Ian McKellen Says Atheltes Need to Come Out
Actor and long-standing LGBT rights advocate Sir Ian McKellen is concerned that the culture of professional sports is keeping gay athletes from coming out. McKellen believes many sports stars stay in the closet for fear of rejection and backlash from fans, and he believes the sports world must take unified action to change the negative attitudes.
The Lord of The Rings star told BBC Radio in an interview, “When it comes to the business of simply being honest about who they are, some of them [sports stars] become little shrinking violets because they’re afraid, probably, of being booed from the terraces, and that must be a horrible experience, and shame on people who do it.
“But it ain’t going to stop someone being a fantastic footballer,” he continued, “because they’re honest about their private lives, is it? I don’t believe so, and the world is changing, and sport, I’m afraid, is very slow to catch up.”
Do you think pro sports is any more or less negative about homosexuality than other celebrity arenas like film or music?
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