Gasquet Insists He's Not Gay
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by Butterwo
I came across this item at Outsports.com. French tennis player Richard Gasquet, a Wimbledon semifinalist a week ago, responded to rumors that he was having a gay affair by saying:
I was absolutely not happy about that. This question has come back hundreds of times, and every time someone turns up saying, 'Oh, I have evidence.' It is just bullshit. Neither him nor me are homosexuals. It's absolutely obvious. The folks over at Deadspin.com have already had some fun with the notion of what "obvious" means here, but the comments found there mostly reaffirm stereotypes against gays. It is worth asking, however, whether or not sexuality can be "obvious" at all. And in his comments, Gasquet offers nothing concrete to designate what makes it so clear that he is, after all, straight. There is, of course, the ongoing struggle for gays and lesbians to play professional sports without having to worry about some kind of backlash. Among current players, Amelie Mauresmo stands as a terrific example of insisting that her sexuality is not grounds for judging her as a player or person. But male athletes continue to behave as if being "accused" of being gay is among the great crimes against humanity. Like baseball player Mike Piazza in 2002, Gasquet's discomfort with this rumor only confirms the cultural anxiety that accompanies discussions about men and sexuality. That said, in many ways it comes down to Gasquet's symbolic choices. Let's assume for a moment that he is: a) straight, and b) not homophobic. Is there a way for him to affirm his heterosexuality and remain respectful toward gay men? I think there is, and former major leaguer Billy Bean, in his autobiography Going the Other Way, suggests that Piazza could have re-framed the issue in 2002 by simply responding, "Why does it matter?" Consider how such a question would shift the rhetorical burden back on those making the original statement about Gasquet's sexuality. It would place them in the position of having to articulate values about sexuality in sports. More importantly, it would provide an interruption to the all-too-familiar attitude that being gay is somehow "bad." In short, a response such as "Why does it matter?" would challenge the assumptions that give rise to homophobia and stereotyping in the first place. It wouldn't change the world, no, but it'd be better than Gasquet's "bullshit" response. Cross-posted at: http://theagon.blogspot.com
