Ex NBA Tim Hardaway Admits He Hates Gay People

[Marge_Innavera]

This guy is definitely an asshole. Who does he thinks he is? The worst part of the whole piece is the headline. Displays honesty and stupidity? What is the writer trying to say? Give me a break. Tim Hardaway displayed hatred, pure hatred.

Actually, the sugar-coating of obnoxiousness and hate speech with buzzwords like "outspoken" and "controversial" is getting to be one of my prize peeves. My first reaction in reading that headline was that Whitlock was engaging in a kind of nudge-and-wink to his more homophobic readers. Not to mention the sly reference to 'political correctness.'

[delalluvia]

The guy's a freaking idiot.  The article gives his honesty too much credit.  However this

Hardaway's implied reluctance to share a locker room and shower with a gay teammate is somewhat understandable. Most heterosexual men feel the same way. Homophobia is a not a crime. Letting it control your behavior is wrong.

I have a problem with.  I understand the majority of the issue re this statment is - where men are concerned - mostly homophobia.  But not all of it.

Now, what is it called when women are in the locker room - in various stages of undress and bathing - and men come into the same locker room to use it - and some do leer and make sexual comments? 

They're both using the locker rooms.  Is leering and making sexual comments a crime?  Will some do it?  Of course, it's a male fantasy come true.  Will they all do it?  Of course not.

However, what word can we use to define the women's dislike in having men share the locker room with them so they don't have to put up with this?  Modesty?  Men-o-phobia?

Men and women's areas for bathing/toilets/locker rooms etc., are segregated in the U.S. for the most part.  Why? 

I'm not sure the 'official' reason, but ask many women if they mind using unisex bathrooms and locker rooms - at the same time as men - and women in this country especially will go 'Ooooo, of course not!'

And I think you'll find the reason that some straight women and men might not like sharing a locker room with gay women and men.  It's not a matter of homophobia, it's a matter of feeling you have some safety in your bodily integrity or the freedom not to have to worry about it.  This is an issue, and I don't know what the answer could be.

[Kelda]

*shakes head*

deary deary deary me. Stupid stupid horrible man.

[David]

Amazing, truly amazing.   Just imagine if a white Basketball player announced that he hated black people and said that he didn't want them in his locker room.

I once worked with a young kid who was homophobic.   He would wear his swimtrunks in the locker room at the Gym so any Gay guys wouldn't look at him naked.    I asked him what his fear was.   He said: well Gay guys want to f*ck me right?    I laughed and said:  um, not really. I told him that not all gay guys participate in anal sex, plus the majority are bottoms and would rather you jump them!.    He was enlightened.     I reminded him that the majority of the guys "peeking" in the gym locker rooms are just other straight guys catching a glimpse of other guys equipment in curiousity to see how they measure up. 

Is he still homophobic?   Probably, but not as much anymore.     

[David In Indy]

Oh, I HATED taking those showers in high school. Since I'm gay, one would think I would have loved it, but I didn't. I am extremely modest. Those "after gym class" showers are one of my WORST memories of high school.

I just absolutely hated it. 

[David]

We didn't have to take showers after gym class.    But in my senior year I did have to take a swimming class and then you did need to shower off after class.    And looking back, the guys did wear their swim trunks in the showers.   But then again, we had them on already from the swim class!    It was more of a rinse down than a shower.      I do recall peeking at the rest of the guys naked.   Most of them all turned so they had their backs towards you.   A few of the black guys in there however were not shy.  Maybe because they were so much bigger than the rest of us.  LOL.   

[Marge_Innavera]

And I think you'll find the reason that some straight women and men might not like sharing a locker room with gay women and men.  It's not a matter of homophobia, it's a matter of feeling you have some safety in your bodily integrity or the freedom not to have to worry about it.  This is an issue, and I don't know what the answer could be.

Well, as Gomer Pyle would say, "GAWWWWLLLEEEEE!"

You mean that getting leered at and hearing suggestive remarks isn't A TURN-ON? That it doesn't just make a person's day, knowing how irresistably sexy someone thinks they were?  You mean that it's actually NORMAL to not like being treated like a walking sex doll?

Straight men have been subjecting women to treatment like that forever, and when the individual doesn't find an excuse for it you can bet your assets someone else will. And now that the shoe is on the other foot we're supposed to understand and sympathize? Screw that, with a barbed-wire-wrapped dildo.

[Marge_Innavera]

We didn't have to take showers after gym class.    But in my senior year I did have to take a swimming class and then you did need to shower off after class.    And looking back, the guys did wear their swim trunks in the showers.   But then again, we had them on already from the swim class!    It was more of a rinse down than a shower. 

I suspect that with both men and women, it's less a matter of modesty than feeling like one's body doesn't look very good compared with the others. No matter that the others are thinking that too!