The male locker room can promote hyper-masculine attitudes towards sex and sexuality, and it remains unclear how openly gay athletes would fit into that environment. Several of the NFL executives quoted in the Sports Illustrated article expressed concern that the presence of openly gay players might cause sexual tension and unsolicited attraction, interfering with team dynamics. Although sexuality is a complex phenomenon and it is difficult to determine precisely why some straight athletes might feel uneasy about gay teammates—the fact that some players remain uncomfortable with the sexuality of others illustrates the importance of greater integration and understanding.
Because locker-room rhetoric and behavior can be masculine, gay, male athletes often hide their sexual orientation to avoid controversy. Female athletes, on the other hand, seem to face less resistance and controversy when they openly embrace a lesbian sexual identity. This is, in part, because some perceive these athletes as shifting toward a dominant and celebrated masculine norm, rather than away from it.
The persistence of misunderstanding, tension and a masculine ideal in athletics is a reason to encourage sexual diversity, not suppress it. The best way to include and empower those who are marginalized is through honest dialogue and sustained interaction. Michael Sam’s announcement not only presents an opportunity to observe the masculine ideal that has long been associated with athletic success; it also allows us to better understand how spaces like the locker room can become more inclusive and tolerant of sexual difference.
Few of Duke’s athletes face the intense public scrutiny endured by professionals, but athletes at Duke may experience difficulty in openly expressing a non-heterosexual sexual identity. Fortunately, groups like The Athlete Ally Program—a national organization that fosters discussions about sexuality in sports—are working to make teams more inclusive by recruiting athletes on campus to help combat homophobia in athletic environments. We laud the group’s mission. A more inclusive locker room promises not only to assist gay athletes, but also to foster greater understanding between teammates—something that will help, not hinder, team dynamics in the long run.
As Audre Lorde, writer and civil rights activist, wrote in 1986, “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept and celebrate those differences.”
In a foreseeable future, the cultural views that confine sexuality to a simple gay-straight binary may begin to fall away. But, if we want openly gay athletes to find acceptance in today’s locker rooms, we first have to change our own attitudes about sexuality.
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