Whispers from the Myth Teller

I was listening to The Current on CBC this morning and they had a fascinating piece on Pride House in the Olympic Village. As with many segments on The Current, it made me slightly late for work. *grin*

I felt myself torn about the piece, but those mixed feelings do not include any opposition to Pride House itself. I think that it's important for the gay athletes to have a place where they can connect with other like-minded people in a safe environment. It's definitely a good thing.

What frustrates me is to understand what sexual orientation has to do with sport. The Current reporter interviewed two teenagers from a midget hockey team and one of them said that being gay doesn't make you better at your sport, so what difference should it make? The fact that an athlete likes vanilla over chocolate, votes liberal instead of conservative, listens to country music instead of top 40 seems inconsequential to the years of dedication and sacrifice made to stand proudly with the best athletes that our country has to offer. The truth of one's sexual orientation should be just as unrelated.

And yet, it isn't. For some unspecified reason, the athletes are expected to "come clean" and admit to whose intimate company they seek when not speeding down a luge track. Somehow, a closeted athletic homosexual is somehow being dishonest with the world by not disclosing the most personal and intimate aspects of himself with the information-hungry media consumer.

Why is this important? What does it have to do with the sport? Just once, I'd like someone even attempt to draw a direct relationship line between sexual orientation and the power to put a puck in a net, shoot a curling rock accurately, or jump farther on a pair of skis.

As Canadians, we should be better than this. We should be aspire to rise above petty gossip about the personal lives of people who have sacrificed so much to bring Olympic glory to their country.

I was also amused by the comments of some that some sports are very masculine, very testosterone-based, and very manly, so accepting homosexuality in those sports would be difficult. My question is: what is more manly than living true to one's values? What is more manly than living a life without regrets or apologies? What is more manly than having the courage to face your peers with honesty, compassion, and integrity?

If an athlete wishes to tell the world of his sexual orientation, that should be his choice and not an expectation of anyone. But really, it should make no difference at all. It makes me wish I were in such good shape that I could stand on a podium with a medal in my hand and say to the world "I'm a proud Canadian and I really really like blueberry ice cream." When the media scratch their heads and ask what that has to do with my win, I'll say "Exactly."