Monthly Archives: January 2014

Off To A Good Start?

It’s New Year’s Day 2014 and one of the first bits of news that popped up are internet rumors that Packers quarterback Aaron Rogers may be Gay. “I’m just going to say that I’m not Gay. I really, really like women.” Rogers reportedly rebutted on his local radio show which then got back on track to the important business at hand: the upcoming game with the 49er’s.

How can a person really respond to such personal questions? One common way is to lie. Denials may range from a shrug of the shoulders, to making a statement, to acquiring a girlfriend to hang on, or doing the ultimate: getting married… to a girl, that is.

Courage on the playing field pales in comparison to the courage to “come out” in a business where virtually everyone expects macho heterosexuality and where full-chested cheerleaders are a necessary accessory supporting the manly myths. Therein lays the problem: most folks can’t get past stereotypes. What’s the root of stereotypes? Ignorance. Plain and simple: ignorance.

I’m not saying Aaron Rogers is or isn’t Gay. It’s not up to him to say if he doesn’t care to. His private life is nobody’s business but his own. The unfortunate parts are, first, that’s it’s made into an issue with some people, and second, it does nothing to help his morale, his concentration or his ability to perform on the field. It is a distraction from the task at hand: playing football and winning if you can.

And it would be good to remember that the game is played by men who are, thankfully, a diverse lot. There are players who sing opera, are math whizzes, or bake cookies. The Green Bay team’s and fans’ only concern should be that Aaron Rogers can pass straight, not that he can pass for straight.