Torii Hunter: Having an openly gay teammate would ‘be difficult and uncomfortable

[Big Bid'Ness]

From:yahoosports

(AP)Citing his religious upbringing, Detroit Tigers slugger Torii Hunter told the Los Angeles Times that having an openly homosexual teammate would be tough to deal with. And it would be a divisive issue for any Major League Baseball team.

Quoted by reporter Kevin Baxter of the Times in his Sunday story — "In pro sports, gay athletes still feel unwelcome" — Hunter indicated he would not — or could not — be supportive of a teammate with a different sexual orientation than his own:

... Hunter, among baseball's most thoughtful and intelligent players, isn't kidding when he says an "out" teammate could divide a team.

"For me, as a Christian … I will be uncomfortable because in all my teachings and all my learning, biblically, it's not right," he says. "It will be difficult and uncomfortable."

Kudos to Hunter for his honesty. But he needs to realize a few things.

One, after playing nearly 2,000 major league games, Hunter probably has had at least one gay teammate already. Two, when has the sexual orientation of any teammate (assuming they've all been straight) mattered in how many games a team has won? Did the Tigers get to the World Series in 2012 because Justin Verlander is in a relationship with Kate Upton? How would it matter if Verlander dated someone named Bob Upton?

Three, using Christianity to hide behind bigotry is totally unfair to Christians who don't consider being gay "not right." And even a literal, so-called "fundamental" reading of the Bible requires some interpretation. People believe what they want to believe. Saying you don't like gays because you also say you're Christian just isn't good enough.

Hunter might be right about the issue being divisive. A major league clubhouse can very much be a boys club, overflowing with testosterone and full of jocular "humor" that might threaten a gay person. But ballplayers aren't dumb. As soon as they realize a gay teammate can hit a home run just like a straight one can, they'll ignore whatever details they might find disagreeable. They might even come to like or love the teammate. And if Hunter is as devoted to the Bible as he says, he might find reading material in there about that, too

 

[elcheato]

All his biblical teachings, which consists of self serving church heads spewing hypocrisy and picking and choosing what parts of the bible they actually want enforced.

 

[RipCity32]

Idk. I'd be uncomfortable too.

 

[elcheato]

I think a lot of people would, and I'm not faulting that.

I'm faulting his reasoning.

 

[Pugz]

im fine with gay people and have had many homosexual friends, females and males, but, id be a little shaky of having an openly gay teammate too.

itd just be a mental block to get over but idk about being naked around a gay male. i know that probably sounds like im saying theyd be interested in me or whatever but its really not even that.

 

[Giantmetfan07]

I know a lot of people are uncomfortable. And the thing that people misinterpret is they think someone who is uncomfortable in that situation is "afraid they'll come on to me". I don't think that's it. I think they're uncomfortable because of their beliefs and such. FOr me, I'd be uncomfortable because I wouldn't know if it's ok or not to make gay jokes around the guy. Honestly, that's the one thing that would make me uncomfortable.

 

[Elite]

I wouldn't want a <Censored> in my clubhouse

 

[BwareDWare94]

I understand the point behind the scenes, such as in the locker room/showers where you're bare-assing it in front of people who aren't sexually fueled by your nudity, and it's already uncomfortable. It's not something that most people can't deal with, but it's still slightly uncomfortable in the locker room setting.

I think the way Torii's looking at it is this: what's the difference between a heterosexual female and homosexual male being the locker room with a bunch of heterosexual males sporting the dark side of the moon?

I don't see how it's any different. Sexual attraction clearly isn't defined by your junk, so I'd be as uncomfortable with a gay teammate in a locker room than I would be with a female reporter. I have no issues with homosexuality. Matter of fact, I openly support gay marriage because it is the right thing to do, and that's not debatable. The Bible was never meant to govern this country and I'll be damned if it ever does so, even if I am a fairly religious Christian.

I'll tell you one thing that Torii needs to remember, in this hypothetical scenario: God cares more about how we treat one another than about any of the silly rules scribbled in an outdated history book by the flawed hands of human beings. So the truth of the matter is, he shouldn't have said a damn thing.

 

[RipCity32]

Torii claimed his quotes were taken out of context. He was upset about it on Twitter earlier.