Ma mua o ka ʻike ʻia ʻana o Michael Sam i ka honua ma ke ʻano he mea pāʻani pôpeku ākea - ma mua o ka hoʻopaʻapaʻa ʻana o ka poʻe loea haʻuki i kāna kime NFL e hiki mai ana, ma mua o kona mau hoa kime a me nā hoa paio i ka wā e hiki mai ana i ka lehulehu no ka ua nui o ko lākou lumi laka, ma mua o kona lilo ʻana i meʻe o ka poʻe kāne poʻokela o ka lāhui. nā hui kuleana - aia ka pāʻina ahiahi ma Los Angeles.
ʻEhiku mau kāne, ʻo kekahi mau kāne kāne, ʻaʻole kekahi, i ʻākoakoa ma ka home o ka mea hoʻolaha Howard Bragman ma ke kauoha a nā luna NFL ʻo Joe Barkett lāua ʻo Cameron Weiss o Empire Athletes, ka hui ʻo Sam i koho ai e pani i kāna mau ʻoihana. ʻO Cyd Zeigler lāua ʻo Jim Buzinski o Outsports.com; ʻO Dave Kopay, ka NFL mua e holo hope ana i puka mai i ka makahiki 1975; ʻO nā mea pāʻani NFL kahiko ʻo Chris Kluwe lāua ʻo Brendon Ayanbedajo, nā mea i puka mai ma ke ʻano he mau hoa leo leo a nalowale kā lākou mau hana ma muli o ia; kekahi mea pāʻani mua, ʻo Wade Davis; ʻO Billy Bean ka mea pâʻani pâʻani pâʻani pôhili Major League, i puka mai ma hope o kona mau la pâʻani me ka San Diego Padres; a ʻo Sam, ke Kulanui o Missouri hōkū pale pale ka mea i manaʻo e lilo i mea pāʻani pôpeku mua loa o ka liona ma kahi kokoke i ʻehā mau makahiki.
Aia kēlā me kēia kanaka me kahi kumu kikoʻī loa, e like me nā hōʻike mai ʻO waho a Nā Sports Illustrated: Ua uhi ʻo Ziegler i nā mea pāʻani kāne male mai ka makahiki 1999 a ua hana ʻo ia i ka mea ʻoki piʻi. Hiki iā Davis ke pili i ka ʻike o Sam ma ke ʻano he keikikāne ʻeleʻele male kāne e ulu ana ma kekahi kūlanakauhale liʻiliʻi o ka Hema a ʻike ʻo ia i ka mahalo i nā iwi ʻaoʻao maikaʻi. Ma kona ʻano ponoʻī, ua hana kēlā me kēia kanaka i kāna ʻāpana e ʻōlelo kūʻē i ka homophobia ma kahi haʻuki e hāpai ana i kahi ʻano paʻa loa o ke kāne. Ma keʻano kūlana, ʻo ka pāʻina ʻaina he "ʻahaʻaina e puka mai ana" no Sam, he manawa kūpono e hoʻomaopopo ai i ka pūnaewele kākoʻo liʻiliʻi akā ikaika e hoʻopuni ana iā ia. Me ka manaʻo ʻole, he hoʻolauleʻa ia i nā hana a pau i alakaʻi i kēia manawa kahi, ma lalo o 24 mau hola, e paʻi ʻia ka ʻoiaʻiʻo o Sam ma waena o ka ʻaoʻao mua o ka New York Times. Akā ʻo ka mea mua, aia nā mea inu, nā pā pāʻani e kipa ʻia ai, a me ke mele ʻana i ka karaoke i ka hoʻokahi kakahiaka.
Hōʻike ka pūnaewele kākoʻo a Sam i ka neʻe ʻana o ka tectonic e hiki mai ana i loko o ka leʻaleʻa kanaka loa o ʻAmelika. No nā makahiki, ua hoʻoikaika ʻia e ʻimi a hoʻolauleʻa i kahi mea pāʻani kāne male ma ka NFL, a i kēia manawa ua kokoke ʻo ia i laila, e ʻike ka liʻiliʻi, kāna mau mea pāʻani, nā kumu aʻoaʻo a me nā mea pā i nā hua o kahi neʻe i hoʻoulu ʻia e ka liʻiliʻi. nā kāne pākahi i kāhea ʻia i ka hana hui.
E lawe iā Davis, no ka laʻana. Ua hoʻomaha ʻo ia mai ka NFL ʻEulopa i ka makahiki 2003 a ʻaʻole i puka i ke kāne male a hiki i nā makahiki ma hope, ma hope o kona neʻe ʻana i New York City a waiho i 2,000 mau mile ma waena ona a me kona ʻāina hānau ʻo Little Rock, kahi i pilikia ai ʻo ia e paʻi iā ia ma ka poʻohiwi. kahi pā kāne kāne, ʻōhumu i ka lae a nīnau, "ʻAʻole au i ʻike iā ʻoe?" ʻAʻole ʻo ia he kanaka ʻōpio huhū i makaʻu ʻole i nā hoʻokolokolo o ke ao nei; He kanaka makemake ʻo ia i ka haʻuki a me nā kāne ʻē aʻe a ʻaʻole maopopo i ke ʻano e hoʻokuʻikahi ai lāua. No laila ma New York City ua heluhelu nui ʻo ia iā James Baldwin a hana i kāna haʻawina home ma Sylvia Rivera a aʻo ʻo ia e mahalo i ka poʻe i hele i kēia ala ma mua ona. Akā ʻoi aku ka mea nui ma mua o ka haʻawina home āna i hana ai, ʻo ia ka hana o ka lā āna i lawe ai me ka Hetrick-Martin Institute, kahi hui kākoʻo no nā ʻōpio kāne. Ma laila, ʻo kona poʻo inoa ʻo ia ka Luna Hoʻokele o Job Readiness, akā ʻo ka mea āna i lawe ai, ʻo ia nā haʻawina mai nā poʻe ʻē aʻe i ka makahiki 13 a me 14 i hoʻoweliweli i nā home a lākou e noho ai a me nā ʻohana nāna lākou i hānai iā lākou iho. Ua noʻonoʻo ʻo ia, "He aha kaʻu e kali nei? He kanaka makua au me kahi ʻoihana, he wahi kālā liʻiliʻi, ʻaʻole like ka nui o ka nalowale.
A no laila ʻaʻole ʻo ia i haʻi wale aku i ka honua i kāna ʻoiaʻiʻo, ua hoʻopuni ʻo ia iā ia iho me ia. Ua komo ʻo ia i kahi līkii pīpeku hae hae kūloko a kākau i ka lehulehu e pili ana i kāna mau ʻike. Ua komo ʻo ia i ka papa ʻōlelo aʻoaʻo o Go Athletes!, he hui aupuni o nā mea pāʻani LGBT a me nā hoa pili. A laila, lilo ʻo ia i luna hoʻokō o kahi hui i kapa ʻia ʻo You Can Play a hoʻokumu pū i kekahi i kapa ʻia ʻo You Belong me kāna hoaaloha maikaʻi ʻo Darnell Moore, ua manaʻo lāua e hoʻomohala i nā mākau alakaʻi o ka poʻe ʻōpio ma o nā haʻuki.
I ka loaʻa ʻana o ke kelepona a Bragman e hele mai i Los Angeles no ka hoʻolauleʻa ʻana i ka wiwo ʻole o Sam, ʻaʻole ʻo ia i kānalua, a i kāna kākau ʻana e pili ana iā Sam ma Facebook, kapa ʻo ia iā ia ʻo "koʻu kaikunāne" no ka mea ma ka ʻaina ahiahi ua pili lāua ma ka ʻōlelo ʻana i ka ʻōlelo a nā kāne ʻeleʻele wale nō. i hānai ʻia ma nā kūlanakauhale Hema hiki ke ʻike. ʻO ia, me Zeigler a me nā mea ʻē aʻe, ke hoʻolaha nei i nā haneli o nā noi ninaninau e hele mai ana ma ke ala o Sam i hiki iā ia ke nānā aku i ka pôpeku. Ua ʻike lākou inā ʻaʻole ʻo ia e komo i ka liona, ʻaʻole manaʻo kēia manawa. ʻO kāna ʻike, ʻo kāna pāʻani ʻana i nā lā Sābati, ʻo ia wale nō ka ʻōlelo aʻoaʻo e pono ai ʻo ia e hana.
"ʻAʻole ʻo ka NFL kēia wahi homophobic a mākou e manaʻo ai," wahi a Davis ma hope o ʻelua hola o ka hiamoe ʻana ma muli o ke ahi ahi i hoʻāla ʻia e Sam i ka lehulehu. Manaʻo ʻo ia ua ʻike nā mea pāʻani o kēlā me kēia hui aia ma kahi o hoʻokahi mea pāʻani kāne kāne i waena o lākou, a ʻaʻohe mea nui iā lākou inā hiki iā ia ke pāʻani maoli. ʻOiaʻiʻo, ʻaʻole mākaukau a makemake paha nā mea pāʻani pololei e kamaʻilio me ka pāpā no ia mea, akā ʻaʻole ia he mea, wahi a Wade. ʻO kēia mau kāne a pau e pani ana i ko lākou waha e pale i ka pilikino o kā lākou hoa hui? He kaikunāne kēlā.
Akā, ʻo ka noho mālie, ke kulekele kūʻokoʻa ʻole "Mai nīnau, Mai haʻi" i ka mea i hoʻopaʻapaʻa ʻia ʻo ka ʻoihana moʻomeheu nui loa o ʻAmelika i makemake ai nā mea a pau i kēlā pāʻina ʻaina ma LA e lanakila. ʻAʻole hiki mai ka loli me ka hopena ʻole, a he kakaikahi ka poʻe i ʻike i kēia ma mua o Kluwe a me Ayanbedajo. ʻEkolu a me ka hapalua makahiki wale nō ka ʻoihana NFL, akā aia nā kāne ʻelua ma ke 30 mau makahiki a ʻo ko lāua mau makahiki paha ka mea i hāʻawi iā lākou i kahi hiʻohiʻona ʻoi aʻe, a i ʻole ka manaʻo kūpono e piʻi ana ka uaki a ʻaʻole lākou i loaʻa. nui ka lilo. No laila, i ka wā e hoʻopaʻapaʻa ana ka mokuʻāina ʻo Maryland i kāna koho balota male kāne like ʻole, ua ʻōlelo ʻo Ayanbedajo, he linebacker no ka hui pôpeku ʻoihana hoʻokahi o ka mokuʻāina, ua ʻōlelo ākea ʻo ia i kākoʻo iā ia. A i ka wā i kākau ai ka Lunamakaʻāinana ʻo Maryland State Emmett C. Burns Jr. i ka luna o Ayanbedajo, ka mea nona ʻo Raven ʻo Steve Bisciotti, e koi ana iā Bisciotti "e hana i ka hana kūpono ... e kāohi i kēlā mau ʻōlelo mai kāu limahana," ʻo Chris Kluwe, he kicker no ka Minnesota Vikings, hoʻopuka i kahi pane iā Burns ma Deadspin e pili ana me Ayanbedajo a me ka hōʻoiaʻiʻo ʻana i ka luna kānāwai e "ʻaʻole e hoʻohuli ʻia ʻoe e ka poʻe gay." I ka hopena, ua hana kekahi i nā hana kūpono e pale ai i kēlā mau ʻōlelo mai kā lākou limahana. Ua kipaku ʻia ʻo Kluwe, a ma hope o ka lanakila ʻana i ka Super Bowl ma 2013, ua hoʻokuʻu ʻia ʻo Ayanbadejo.
No kahi kula i kūkulu i kāna hōʻailona ma ka hoʻokūkū papa honua, ʻo ka NFL kāna mea pāʻani maikaʻi loa: nui loa e hoʻololi koke, lohi loa e ʻike i ka wā e hiki mai ana. He mau haneli o ka poʻe - scouts, trainers, agents, general managers, owners - ka mea e ʻōlelo ai inā paha e lawe ka mea pāʻani i ke kahua, a ʻaʻole e pau nā mea āpau ma ka ʻaoʻao hoʻokahi. Ua ʻōlelo ʻo Wade, ua manaʻo nui ʻo ia e pili ana i ka hoʻokō ʻana o ka liona i ka hoʻopili ʻana no ka mea ua hoʻolilo ʻo ia i ka manawa nui i ka huakaʻi ʻana a mai kona keʻena poʻo ma waena o Manhattan, e hui pū me nā poʻe e like me Troy Bennett, ka Luna Hoʻokele o ka Ligue o Diversity, e pili ana i nā ala e hiki ai i ka liona ke komo. I koʻu hoʻāʻo ʻana e hiki iā Bennett, ua hoʻihoʻi mai kekahi ʻelele i kēia ʻōlelo: “Mahalo mākou i ka ʻoiaʻiʻo a me ka wiwo ʻole o Michael Sam. He mea pâʻani pôpeku 'o Michael. Hiki i kēlā me kēia mea pāʻani me ka mākaukau a me ka manaʻo paʻa ke kūleʻa i ka NFL. Manaʻo mākou e hoʻokipa a kākoʻo iā Michael Sam ma 2014.
Akā ʻo nā hoa hui ka mea e pono ai e hoʻokipa a kākoʻo iā Sam, a ʻaʻole nui ka poʻe i nīnau i ko lākou manaʻo a hiki i ka wā i kau ai ʻo Cyd Ziegler o Outsports iā ia ma luna o kāna papa inoa o nā mea hoʻoponopono i ka makahiki 2012. Ua hoʻoikaika ʻia ʻo ia e kāna kamaʻilio me kahi New. ʻO ka mea hoʻolaha haʻuki ʻo York Times i ʻōlelo ʻaʻole pono e kūkākūkā ʻia ka moekolohe ma ka pôpeku no ka mea ʻaʻohe mea pili i ka pāʻani. Akā ʻaʻole ʻo ia i ʻae. ʻOiai ke kipi o ke kenekulia 18 i alakaʻi ʻia e George Washington, ʻoiaʻiʻo, he Mōʻī ko ʻAmelika, a ʻo ia ka pôpeku. ʻAʻohe ʻoihana moʻomeheu ʻē aʻe i hana hou aʻe e wehewehe i ke kāne ʻAmelika ma mua o ka NFL, a i ka wā i hana ʻia ai kēlā kāne kāne, ʻaʻole i manaʻo ʻo Ziegler he kūpono ke hōʻino ʻana i nā mea pāʻani no ka paʻa ʻana o ka noʻonoʻo e pili ana i kahi kumuhana ʻaʻohe mea i hopohopo e nīnau iā lākou. Pela oia i hana ai. "Makemake paha ʻoe e pāʻani me kahi hoa hui kāne?" i ninau aku ai oia. ʻAʻole noʻonoʻo ʻo RG3, ʻaʻole hoʻi ʻo Trent Richardson, ʻo Ahman Green a ʻo Javon Kearse. "ʻO ka hapa nui o lākou he mau ʻohana kāne kāne a ʻoi aku ka maikaʻi o ka hoʻomaopopo ʻana i nā pilikia [ma mua o ka hāʻawi ʻia ʻana no lākou]," wahi a Zeigler iaʻu.
Akā he moʻolelo ʻokoʻa ʻo Michael Sam. ʻo ia ʻO ka pilikia a mākou e manaʻo nei e hiki i kāna poʻe kānalua ke hoʻomaopopo a, ma ka liʻiliʻi loa, e hoʻokani iā ia i nā lā Sābati.
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