tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20710455.post115237480959531461..comments2023-12-20T08:31:53.642-05:00Comments on POPSURFING.COM: Tennis History Is Made! Shhhhhhhhh!Michael in New Yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449933463450154603noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20710455.post-1152397526627164392006-07-08T18:25:00.000-04:002006-07-08T18:25:00.000-04:00The youngest player ever. The oldest player ever. ...The youngest player ever. The oldest player ever. The first doubles team of brothers. The first doubles team of sisters. The first husband and wife team to win mixed doubles. The first person from Ghana to win a Slam. The first person from Iceland to win a Slam. The first grandmother to win a Slam. The first Mormon. The first Jew. Etc. There is no end to the identifying characteristics that sportscasters would raise in talking about a Grand Slam victory. Ignoring Maursemo's sexuality as one such factor, when they would happily mention almost any other is discriminatory. By the way, Roy, which Bible do you read? (I looked at your profile.) I'm a King James man myself. But I do love the Stephen Mitchell translation of the Book of Job. And if I can recommend a book, the recent book by Bishop John Shelby Spong ("The Sins of Scripture") is very good.Michael in New Yorkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01449933463450154603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20710455.post-1152395340541030172006-07-08T17:49:00.000-04:002006-07-08T17:49:00.000-04:00Oh and race and sexuality are not on the same fiel...Oh and race and sexuality are not on the same field? What abour race and gender? What about sexuality and gender? We are born with all three traits. None of them can be changed. All of them are the source of ignorance and bigotry. I think they have more in common than you think. Is being gay cool to the media? Yes, in many ways you're right. Gays and lesbians have never been more visible in movies, music, books, tv, politics, etc. But when something historic like Mauresmo's victory occurs (the same week gays are denied the same basic civil rights as other citizens in New York and Georgia) and NBC and the media fails to mention this salient fact, it shows how far we still have to travel.Michael in New Yorkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01449933463450154603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20710455.post-1152395197945499782006-07-08T17:46:00.000-04:002006-07-08T17:46:00.000-04:00Well, thanks for thinking Mauresmo's sexuality is ...Well, thanks for thinking Mauresmo's sexuality is no big deal and that other people are stupid for attacking her. I wish more people had your attitude. But the discrimination would not be in pointing out Mauresmo's partner if her partner was in attendance. The discrimination is in IGNORING her partner and finding it too distasteful or embarrassing to mention. That's exactly what they did. Her opponent Justine Henin-Hardenne is Belgian, coming from a country of some 10 million people. Every Slam she wins is noteworthy. She has faced her fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters in finals -- making them all-Belgian finals, the first in the history of ANY international sport. Is it "discriminatory" to mention this? No, in fact it would be bizarre NOT to mention it. There is nothing praiseworthy or noble about Mauresmo being gay (though there is much that is noble about being one of the few professional athletes in history to be out). But ignoring that fact is rude and obnoxious. If one player is from Russia, it gets mentioned. If another player is diabetic, it gets mentioned. When Mauresmo has the courage to be open, it gets ignored. That's the discrimination. Maybe Mauresmo can just be a "good person" when she has the same basic civil rights as other French people. Having just watched two states rule I don't deserve the same basic civil rights as other tax-paying, God-fearing citizens, I don't feel we're quite there yet. And when we are, mentioning the fact that someone is from Italy or has one leg or is albino or is from Belgium or is gay won't be discriminatory, it will just be the most natural thing in the world.Michael in New Yorkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01449933463450154603noreply@blogger.com