BY ELAINE MAGLIARO
On Monday night, Dale Hansen of WFAA, a local affiliate of ABC, delivered an address on television titled “Hansen Unplugged: Celebrating Our Differences.” Here it is:
Hansen emailed The Huffington Post to tell the news outlet that he was “surprised at the response his segment unleashed.” He said, “Some people don’t seem to believe this — I honestly didn’t think it was going to be that big a deal.” He said that he had “received more than 700 ‘overwhelmingly positive’ emails from around the U.S. and one from a young high school boy in Canada.” Hansen also told HuffPo that he writes only what he believes.
SOURCES
Texas Sports Anchor Delivers Jaw-Dropping Speech On Gay NFL Players (UPDATE) (Huffington Post)
Dale Hansen Dismantles the “Discomfort” Argument About Gay Football Players (Slate)
Nicole Plyler Fisk
Gene Howington
FFS Guest Blogger
Joy of Fishes
Chuck Stanley
shortfinals
Terry Welshans
ann li-summers
wordcloud9
Flowers For Socrates 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/10/chris-kluwe-michael-sam-gay-distraction_n_4761939.html?utm_hp_ref=politics&ir=Politics Calling Michael Sam a “distraction” is like saying Richard Sherman is a “thug”.
Hansen did not grow up in Texas. He is a midwestern guy. He has rarely been afraid to speak up.
Until this video I didn’t know a thing about Mr. Hansen, but I want to know more now. Michael Sam was the SEC’ Defensive Player of the year, which normally would make him a relatively high draft choice in the NFL College Player Draft which is a big deal because it determines a player’s salary.
A premier player like Mr. Sam would usually be drafted in the first or second round. As Mr. Hansen points out he is now being projected for the third to fifth round and one would wonder why?
The thing though that has always gotten me about the issue that certain “heterosexuals” have had with Gay men is that they seem afraid of being in close contact with them. If you are comfortable with your own sexuality one would wonder why this is so. My conclusion has always been that those men who are made so uncomfortable by gay men are really uncomfortable with their own sexuality, otherwise what’s to threaten?
http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2014/02/the_world_needs_more_old_white.php Much better role model for older white guys than the Duck Dynasty white male privilege types.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/12/sports/football/for-nfl-prospect-michael-sam-upbringing-was-bigger-challenge-than-coming-out-as-gay.html?hpw&rref=sports&_r=0 Michael Sam had a tough life growing up in Texas.
SWM,
Thank you for the NY Times Michael Sam story. It rounds out the picture of this young man who has shouldered an enormous burden. I’m hoping that Michael Sam will have great success. The collapse of discrimination against LBGT Americans is a key issue with me as I wrote about here: https://flowersforsocrates.com/2014/01/08/call-me-queer/ . I’ve listened to numerous sports talk radio shows and while many get it, others don’t, not particularly because of homophobia but because of their age. People of a certain age don’t remember our country up until the late 60’s. Gay people, particularly males, were treated every bit as badly as were Black people. The bottom line is either we have a country where no one is discriminated against because of issues extraneous to who they are as people, or none of us are free.
Thanks Elaine… Read this on slate…
http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2014/02/12/michael_sam_gay_dale_hansen_points_out_football_s_hypocrisy.html
Thanks for the links, swarthmoremom and AY!
You’re very welcome….
http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2013/05/everything-is-bigger-in-texas-even-the-homophobia/ The homophobia is quite noticeable in Texas as are other firms of discrimination, and that is why Dale Hansen should be commended. The culture of Austin is more favorable but one cannot expect to receive the benefits of gay marriage there unless the feds do something.
http://www.kvue.com/news/Austinites-reacts-to-Holders-same-sex-marriage-244574561.html Texas conservatives say it is more overreach by the Obama administration
It’s great to see some encouraging news for a change. The Hansen video was great but I was really floored by Sam’s supportive teammates. Perhaps we are not yet a nation entirely populated with knuckledraggers.
Mike S,
You probably picked up on this, but Sam is a bit small for the NFL and I think that was being discussed and accounted for his lower ranking before he came out. I think the ultimate test in his case is if he is drafted by anyone.
I knew most of my daughters’ high school classmates a few years ago, and for the great majority LBGTQ issues are NOT issues — gender and orientation are simply people being who they are. To them, it’s a good thing. The war is over, the bulwarks are undermined — the defenders just don’t recognize it.
pdm,
Yeah he is about 6’1″ 250. However, check this out. Here is a statement from football establishment pundit Peter King:
“We talked about it this week,” the GM said. “First of all, we don’t think he’s a very good player. The reality is he’s an overrated football player in our estimation. Second: He’s going to have expectations about where he should be drafted, and I think he’ll be disappointed. He’s not going to get drafted where he thinks he should. The question you will ask yourself, knowing your team, is, ‘How will drafting him affect your locker room?’ And I am sorry to say where we are at this point in time, I think it’s going to affect most locker rooms. A lot of guys will be uncomfortable. Ten years from now, fine. But today, I think being openly gay is a factor in the locker room.”
Now the fact is that over the last decade of the NFL Drafts major conference Defensive Players of the Year have been drafted in the first or second round 74% of the time. I think the football “establishment” will cause problems for this kid. http://thebiglead.com/2014/02/10/michael-sam-only-one-other-sec-defensive-player-of-the-year-has-been-drafted-outside-the-first-two-rounds/
Mike S.
Yep. And it’s a rotten shame that a kid who has done so much against terrible odds is about to get screwed by the old (and I presume mostly white) monied establishment. But there is something about the trouble in the locker room. I read that a couple of players (sorry, I didn’t get the particulars) said Sam needed to get straight with Jesus. Generally, most kids are over the gay thing – but forget it if they are Christain fundamentalists. As usual, they f**k things up.
Oro Lee,
I find the same attitude in my 5 grandchildren, all in their twenties, and their friends. It is not an issue.
Another trend I am noticing has to do with marriage. More and more of the young people I meet through my grandchildren seem to be taking a very serious view concerning marriage and children. They will live together for years sharing a domicile but keeping each individual’s finances separate from the other. I suspected,initially, that this had to do with the college-loan-debt situation but there seems to be more than that to it. One of the questions I am hearing with greater frequency when they are contemplating a formal contract is, “Do I want to raise a child with him or her?” If the question, after much discussion, is decided in favor of raising a child together the next step seems to be “a contract only or the full-blown marriage route?” It’s surprising to me the number who choose “a contract only”.
In the particular case of Michael Sam the discussion revolves around questions like ‘is he big enough to play defensive end in the NFL’, and ‘will he be drafted at all’.
I have not taken the time to check the stats for draft candidates weighing around 260. But if we were talking just football, I am pretty sure the discussion would be about his speed, athleticism, and whether he could make the transition to play inside linebacker.
Again I have not checked the stats, but I think it is much easier to find a 300 pound run stopping defensive end than it is to find a 250 inside linebacker who can both stop the run and drop back to defend the pass.
The fact that inside linebackers with the speed and agility to both stop the run and defend the pass are relatively rare would drive Mr. Sam’s draft prospects up not down.
We don’t know if he can make the transition to play inside linebacker. It is a new position for him. But that would be the topic of discussion if this were a normal situation – which it is not.
WASHINGTON — It seems Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has taken up a new cause in Congress — defending states’ right to regulate marriage.
Amid a wave of court decisions striking down anti-gay marriage laws in states, the Texas Republican introduced a bill to the Senate Wednesday to amend U.S. law “with regard to the definition of ‘marriage’ and ‘spouse’ for Federal purposes and to ensure respect for State regulation of marriage.” Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) is the bill’s only co-sponsor so far.
The bill’s authors sent out a release about the bill Thursday afternoon, saying “it will ensure the federal government gives the same deference to the 33 states that define marriage as the union between one man and one woman as it does to the 17 states that have chosen to recognize same-sex unions.”
“I support traditional marriage. Under President Obama, the federal government has tried to re-define marriage, and to undermine the constitutional authority of each state to define marriage consistent with the values of its citizens,” Cruz said in a statement. “The Obama Administration should not be trying to force gay marriage on all 50 states. We should respect the states, and the definition of marriage should be left to democratically elected legislatures, not dictated from Washington. This bill will safeguard the ability of states to preserve traditional marriage for its residents.” Huffington Post
Elaine,
Here’s an update for you…. Hansen to appear on Ellen…
http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/02/13/5567700/update-dale-hansen-to-appear-on.html
but they have no problem with this upstanding gentleman in the locker room
http://deadspin.com/darren-sharper-accusations-11-druggings-7-alleged-rap-1523237088?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_facebook&utm_source=deadspin_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow