Sheryl Swoopes says she's a lesbian, says some interesting things

superdave · Oct 26, 2005

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/basketball/nba/10/26/swoopes.ap/index.html?cnn=yes

Here's what I found interesting.

Swoopes, honored last month as the WNBA's Most Valuable Player, told ESPN The Magazine for a story on newsstands Wednesday that she didn't always know she was gay and fears that coming out could jeopardize her status as a role model.

"Do I think I was born this way? No," Swoopes said. "And that's probably confusing to some, because I know a lot of people believe that you are."

Swoopes, who was married and has an 8-year-old son, said her 1999 divorce "wasn't because I'm gay."

She said her reason for coming out now is merely because she wants to be honest.
Click to expand...

my emphasis

I think her comment about her not believing she was born lesbian is really interesting. I wonder how the gay community will react to her. On the one hand, she's elegant and fairly attractive and, when I've heard her, articulate, so she would make a good spokesperson. OTOH, she really is being heterodoxical by, apparently, saying she converted to lesbianism 10-15 years after she began developing a sexual identity.

I mean, "didn't always know I was gay," I can understand. IIRC, she's a small town girl, so she probably had no role models of any kind for understanding her sexuality if she was attracted to women. While alot of gay people remember being different when they were 6 years old and stuff, some remember being confused as teens.

But I'm really curious to see how she (I wish I could think of a better way to phrase this) became a lesbian. I'm no expert on gay lit, but her journey is pretty unique.

CrewDust · Oct 26, 2005

We can still refer to her as Swooprateriat right? I'm surprised it took this long for a women to come out in the WNBA. I don't think there is the stigma and hatered toward being gay in women's sports that there is in Men's sports. Still this could not have been easy.

Yankee_Blue · Oct 26, 2005

superdave said:

my emphasis

I think her comment about her not believing she was born lesbian is really interesting. I wonder how the gay community will react to her. On the one hand, she's elegant and fairly attractive and, when I've heard her, articulate, so she would make a good spokesperson. OTOH, she really is being heterodoxical by, apparently, saying she converted to lesbianism 10-15 years after she began developing a sexual identity.

I mean, "didn't always know I was gay," I can understand. IIRC, she's a small town girl, so she probably had no role models of any kind for understanding her sexuality if she was attracted to women. While alot of gay people remember being different when they were 6 years old and stuff, some remember being confused as teens.

But I'm really curious to see how she (I wish I could think of a better way to phrase this) became a lesbian. I'm no expert on gay lit, but her journey is pretty unique.
Click to expand...

I guess the question is "born gay or became gay". I take the position that it is a little of both. Born with a propensity to homosexuality and, in the proper environment, becomes gay. I really don't think it is either/or. Course I'm probably wrong.

bostonsoccermdl · Oct 26, 2005

A gay friend of mine said he realized it when he was a little kid...

superdave · Oct 26, 2005

Yankee_Blue said:

I guess the question is "born gay or became gay". I take the position that it is a little of both. Born with a propensity to homosexuality and, in the proper environment, becomes gay. I really don't think it is either/or. Course I'm probably wrong.
Click to expand...

I think of it like a scale from 1-10. If you're a 1 or a 2, you're gonna be gay or you're gonna be in some terrible, terrible relationships. If you're a 3 or 4, you'll probably be happier gay than straight, and if you grow up in, say, San Francisco, you're alot more likely to be gay than if you grow up in Nowhere, North Carolina. But you don't have to fake it too hard to be in a hetero relationship. Maybe she's a 3, and it took her awhile to figure it out.

BTW...before anyone goes there, I am NOT NOT NOT saying there's an even distribution. The vast majority of people are 9s and 10s, and IMO there are more 1s and 2s than 5s and 6s (true bisexuals.) I was just using a scale because I can explain it that way.

MikeLastort2 · Oct 26, 2005

Recruiter: Now, are either of you homosexuals?
John Winger: You mean like flaming? Or part time?
Recruiter: Well, it's a question we have to ask of all our new recruits.
Russell Ziskey: No, we're not homosexual, but we are willing to learn.

GringoTex · Oct 26, 2005

I think most women can swing both ways. I think homosexuality in women is fundamentally different from homosexuality in men.

This sexist statement was brought to you by no scientific data whatsoever.

CrewDust · Oct 26, 2005

GringoTex said:

I think most women can swing both ways. I think homosexuality in women is fundamentally different from homosexuality in men.

This sexist statement was brought to you by no scientific data whatsoever.
Click to expand...

Two chicks can kiss all the time and it means nothing like if two dudes did it. Who hasn't played get the GFs or wives drunk and get them to make out.

superdave · Oct 26, 2005

Don't ask me for a cite, just trust me, but I've seen studies claiming that there are more bisexual women than bisexual men, and more gay men than gay women, but if you add 'em together, it's about the same.

Matrim55 · Oct 26, 2005

I have four very good gay friends, all of whom said they realized it when they were very young, though it took varying lengths of time to admit it. I also knew a lot of LUGs in college; Lesbians Until Graduation. I think everyone has probably known girls like this (and because I lived in the actor's dorm, I even knew a couple of guys like this, a much rarer beast indeed) and I think we can all agree that LUGs are awesome.

Swoopes clearly doesn't fall into either category, which challenges everything I thought I knew about homosexuality. It will be fascinating to see the gay community's response to her self-outing, and what they make of her statements.

Either way, I applaud her courage and hope other closeted homosexuals and bisexuals feel safe enough to follow her path.

Revolt · Oct 26, 2005

A carpet muncher will get more men and women out to the WNBA games. Good marketing move!

nowayjose · Oct 26, 2005

superdave said:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/basketball/nba/10/26/swoopes.ap/index.html?cnn=yes

Here's what I found interesting.

my emphasis

I think her comment about her not believing she was born lesbian is really interesting. I wonder how the gay community will react to her. On the one hand, she's elegant and fairly attractive and, when I've heard her, articulate, so she would make a good spokesperson. OTOH, she really is being heterodoxical by, apparently, saying she converted to lesbianism 10-15 years after she began developing a sexual identity.

I mean, "didn't always know I was gay," I can understand. IIRC, she's a small town girl, so she probably had no role models of any kind for understanding her sexuality if she was attracted to women. While alot of gay people remember being different when they were 6 years old and stuff, some remember being confused as teens.

But I'm really curious to see how she (I wish I could think of a better way to phrase this) became a lesbian. I'm no expert on gay lit, but her journey is pretty unique.
Click to expand...

How do we know she didn't learn to become a lesbian to attract guys?

Matrim55 · Oct 26, 2005

GringoTex said:

I think most women can swing both ways. I think homosexuality in women is fundamentally different from homosexuality in men.
Click to expand...

Well, it's way hotter, first of all.

GringoTex · Oct 26, 2005

Matrim55 said:

Either way, I applaud her courage and hope other closeted homosexuals and bisexuals feel safe enough to follow her path.
Click to expand...

I just want to see two 6 ft. black women make out.

bostonsoccermdl · Oct 26, 2005

GringoTex said:

I just want to see two 6 ft. black women make out.
Click to expand...

Probably the first time I have agreed with you in a politics thread....

FearM9 · Oct 26, 2005

When is someone from the USWNT or long defunct WUSA gonna come out of the closet?

Stogey23 · Oct 26, 2005

GringoTex said:

I just want to see two 6 ft. black women make out.
Click to expand...

Swoopes girlfriend is a she-beast, so you don't want to in this particular situation.

nowayjose · Oct 26, 2005

Who else is a lesbian?

bojendyk · Oct 26, 2005

Mike Segroves said:

I bet she gets tossed under the bus because she didn't say she was "born" gay.

Hope not.
Click to expand...

I seriously doubt it. They'd only get pissed if she insisted that all gay people had the same experience that she had.

Dammit! · Oct 26, 2005

Dems, Reps, and Indeps, can all agree on Lesbians.

Lesbians, the great uniter.

Chris M. · Oct 26, 2005

Let's face it. We are all lesbians, trapped in men's bodies.

CrewDust · Oct 26, 2005

Stogey23 said:

Swoopes girlfriend is a she-beast, so you don't want to in this particular situation.
Click to expand...

Not going to make it onto We Live Together then.

Stogey23 · Oct 26, 2005

FearM9 said:

When is someone from the USWNT or long defunct WUSA gonna come out of the closet?
Click to expand...

I thought Abby Wambach was no longer keeping it a secret.

Matrim55 · Oct 26, 2005

Stogey23 said:

I thought Abby Wambach was no longer keeping it a secret.
Click to expand...

Sarah Whalen was a LUG.

FearM9 · Oct 26, 2005

Stogey23 said:

I thought Abby Wambach was no longer keeping it a secret.
Click to expand...

I think some fans more or less know that she's a lesbian. I don't think she has actually come out ala Swoopes and said that she is a lesbian.

Back when the WUSA was around, a Washington Freedom fan friend of mine somehow ended up at some sort of pride rally in the DC area and lo and behold Abby was there (along with another Freedom player) and was introduced as "one of our sisters" or something like that.