Ellen Page announced that she is gay over the weekend. Earlier this month, NFL draft prospect Michael Sam also came out. Thankfully, the reception to these two announcements has been mostly positive.
Many people discussed Page’s announcement on Twitter. Most of the tweets were positive, supporting Page and quoting parts of her coming out speech. Other comments blew the announcement off, saying things like “I don’t care that Ellen Page is gay” or “Was I the only one who knew that she wasn’t straight?”
These comments demonstrate a shift in our culture. Once upon a time, for as many encouraging reactions, there would have been just as many hateful ones.
So far, I have seen very few comments denouncing Page for being gay. In fact, the majority of reactions have been dismissive. While the announcement is important, many people don’t seem to believe it’s a huge headline.
This is a good thing. A gay person isn’t more important because they are gay. Page and Sam’s announcements have only been in discussion because many people still hold negative attitudes toward the LGBT community. Page shouldn’t be regarded more highly or lowly as an actress because she is gay. She, and other members of the LGBT community, should be treated as a people, regardless of their sexual orientation. The reactions dismissing Page’s announcement are a step toward neutral attitudes to the gay community.
On the other hand, while Sam has received just as much support as Page, he faces more backlash because of his sexual orientation. While the NFL has released a statement of support, Sam may have more difficulty being drafted. Sports Illustrated ran a piece discussing the culture of the NFL. Many people who were quoted voiced concern over an openly gay player. Teams may be hesitant to pick Sam because of his sexual orientation.
Really? There are over 1,500 NFL players, all of whom are men. Can you really tell me there aren’t gay players already? Players have come out after they retired from the NFL. Why should Sam’s draft prospects be lower because of his announcement? He would still be gay if he hadn’t said anything. His announcement shouldn’t affect his NFL career. Shame on NFL culture.
However, NFL’s statement of support speaks of another step in the right direction. Today, it appears that the politically correct thing to do is to support people who come out. This is also a good thing. The cultural mainstream is accepting of the LGBT community. It seems a minority of people openly state that homosexuality is wrong. Our culture seems to be shifting toward acceptance to the LGBT community.
Overall, the reactions to Page and Sam have been mostly positive. A person is a person, regardless of their sexual orientation. While our culture still has a long way to go, we have progressed forward toward a culture of acceptance.
