Hardaway Gives Gays a Hard Way
So what do you think of this anti-gay stir-up that ex-NBA star, Tim Hardaway caused?
I’m all for gay and lesbian rights. I don’t think gay marriage should be an issue, and I definitely don’t think that the government should have any say in it. Sexual orientation should be protected like race, religious affliliation and disability is. Being gay shouldn’t matter.
I think Hardaway’s comments just represent the fear and ignorance that many people have, and I hate it! But if we look at his comments with freedom-of-speech respect then Hardaway was totally entitled to say what he feels, and he should not have to apologize for it! I do support the decision that David Stern made to no longer allow Hardaway to represent the NBA, because Hardaway obviously created a hostile work environment, but that was Hardaway’s decision. He must have felt that expressing his opinion was worth risking his career. Hey, gotta respect his passion!
Honestly though, what is this world coming to? We can be gay or hate gays, but we can’t talk about it! We have stay quiet about everything, unless we are willing to put our lives on the line.
Despite it all, homosexuals have the right to live as they please, and homophobes have the right to live as they please. I think the idea is that it’s all okay, as long you aren’t hurting anyone else. If you don’t want to hear it, don’t listen. If you don’t want to see it, don’t watch it. If you don’t want to be involved in it, don’t put yourself in the situation.
We are never going to eliminate prejudice or hatred. As liberal and open-minded as I am, and try to be, I am fully aware that I have my own prejudices. We all do. It may be against a race, a lifestyle, or even against people who drive Ford cars! The point is, we can’t take the nature out of the human, but we can strive to humanize nature. It’s time to drop PC and just get real.
Hardaway, I completely disagree with you, but I’m proud of you for keeping it real! We should all be so brave.
February 20th, 2007 at 11:50 am
While I think I see where you are going with this post, I think I have to disagree with you. I don’t think there is really anything brave about stating in the media that one “hates” an entire group of people. Actually, I see that as rather cowardly. He doesn’t want a gay man near him on the basketball court? Why? Does he think he’ll get hit on in the middle of game play?
I agree with you 100% that people have the right to have their own opinions on any issue and that they have the right to speak them out loud. But going on the radio and speaking them to the nation is a different story. In Hardaway’s case, it just creates a hostile environment for gay people. Young people who are afraid to come out hear statements like his and go deeper into the closet. Telling people to avoid hate speech is not being “too PC” in my opinion, but is a step toward creating a more tolerant society — “humanizing nature,” as you put it.
Thank you for bringing up this topic. I think it can lead to some interesting discussion.
February 20th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Professional athletes are inherent role models for kids. When kids see one of them “speaking their mind,” in a hateful way, it makes it ok to do. I mean gay seems to be one of the most used playground insults and something like this doesn’t help it.
Not that all athletes are stupid, but Hardaway came off in no way as an intelligent man stating his opinion. It was a rambling soliloquy of hatemongering, not an exercise in pushing the envelope of the first amendment.
February 20th, 2007 at 11:10 pm
To both of my commentors, Lori and Amy…
Wonderful repsonses! This is the kind of thing I’m looking for! I love to hear the other side, especially when it makes sense!
I completely see where both of you are coming from, and could talk for hours on how our views overlap as well as contradict each other. But in a more summarized response, in my post I was looking to get across the frustration I feel with the PC censorship we have to put up with today. Our children need to know that people like Hardaway exist, and will probably always exist. We can only overcome views like Hardaway’s if we take the time to hear and understand them first. I don’t want to raise my children to be afraid of people like Hardaway, and to spend precious time trying to shut them up or change their minds, I would rather expose them to it and teach them tolerance, so they can rise above it.
Thanks for getting into the conversation!
February 21st, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Hey Marissa,
No doubt there’s an overabundance of PC crap out there that is way too touchy feely for my liking. I’m as cynical as can be about censorship and people who talk with different faces. It really is a thin line between people like you who want to teach their kids about the evils of the world and the douchebags who take things like this as gospel. Interesting topic though. Keep up the good work..a