According to a new poll, it seems that while Americans are straying away from homophobia, they're still Brokebackaphobics.
In a recent HuffPost/YouGov poll, it showed that 60% of Americans would support their favorite sports team signing an openly gay player, while 20% would not. Also, 44% of Americans would strongly approve this, while only 11% would strongly disapprove. When it comes to party affiliation, 80% of Democrats would approve, 56% of Independents, and even 42% of Republicans. So, we're on the right track, right? Well, kind of...
As most sports fans know, former Missouri standout Michael Sam got drafted by the St. Louis Rams this past weekend to become the first openly gay player to be drafted and potentially play in the NFL. When he was drafted, networks aired him kissing his boyfriend in celebration (a very quick, closed-mouth kiss on the lips). So, how tolerant are Americans of that? Not nearly as much.
When asked if the kiss was appropriate or inappropriate for networks to broadcast, 36% said appropriate, while 47% said inappropriate. Democrats tended to think the kiss was appropriate (net +21%/53% appropriate to 32% inappropriate), but Independents (net -9%) and Republicans disagreed (net -53%).
So, why are Americans at a net +40% on accepting gay players, but at a net -11% on these gay players kissing their boyfriends like many straight players would kiss their girlfriends? That's a 51% disparity. Sure, some may not feel comfortable seeing any public displays of affection. However, if a man and his girlfriend gave one another a celebratory kiss like Mr. Sam and his boyfriend did, I have a hunch the percentage of those whom felt it was inappropriate would have been between 0 and 5. If that player and girlfriend started making out and feeling one another up, then that percentage may have raised some, but if anyone calls what Michael Sam and his boyfriend did a "full make-out session," he or she is pruder than a nun by the name of Sister Chastity Belt. The two much more likely answers are: 1) A percentage of the population is still warming up to gay rights and 2) A percentage of the population is still in the closet about their homophobia.
I can somewhat understand the first possibility. Changes can take some getting used to. So long as these people continually stand up for gay rights and try to become more tolerant of these individuals both publicly and behind the scenes, then I wouldn't have any problem with that. Many people can and do evolve, and I give them credit for allowing themselves to do so. With the latter of the two possibilities, however, I do have a problem with that. If, when asked a question about homosexuals, someone just says, "Hey - whatever. It's their life. They can do what they want," yet has a problem with seeing them together in public, then while he may think and claim he's not homophobic, he actually is. What did these people expect Michael Sam and his boyfriend to do? Give each other high-fives? A fist-bump? Hold hands and say a prayer together? Do these people know what being "gay" entails? What Michael Sam and his boyfriend did was no different than what straight players and their girlfriends do when their names get called. This wasn't an example of an over-the-top make-out session to make some kind of political statement. It was an example of two men expressing their love for one another during an occasion when words couldn't describe what they were feeling. While it appears as if this country is greatly progressing as far as gay rights and half-hearted acceptance goes, we appear to still have a ways to go before a majority of this country fully accepts the gay community. It's one thing to say, "I have no problem with them making the movie Brokeback Mountain," and quite another to say, "But I could never watch it, because, well, you know..."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/15/gay-athletes-poll_n_5325963.html
In a recent HuffPost/YouGov poll, it showed that 60% of Americans would support their favorite sports team signing an openly gay player, while 20% would not. Also, 44% of Americans would strongly approve this, while only 11% would strongly disapprove. When it comes to party affiliation, 80% of Democrats would approve, 56% of Independents, and even 42% of Republicans. So, we're on the right track, right? Well, kind of...
As most sports fans know, former Missouri standout Michael Sam got drafted by the St. Louis Rams this past weekend to become the first openly gay player to be drafted and potentially play in the NFL. When he was drafted, networks aired him kissing his boyfriend in celebration (a very quick, closed-mouth kiss on the lips). So, how tolerant are Americans of that? Not nearly as much.
When asked if the kiss was appropriate or inappropriate for networks to broadcast, 36% said appropriate, while 47% said inappropriate. Democrats tended to think the kiss was appropriate (net +21%/53% appropriate to 32% inappropriate), but Independents (net -9%) and Republicans disagreed (net -53%).
So, why are Americans at a net +40% on accepting gay players, but at a net -11% on these gay players kissing their boyfriends like many straight players would kiss their girlfriends? That's a 51% disparity. Sure, some may not feel comfortable seeing any public displays of affection. However, if a man and his girlfriend gave one another a celebratory kiss like Mr. Sam and his boyfriend did, I have a hunch the percentage of those whom felt it was inappropriate would have been between 0 and 5. If that player and girlfriend started making out and feeling one another up, then that percentage may have raised some, but if anyone calls what Michael Sam and his boyfriend did a "full make-out session," he or she is pruder than a nun by the name of Sister Chastity Belt. The two much more likely answers are: 1) A percentage of the population is still warming up to gay rights and 2) A percentage of the population is still in the closet about their homophobia.
I can somewhat understand the first possibility. Changes can take some getting used to. So long as these people continually stand up for gay rights and try to become more tolerant of these individuals both publicly and behind the scenes, then I wouldn't have any problem with that. Many people can and do evolve, and I give them credit for allowing themselves to do so. With the latter of the two possibilities, however, I do have a problem with that. If, when asked a question about homosexuals, someone just says, "Hey - whatever. It's their life. They can do what they want," yet has a problem with seeing them together in public, then while he may think and claim he's not homophobic, he actually is. What did these people expect Michael Sam and his boyfriend to do? Give each other high-fives? A fist-bump? Hold hands and say a prayer together? Do these people know what being "gay" entails? What Michael Sam and his boyfriend did was no different than what straight players and their girlfriends do when their names get called. This wasn't an example of an over-the-top make-out session to make some kind of political statement. It was an example of two men expressing their love for one another during an occasion when words couldn't describe what they were feeling. While it appears as if this country is greatly progressing as far as gay rights and half-hearted acceptance goes, we appear to still have a ways to go before a majority of this country fully accepts the gay community. It's one thing to say, "I have no problem with them making the movie Brokeback Mountain," and quite another to say, "But I could never watch it, because, well, you know..."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/15/gay-athletes-poll_n_5325963.html
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