Is Sport a safe space for LGBT athletes?

I think that in its entirety, Sport is not a safe place for LGBT athletes because athletes are either hyper masculine or hyper feminine, but as Collins points out, "Pro basketball is a family," and with the 'Three Degrees of Jason Collins' rule, then everyone knows him on some level. If everyone that had met him personally spread to the rest of the organization that he was a good person regardless of his sexual preference, then I think that it could vary as a safe space between some sports, but that depends on the players involved. So as microcosms, yes I think it's safe.
Careers could drastically change if LGBT athletes 'came out' during their playing careers. Collins points out that he's glad he waited but also that life is short and not to wait too long. If players were to come out during their careers, especially mid season, other players would question the wrong things (like the integrity of the player) and immediately jump to negative conclusions about the player's intent without being given time between games to think those questions through and realize that nothing about the player has actually changed. When given some breathing room, people can think more logically and clearly and not make harsh comments based on immediate decisions.
If we lived in a perfect world, the microcosms of sport would be inclusive of everyone playing that sport, be they male, female, both, anywhere in between, and regardless of sexual preferences. If each smaller group of specific sports could do that, then as a whole, Sport would be a more open space for athletes to identify the current injustices that they face for feeling outside "the norm" of what an athlete is "supposed" to be.


Collins, Jason. "Why NBA Center Jason Collins Is Coming out Now." SI.com. Sports Illustrated, 29 Apr. 2013. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.