Monday, May 23, 2005
Intolerance knows no boundries
The April 18th issue of Sports Illustrated recently highlighted polling data on homosexuals and sports. The poll was done for NBC/USA Network and was conducted by Penn, Schoen & Berland. The USA Network's movie "Ring of Fire," about a world- class athlete, endured tremendous personal torment and public humiliation over what should have been the most private of subjects -- his sexuality - prompted this poll.
Here are some of the high-level findings:
FYI - The entire polling results can be viewed here
A couple of the more interesting findings center on the perception that gay athletes and coaches, as roles models may influence a child’s sexual preference.
- More than one third of Americans say it is "not appropriate" for gays to work with children in roles such as Little League coaches, referees and umpires.
- One in five Americans believe that positive portrayals of gay athletes in the media may encourage children to become gay.
Finally, these polling results are to be interrupted with extra caution since there has never been an "out" active player in any of the four major North American team sports, and this attests to the fears and uncertainty faced by gay athletes. So at best, these results are based on the hypothetical and opinions would surely change if there were an actual case. However, sadly, it is unclear if the opinions would improve.
Here are some of the high-level findings:
FYI - The entire polling results can be viewed here
A couple of the more interesting findings center on the perception that gay athletes and coaches, as roles models may influence a child’s sexual preference.
- More than one third of Americans say it is "not appropriate" for gays to work with children in roles such as Little League coaches, referees and umpires.
- One in five Americans believe that positive portrayals of gay athletes in the media may encourage children to become gay.
Finally, these polling results are to be interrupted with extra caution since there has never been an "out" active player in any of the four major North American team sports, and this attests to the fears and uncertainty faced by gay athletes. So at best, these results are based on the hypothetical and opinions would surely change if there were an actual case. However, sadly, it is unclear if the opinions would improve.
# posted by Shaky @ 3:56 p.m. 
