Has the time finally come for gays in American sports?

Could this finally be the tipping point, so to speak, for gays to "come out" in American sports?

First there's this about a week ago from The New York Times :

Rangers' Avery Joins Campaign for Gay Rights

By JOHN BRANCH

Since September, advocates for same-sex marriage in New York have released 30-second videos of celebrities endorsing their cause. More than 30 have taken part, including the actors Julianne Moore and Sam Waterston, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and the former first daughter Barbara Bush. On Thursday, former President Bill Clinton released a written statement of support, too.

Until now, supporters have come mostly from the worlds of politics, entertainment, theater and fashion. One type of New York celebrity was conspicuously absent: the athlete.

Enter Rangers forward Sean Avery.

He recently recorded a video, becoming one of only a few active athletes in American team sports to voice support for gay rights, and is believed to be the first in New York to publicly advocate for same-sex marriage. No active male player in a major American team sport has declared his homosexuality, and homosexual slurs remain in use to insult opponents and officials.

So that was some pretty big and welcome news.

Next up was this, yesterday:

Charles Barkley: In sports, ability to play should outweigh sexual orientation

If "Mr. Macho" Charles Barkley can have an open mind on this, can that many people be far behind?

Finally, that was followed closely by this, late yesterday:

NBA executive Rick Welts comes out gay

Sure, there have been people in American sports who have come out but it's been extremely rare and very isolated cases.


So we'll see, of course.  It's a good beginning.  This seems like a groundswell of support for equality and getting over our former neanderthal closed-mindedness and bigotry.

Hopefully this is the beginning of the end for the ugly, punishing silence up to now required for professional athletes in the US.