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AE: The consequences being…?

BC: Either that the player is ostracized or that somebody tries to hurt them, whatever that might be. There’s a pretty powerful culture at work within clubhouses and locker rooms in male team sports.

AE: A pretty powerful culture of…?

BC: Of hyper-heterosexuality.

AE: Despite the fact that clearly there are many gay athletes.

BC: Yes. How many, I don’t know. But obviously many, many.

The other thing that I’ve always felt about this is, I’m sympathetic to a gay athlete in this circumstance: While it shouldn’t matter what someone’s sexuality is as long as they conduct themselves as a responsible human being, we know that in 2008 and up until now, if someone declares themselves gay, their sexuality would be become an issue even among those who think of themselves as sympathetic. It would tend to be noted more, and be more front and center than for the heterosexual person who doesn’t have to proclaim that they’re heterosexual because that’s expected to be the case.

So the heterosexual person’s sexuality, generally speaking, becomes just a part of a larger persona. Whereas the gay person’s sexuality becomes a definition.

AE: Does that necessarily have to be true?

BC: Doesn’t have to be true, and it shouldn’t be true. But you could understand that somebody who is trying to compete and hold onto their job – and most athletes are not superstars – there’s a lot of different pressures. They don’t want to have to deal with the additional celebrity baggage or the additional baggage of scrutiny that such a thing would bring to them. And on that level – I sympathize with them.

AE: Now have you heard this from gay athletes, behind the scenes off the record?

BC: Yeah, once or twice I have. But I also just infer that.

AE: But do you feel that that is an inaccurate assumption? I look at people who come out, and it almost always opens up and relaxes the person more so they’re able to be more themselves. And people – the media, the audience, the fans – take their cue from that person as to how much a part of their life that is.

BC: And I think you are correct. But that doesn’t invalidate the observation that a number of people might feel this way. Those who have come out that I’m aware of that were in team sports, all did it on their own timetable, when they felt comfortable, when they felt able to deal with it…

AE: After they were out of the sport….

BC: Almost always after they were out of the sport. So your premise hasn’t been tested in a team sport atmosphere by an active player that I’m aware of.

AE: What kind of a player do you think it’s going to take to do that?

BC: I don’t think it necessarily takes a star player. That was the premise of the Broadway show Take Me Out – it was a big star. That would be one interesting possibility. But another would be the guy’s just an average player. Just a guy on a team and maybe he gets traded or he’s waived or he’s picked up by somebody else. I think more so than his standing as a player, it would just take a person of guts and commitment to do it.

Retired NBC player John Amaechi

AE: Of the three team sports, I think the one you love the most is baseball. And doesn’t it seem to make sense that’s where maybe it would be easiest for someone to come out first?

BC: Maybe. I mean the NBA’s leadership is generally very progressive. I think football would be the hardest because that’s the most hyper macho culture with its own mythologies attached to it. I’d be guessing as to whether the NBA or baseball would be most hospitable. There would be difficulties attached to it no matter what sport. But I think it would be most difficult in football.

AE: Has a gay athlete ever discussed with you the possibility of coming out?

BC: Before he or she had?

AE: Or even if they then never did.

BC: No.

AE: What do you think it will take in sports coverage for there to more coverage of this issue, and more comfort covering this issue?

BC: I think we have to – especially those of us who see it as a valid issue and are sympathetic – I think we have to do more than what we have done. It’s a good topic. There are places that are good places to do it. HBO is a good place to do it. I don’t speak for them, but ESPN’s Outside the Lines which has done some stuff on this. The kind of magazine type shows that have the time and the format to treat it with some context and nuance and some real reporting. Those are the best places. And if the issue is hit harder in those places, maybe it will have some sort of trickle down effect.