ESPN (rightfully) caught some flack earlier this week when correspondent Josina Anderson filed an on-air report about the locker room showering habits of the NFL’s first openly gay player, Michael Sam.

When asked by an ESPN anchor how Sam was fitting in with the Rams, rather than discuss the rookie hopeful’s on-field performance (he did have two sacks against Cleveland this past weekend) or pranks to which first-year players are typically subjected, Anderson proceeded to ramble on about how Sam appears to be delaying his post-practice showers in deference to his teammates.

Anderson’s report began innocently enough, quoting one Rams’ player as saying that Sam was “just one of the guys.” (So far, so good; right?). Things devolved quickly, though, as she went on to quote another Ram as saying that Sam appeared to be “respecting our space” and “is waiting to kind of take a shower” so as not to make his teammates feel uncomfortable. Even putting aside the super unclear “kind of take a shower” phrase (is that like “kind of pregnant”?), this was about the time one started to get the ominous feeling that Anderson wasn’t exactly headed toward Peabody Award territory with her story.

The ESPN anchor back in the studio was either as oblivious as Anderson, stunned by what he was hearing or teetering on the edge of his seat waiting for salacious details regarding hunky athletes in the shower, because he allowed Anderson to continue the demonstration of her journalistic prowess, such that it was.

She went on to share that other Rams players “didn’t know that specifically” because they “weren’t tracking that,” “that,” of course, being when and with whom Sam is showering. (C’mon, guys! How are you gonna whittle the roster down to 53 players if you’re not “tracking that”? Football is a game of statistics! Sure, sacks and tackles are important, but hygiene counts, too, yo. By the way, guys, you may want to check with Sam’s boyfriend; he may have some historical data to fill in the gaps for you on that.)

Anderson continued down the slippery slope (after all, that’s whatcha get when ya drop the soap in the shower), revealing that Kendall Langford (one of the quoted Rams’ players) hadn’t been in the shower at the same time as Sam, though there could be “a million reasons for that” — Sam could be doing extra work on the practice field; he could be riding his bike; or he could be doing extra cardio. (It was unclear at this point if  Anderson was using the phrase “extra cardio” as a euphemism of some sort.)

Near the end of the report, Anderson seemed to remember that she was a professional sports correspondent on live television (perhaps a producer broke out a taser?) as she managed to work in some actual football-related information about Sam, again quoting Langford as saying, “If he doesn’t make our team, I’m pretty sure somebody will definitely pick him up on another team … he’s shown some flashes.”

Blessedly, Anderson didn’t speculate about the nature of the “flashes” and whether or not they took place on the playing field or in the shower, but the damage was done and the story soon exploded on social media. Perhaps Rams’ defensive end Chris Long best summed up the collective opinion about the ESPN report when he tweeted, “Dear ESPN, Everyone but you is over it.”

Alas, ESPN, it’s sad but true that in that moment you became to the St. Louis Rams’ locker room shower dynamics what CNN was to the disappearance of Malyasia Airlines Flight 370. Enough already; Michael Sam is a gay man who takes showers and the plane is still missing. We get it!

Unsurprisingly, and to their credit, given the backlash, ESPN apologized for the report issuing a statement on Wednesday which read: “ESPN regrets the manner in which we presented our report. Clearly yesterday we collectively failed to meet the standards we have set in reporting on LGBT-related topics in sports.”

Really, ESPN? A report based on outdated stereotypes and which proliferated anti-gay paranoia failed to meet your standards regarding LGBT-related topics in sports? Way to set that bar high!

As offensive as it may be, all the hoopla about with whom Michael Sam is or isn’t showering did serve one positive purpose. It made me very happy that I’m a lesbian rather than a gay man. Because despite the relatively recent coming out stories in women’s sports, not once have I heard speculation about Britney Griner’s or Abby Wambach’s shower schedules or conjecture regarding the timing thereof. Nor have I heard pre-draft commentators ponder how an openly lesbian athlete would be received by her teammates in the locker room. And I don’t recall Twitter exploding with hate at any point when two women kissed on live television during a celebratory moment.

They say it’s good to be a girl and that seems to be very true when it comes to gays and lesbians in sports, not that lesbian athletes haven’t faced their share of discrimination or persecution. But we women-loving-women seem to have a leg up in these matters as while the general public — and specifically the largely male-dominated sports-loving public —  seems to find the idea of a gay man in the locker room shower distasteful or dangerous in some way, the idea of a shower full of lesbians is every guy’s fantasy. There’s a down side to that, of course — I could dedicate countless columns to the objectification of women and the male lesbian fantasy vs. lesbian reality — but all things being equal I’ll take being idealized and fantasized about over being demonized any day.

Watch the controversial ESPN report below.

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(Photo courtesy of FlamingCity.com)

BY LYNDSEY D’ARCANGELO
Curve

With the NFL draft approaching fast, Michael Sam will continue to remain in the national spotlight. And why not? He could be the first openly gay professional football player in the history of the league. But it’s important to note that while Sam’s admission is groundbreaking on many levels, female athletes have long since knocked down the sexuality barrier in professional sports.

Here are five notable out lesbian athletes worth mentioning — not only for their athletic prowess but also for their willingness and courage to be themselves:

Brittney Griner – Basketball

Brittney Griner graduated from Baylor University last spring and left the closet behind, along with her former Lady Bear teammates. Griner was chosen number one overall by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2013 WNBA draft and began her professional basketball career as an out lesbian. She is very passionate about bullying, as she was bullied herself as a child. With an endorsement deal with Nike and her own line of bowties, Griner is poised to have a long and storied career on and off the basketball court.

See the other out lesbian athletes at Curve

Curve, the nation’s best-selling lesbian magazine, spotlights all that is fresh, funny, exciting, controversial and cutting-edge in our community.

The post 5 out lesbian athletes first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Some of the players from the 1993 Houston Oilers football team were reportedly gay, according to several players who were once on the team. Although everyone on the team knew about the gay players, most of them thought it was no big deal and didn’t care.

Many remember the Oilers as the team that infamously lost a playoff game to the Buffalo Bills after leading 28-3 at halftime. It is also remembered as being one of the most “inclusive families” in sports.

Read more at dot429.com

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As the Employment Non-Discrimination act passed the Senate and now moves to the House, a story is making its rounds on the Internet that points to crucial need for employment protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

According to a lawsuit filed in Alameda County Superior Court, Burke Wallace was fired from his position as head varsity football coach at Livermore Valley Charter Prep High School in Livermore, Calif., after supervisors heard him mention his husband “in passing.”

Read more at Huffington Post Gay Voices

The post High school football coach allegedly fired for being gay first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Scene from a theater production of “The Laramie Project”

BY ADAM BRINKLOW
dot429

School officials and sports commentators alike called University of Mississippi football players onto the carpet after team members heckled a production of “The Laramie Project,” a play about murdered gay college student Matthew Shepard, October 1. Some accounts allege that the disruption was limited to laughter, but others claim that players shouted “fag” at the actors. Shortly after the Daily Mississippian broke the story, a rare spirit of consensus and agreeability manifested in this divided nation: Pretty much everyone got mad at Ole Miss, including university officials themselves.

The school president and athletics director released a joint statement the following day: “We strongly condemn the behavior exhibited Tuesday night. Each of us has a responsibility to be accountable for our actions, and these individuals will be held accountable.”

Read more at dot429.com

The post College football players flagged for anti-gay heckling first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Washington Redskins QB Robert Griffin III

BY PETER FINOCCHIARO
Huffington Post Gay Voices

Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III has a message for closeted gay players in the NFL: “If they’re looking for a window to just come out, I mean, now is the window.”

Griffin made the comment during an interview with GQ magazine, whose cover the star quarterback appears on this month. Asked about the “growing sense” that the NFL would soon see its first openly gay player, Griffin voiced support for such a breakthrough.

Read more at Huffington Post Gay Voices

The post Superstar NFL QB: ‘Now is the window’ to come out first appeared on Lesbian.com.

What do you get when you cross a football player with a singer/songwriter? The answer isn’t the punchline to a joke, but rather, Chicagoan Sami Grisafe. A star athlete with the U.S. Women’s National Football Team, Grisafe has also earned the Chicago Music Award for Best Rock Entertainer. Add to this her team, the Chicago Force’s recent victory over the Boston Militia, and a new album, and it’s clear that whether you’re a football fan or a music lover, Grisafe is one to watch.

Read more at After Ellen.com

AfterEllen is the pop culture site that plays for your team.

The post Playing the field with Sami Grisafe first appeared on Lesbian.com.

At the conclusion of season three of the D.C. Gay Flag Football League, the women players decided to play a little more football on their own. In an effort to recruit more female players into the primarily male league and to get to know one another better, the women formed the D.C. Cherry Bombs.

The League operates under National Gay Flag Football League sanctions which dictate seven-on-seven play on the football field.

“After we started practicing last December, we realized there was potential for creating a team to play at tournaments,” says founder Kristin Horgen. “We came up a little short with funding to compete in the inaugural women’s division at Gay Bowl XII held in Denver last weekend.”

Read more at Washington Blade

Washington Blade is America’s leading gay news source.

The post D.C. Cherry Bombs explode onto flag football scene in nation’s capital first appeared on Lesbian.com.