LGBTQ news and entertainment
Brian C. Bell has penned a personal essay about their love for the 49ers and football, but always felt the sport taught them they should exist on its edges. And then the 49ers taught Brian otherwise. Continue reading “Essay: ‘What The 49ers Taught Me About Football And Queerness’”
Some news items you might have missed: • Pink News: To date, there have only ever been 16 out gay or bisexual NFL players. Only one – Carl Nassib – came out while still playing. Check out this profile of three of the earliest – Dave Kopay, Jerry Smith, and Ray McDonald. Continue reading “Finland Could Elect Gay Prez + Out NFL Players + More News”
Michael Sam has returned to pro football (image via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • Outsports: A new reality TV show is in development that will feature gay flag football teams from across the country. Continue reading “News Round-Up: October 2, 2021”
This was easily the most exciting “catch” of the day during Saturday’s college football game between Miami and Appalachian State. Continue reading “Viral Video: Football Fans Catch Falling Cat In Miami”
Jack Trice Stadium at Iowa State (via CycloneAthletics/Instagram)
According to The Washington Post’s state-by-state database, Iowa has seen a 92 percent increase in new coronavirus cases over the past week, the second-highest rise in the country behind South Dakota.
Iowa’s seven-day average of new coronavirus cases stands at 241 per 100,000 residents, the highest among the 50 U.S. states.
In Story County, home to Iowa State’s campus, the seven-day average of new cases per 100,000 residents is 777, nearly a fourfold increase from just a week ago and one of the highest rates in the nation for one county. On Aug. 14, that number hovered around only 50 new cases per 100,000 residents.
The school says face masks will be required and there will be no tailgating allowed at the stadium. “I’ll have personally zero, zero tolerance for any fan that doesn’t comply,” said Iowa State Athletic Director Jamie Pollard. “I don’t care how much money they give this institution, if you want to be in the stadium, you’re going to have to comply with what we put together. If you don’t do it, we don’t want you here.” According to USA Today, that 41 percent of capacity figure is the highest level announced by any school in the U.S.
In this week’s podcast: • Allegations of sexual battery have led to the cancellation of a California high school’s football season • A federal judge has struck down Tampa Florida’s ban on so-called conversion therapy • The FDA has approved a second drug to be prescribed for PrEP • A Russian man is suing Apple for $15k because his iPhone made him gay? • And a Tennessee teen honored as part of his school’s homecoming royalty, graciously accepted in a sequin gown All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report
A California high school has canceled the remainder of its football season amid allegations of sexual battery between players in a locker room altercation after a practice last week. Gilroy High School officials say a majority of players have chosen not to finish the season as a result of the alleged assault and subsequent investigation. Mercury News reports that the incident “involved four students that assaulted a fellow student after school.” The student who was allegedly attacked went to school officials on September 26, and after an investigation, juvenile citations for sexual battery were issued to four students. “We investigated the allegations and determined there was evidence to support a criminal complaint.,” said Gilroy police Capt. Joseph Deras. “The aggravating circumstance was the number of suspects involved, and the use of force or fear played a role in our arresting decision.” Deras added that the investigator’s reports have been forwarded to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office for review to determine if the students will face prosecution.
Because all of the individuals involved are minors, few details – including the names of the students – have been revealed. Police say there is currently no evidence that the alleged assault was a “hate-motivated crime.” The local CBS News affiliate KPIX reports that some students say they’d heard “several players were ‘roughhousing’ with one teammate and may have taken it too far.” KPIX adds that the remaining football season was forfeited because “only nine players remain on the team after others quit in protest.” Watching these and other news reports, the Gilroy High School students are apparently divided over the issue. In some interviews, there are students that seem to blame the alleged victim for the scandal…? Here’s an earlier report from KBCW:
(lead photo via Depositphotos)
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| Air Force football player Bradley Kim |
Air Force football player Bradley Kim took a big step out of the closet this week and says its as much for other young people as it is for himself.
“The biggest reason I want to share this is to be able to reach people who are in similar situations struggling with the same things I have struggled with,” he told Outsports this week. “I want to be that example for kids that you can be gay, you can pursue your dreams, and you can have an athletic career.
“My dreams got me to a D1 football program. I want to be there for people who don’t feel like they have anyone there for them, because I was that kid growing up in high school.”
And so it was that on Friday morning, Kim shared his coming out on Instagram, beginning with a Bible verse and that “God made me this way for a reason:”
While he had quietly told a few teammates over the past year, before sharing with the world, the Air Force Falcons safety came out to the other defensive backs on the team.
The reaction? A standing ovation. According to Outsports, the entire team, including head coach Troy Calhoun, had a reaction of full-fledged support.
“They tell me they appreciate the fact that I felt confident enough, and they meant enough, for me to tell them,” he said.
It was that unwavering support that steeled Kim as he posted his message on Instagram.
‘’I’ve spent too many years worrying what other people will think and letting it affect what I do in my daily life. And I’m kind of done with that. It doesn’t affect my ability to play football. It doesn’t affect my ability to serve my country. No one cares here. We all go through the same thing, we all go through basic training. What we go through going through the Academy goes way deeper than worrying about what someone will think.”
Because, what could possibly go wrong?
From The Guardian:
Conservative legislators in Washington state have proposed a bill that would allow fans to bring guns into stadiums. The bill was proposed by Republican representatives Matt Shea, David Taylor and Bob McCaslin and would prevent stadium operators from stopping members of the public with licenses to carry concealed firearms from entering their venues with weapons.
Stadiums affected would include the Seattle Mariners’ Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, the home of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and MLS’s Seattle Sounders. The Sounders won their first MLS title on Saturday night with victory over Toronto FC.
On Sunday, the NFL told the Washington Post it would oppose the bill. “We haven’t seen the proposed legislation but we have a policy forbidding carrying a weapon into NFL stadiums,” Brian McCarthy, the NFL’s vice president of communications, said in a statement.
Although US sports do not have the same reputation for violence as some of the more dangerous parts of European and South American soccer, there would be obvious concerns about allow firearms into venues with alcohol and where passions can ignite.