So Michael Sam got drafted as a 7th round draft pick. I've been following the issue and have found the responses very interesting. The general consensus seemed, in the beginning when he came out, to be very supportive. But after this vid came out of him being drafted:
The sentiment seems to have changed... or at least, more homophobes seem to be coming out of the woodwork. I'm not one to go around calling every person who disagrees with gay marriage or whatever a homophobe, but I'm finding the responses (Reddit, This:
)
to be very disappointing. People seem to concur that the only reason he got drafted was for political reasons; so that the NFL doesn't seem bigoted. I can't say whether that's the case. I don't know shit about football.
I just really hope that Michael Sam tackles the fuck outta everyone so that critics don't get to say "See! He's weak cause he's a fag!"
The second video really bummed me out. It's from a very popular radio show, which I actually like, and seems to express the general male heterosexual response. Sometimes, after being on the board and just living my life, I genuinely forget how uncomfortable most people are with seeing a simple act of innocent affection between two people of the same sex.
I'm not sure any of this has a point, I'm not sure exactly what I feel about the whole thing, but I'm getting a very strong sense of unease from all the responses I've read.
The response I've seen on reddit/imgur has mostly been
"Yeah, we get it, he's gay, stop making such a big fucking deal about it" and
"It's stupid how their decision is so political, it's just like that gender-fluid manwoman winning Eurovision"
and I'm like "Fuck off, it's inevitable". It's not their fault that they live in a world where the personal is so political. Also, Michael Sam and his boyfriend are cute as fuck.
I am happy that he has been drafted into the NFL. It shows that the USA is slowly making its way on the right side of history.
In response to the hate messages that have popped up: I was watching the Today show today, and the person they interviewed for this segment said that only 1% of the social media population can cause something to trend. He says that we and Sam should ignore it, because it is not a good representation of how America feels about this.
HumbleTangerine Wrote:The response I've seen on reddit/imgur has mostly been
"Yeah, we get it, he's gay, stop making such a big fucking deal about it"
I feel like this is the new, hip way to express dislike of gays. It's cruelty disguised as tolerance. These people will usually say things like "Look, I don't give a shit if someone's gay or not, so since I'm clearly so progressively minded let's all stop talking about the fact gay people exist." Which basically just means they want gay people to stay in the closet... but they get to avoid feeling like a dick somehow.
I think the reason they're patting themselves on the back for being "accepting" is that they're proud of themselves that they're not actively seeking out gay people and punching them in the face. That's the only way I can figure that these people believe their own bullshit when they say they don't have a problem with gays.
The ratio of straight PDAs to gay PDAs that most people are exposed to, whether in the media or in real life, is probably close to 1000 to 1 (yes... I did just completely make that up) and people can't grow the fuck up and deal with that 1 aspect everyone once in a while without losing their shit?
This whole issue upsets me a lot, and I wish it didn't. I hate having to feel like I, or any LGBTQ person, has to apologize to the mainstream for something so unimportant. Fortunately, in my own personal life, I'm never made to feel that way.
HumbleTangerine Wrote:Also, Michael Sam and his boyfriend are cute as fuck.
Do you think his sexuality would be getting as much attention as it is, if he was actually a good NFL player?
I mean Im in no way an NFL follower in any way, but if your the 253rd pick and there is only 257 spaces, lets face it, in the scheme of things he's way down the list in terms of talent.
Or do you think that his sexuality was an issue in him being so far down the list?
The issue that Sams has now, and that he has to work hard to overcome, is that the perception is that he was drafted as the token gay within the NFL. Only good enough to be 253rd pick.
If he was picked in the top 10, as an openly gay guy, then that would be more newsworthy I think?
When Michael Sam first came out, in February, people couldn't stop talking about how good a player and potential draft pick he was. SEC defensive player of the year... whatever that means. It's good.
But his performance at the NFL Combine, which is kind of an NFL tryout, was really poor. Also, he's very small for a linebacker (but a giant for a jockey!).
This guy thinks he should've been drafted a lot sooner:
The entirety of the internet disagrees.
You nailed it when you said he has to work hard to overcome the perception is that he was drafted as the token gay within the NFL. I hope he does well so that those accusations can be laid to rest. I hate being seen as either victims or being coddled to.
Please Michael Sam. PLEASE put someone in a coma... for me! Not a serious one... just a nice little coma to shut these fucks up.
I like these coming out in the sport, I think we should thank Obama, his voters and supporters...
His opinion had a big impact on culture around the world. He is not the only one, obviously, but his figure is very popular and influent, cause being the President of the United States, is the most powerful man in the world, everyone, everywhere talks of 'what Obama does or says.'
Michael Sam... first openly gay NFL player
![[-]](https://gayspeak.com/images/duende_v3_local/collapse.png)
Aquarius
