Bob Costas Talks about Sports Media and Gay Athletes

Check out this excellent interview with sports commentator Bob Costas on media coverage of lesbian and gay athletes. The interview follows the reaction in the gay sports press and blogosphere to the failure of NBC Olympic TV commentators to acknowledge that Australian Olympic diving gold medalist, Matthew Mitcham is openly gay (NBC first defended their silence and then later apologized for their omission).

Let's hope that what comes out of all this is that the next time we have an openly gay or lesbian athlete competing, the "up close and personal" media coverage is the same as we have come to expect when the athletes are heterosexual. I am not talking about special attention or sensationalized voyeurism. I am saying that identifying an openly gay athlete as such is ok. It is more than ok. The failure to do so perpetuates the idea that gay people should stay closeted and that acknowledging that an athlete is openly gay is inappropriate. I am talking about the media treating openly lesbian and gay athletes as if they have lives outside the pool, gym or playing field and that their families, spouses and children are just as much a part of their story as they are for heterosexual athletes.

It is still all too rare to have a gay or lesbian professional or Olympic athlete come out while they are competing. The media needs to honor their courage and not slam the closet door in their faces by pretending they didn't come out. Here is a wonderful media article about openly lesbian Olympic softball silver medalist Lauren Lappin that provides a terrific example of the kind of media coverage openly gay athletes deserve.