ever “ally training”. The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) Sports Project has worked with the 49ers front office decision makers to take proactive measures around LGBT issues. Various teams and leagues have participated in the It Gets Better Campaign and the same participation has been gaining much traction in the You Can Play Project. Each of these groups and others are working toward similar goals to encourage tolerance and equal opportunity for all.

Also, it is clear from current events that our commissioners have been supportive of some gay rights issues and have been fairly diligent about punishing players and others who spew gay slurs. Without taking a stand on the issue itself, NFL’s Roger Goodell supported Brendon Ayanbadejo’s right to defend gay marriage. Bud Selig and MLB suspended Atlanta Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell for two weeks without pay for his hideous homophobic verbal rampage at the opposing league’s fans. He also fined Yunel Escobar three games for using a gay slur. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman supports the You Can Play project, which hopes to create a supportive environment for gay players, although in his statement of support, he did not use the word “gay”. Houston Dynamo midfielder Colin Clark was suspended and fined by MLS commissioner Don Garber for using a gay slur against a ball boy and more recently MLS dropped its partnership deal with Boy Scouts of America. The leagues party line on the Boy Scout decision was that it was for “business reasons”, but prior to that decision were outcries from the LGBT community repudiating the BSA’s policy of barring membership to LGBT Americans. The NBA’s David Stern was commended by the Human Rights Campaign for tackling anti-gay discrimination. Stern had fined both Kobe Bryant and Joakim Noah for using homophobic slurs on the court.

Here’s the thing though. There were two different fines imposed by Stern – Bryant $100,000 and Noah $50,000. What determined the fine amount? Is it based on income? Is it based on where and when the slur was used, or how offensive the slur was? Is the monetary fine less if the game suspension is longer? What if the slur was combined with physical violence? These are just a few of the myriad questions that will inevitably come up when setting a structure for these kinds of offenses.

Professor Eric Anderson of the University of Winchester, England, a sociologist and an expert in the field of homophobia in sports, points to the inequity of the law on the field and off. He uses an example that most of us are familiar with, but do not register as problematic because of just how familiar it is. He maintains, “Actions that elicit punitive manner off the pitch, do not do so on the pitch. If, for example, a high school math student punches another student, he receives a five-day suspension or expulsion. If, however, that same boy punches someone on the soccer pitch an hour later, as part of a school soccer program, he receives a red card.” For Professor Anderson, athletics needs to be held to the same standard as other segments of society. “School systems, businesses (of which sport is) and governments have various rules/laws about speech that is intended to degrade, inflame violence, or denigrate another. Players should fall under those rules/laws, equally, regardless of the nature of the group they incite.”

Helen Carroll, director of the Sports Project for The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) suggests that if players know the consequences BEFORE stepping out of line, they would adhere to “Think B4 You Speak” (tag borrowed from the GLSEN Sports Project and the Ad Council’s PSA about bullying). In addition, she points to team leaders who would be made responsible for controlling locker room vitriol. To effect a culture change such as she describes would take a concerted collaborative effort by the leagues and groups familiar with LGBT discrimination. Carroll is convinced this can be done. Training is the key. She hopes for a time when there are no holes in these “safety nets” through which a gay player could fall.

So back to the question at hand – Why the commissioners and why now? It is beyond reason, as reflected by the current cultural zeitgeist, to think that if we asked our two questions we would hear “NO, we don’t invite our gay players out” and “NO we will not provide safety nets for them”. There in lies the problem in obtaining these interviews. We believe the sports hierarchy, beginning with the commissioners, are not yet feeling safe enough themselves to step up to say YES, we support a gay athlete coming out and YES, we will take responsibility for their safety. We can only guess what their fears may be. Do they think that the fan base would drop away, or that corporate sponsorship would dwindle, each culminating in financial loss? In all probability, this would not happen. Are they afraid the timing isn’t right, or that they would be perceived as taking a political stance? This is not a political issue, it’s a human rights issue. If not now when? Are they waiting for yet another major US institution to declare that gay is OK? Have they not had enough time to configure their strategy and talking points on the issue? Do they feel it’s not their responsibility to do so?

We at The Last Closet contend that the time is not only right to address these issues, but waiting any longer is unconscionable. These statements of support need to be seen and heard on camera. Hearing and seeing the top officials in major professional sports speak affirmatively in support of gay athletes and sincerely addressing the issue of safety, will help to dispel the misgivings of those athletes on the fence about coming out. Our youth need this man/these men to come forward. They need gay sports heroes. The emergence of an out gay athlete could be life changing for the LGBT youth who contemplate suicide every day because of who they are. It could possibly save the lives of those 30-40% of LGBT youth that actually attempt suicide and the inordinate number who succeed.

Commissioners, the time couldn’t be more right. Say YES to an interview with The Last Closet and make your league proud.

Photo: David Kopay – retired “out” NFL player at the historic  press conference held on Oct. 30, 2012 by the city of San Francisco introducing a resolution in support of The Last Closet and LGBT pro athletes.

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Our lofty tagline merits explanation. Ending any social ill is a long process and we are realistic in our goals. What we are aiming for is a sea change much like Jackie Robinson provided when he became the first African American to play in a major league. Sports has the power to facilitate that kind of transformation within its own boundaries, as well as in the culture at large. Jackie Robinson’s brave first step moved the Civil Rights Movement into the collective conscience of the American people—whether they were sports fans or not.

It is quite clear to us that a pro athlete coming out would create a similar groundbreaking movement for sports and gay rights. But how to create an environment that would support that trailblazer and encourage him to take the leap?

The Last Closet campaign sets out to do just that, joining a growing grassroots movement to make all levels of sports inclusive for all. We feel that it is not necessarily the responsibility of the closeted athlete to step out onto the precipice. He is faced with a host of fears that are either valid, or vestiges of a culture that now seems to be accelerating towards tolerance. In either case, we want to understand the current zeitgeist. We have already started to collect in-depth interviews with important contributors to the sports culture and are now moving into uncharted territory. As we move closer to the top of the sports hierarchy, we have been meeting significantly more resistance.

The commissioners of the five major sports have either deflected or outright refused our repeated requests for interviews. Their silence is emblematic of the problem at hand: no athlete has ever come out publicly while actively playing in any of the major sports and no one wants to talk about why.

Our first campaign targets each of these men and encourages them to go on record, via a video interview, to answer these two questions: “Will you invite your gay players to come out?” and “What safety net will you have in place for them once they do?”

We encourage you to help us achieve the first of our campaign goals – Please send a letter to any or all of these men and let them know you would like to hear from them. It’s a simple click-and-send operation.

If you’d like to compose your own prose, make a call, or tweet to the commissioners, you are welcome to do so. We provide the contact information.

Make sure to visit our Video Page and see this month’s “Featured Video” to hear NFL Hall-of-Famer Michael Irvin speak candidly about his gay brother and the influence he’s had on his life and career.

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Of course, we are always happy to receive monetary contributions which are tax-deductible and very much appreciated.

Life is not a spectator sport. If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you’re wasting your life. – Jackie Robinson