NFL Star Aaron Rodgers Is Gay Needs To Be Outed As A Homosexual
There is an ideology that the media must be respectful to the closeted gay male athletes and wait until they decide to come out. However, the gay rights movement is in a precarious moment everything is in flux. Although gay marriage victories are sweeping across the United States the professional sports world is stuck in the dark ages. There is the argument that closeted gay male athletes should not be outed those days are over! This argument is illogical because it creates a double standard for gay male athletes. For instance, Australian gay swimmer Ian Thorpe knew the media would not out him so he lived his life in the glass closet until it became advantageous for him to come out. Outing is viewed as negative and bad by certain segments of the gay community and mainstream society. However, outing celebrities is important because by maintaining the sexuality of public figures secret this creates a dangerous double standard. By not outing gay celebrities the media maintain the shame of being gay as though being gay is immoral or wrong. Outing a gay male star athlete is about bringing the balance of power back it is good for society to out gay male athletes. Outing gay male athletes will reduce the shame and the homophobia in society. Outing is also important because it a a form of check and balance it exposes the hypocrites who lie or hide their homosexuality. Outing also reminds society that anyone can be gay. The closeted stars benefit from the LGBT movement yet they choose to come out and get praised as heroes by the media. Ian Thope is no hero to the LGBT community. Closeted gay male athletes are protected by the press who claim they are waiting for the gay men to come out on their own in sports. However, by not outing gay male athletes the media reinforce the homophobia it is magnified. By keeping the gay secret of male athletes still sends the wrong message to the public that male homosexuality is a dirty secret that needs to be hidden. Thorpe admitted to being depressed over hiding his homosexuality, yet his ego would not let him tell the truth. Suddenly, after being offered half a million dollars, Thope comes out. Thope is no hero to the LGBT community he is a spineless coward who saw a cash grab and an opportunity to get back into the public eye and good graces. Thorpe is opportunistic, he saw a chance to not only make money but also get good press.
Meanwhile, in America another male athlete Aaron Rodgers one of the top NFL players is subjected to gay rumours has also continued to deny his homosexuality despite evidence proving otherwise. Over a year ago, rumours surfaced that NFL star Aaron Rodgers is gay. Quickly, after Rodgers former friend and roommate Kevin Lanflisi tweeted statements many interpreted about his break up with Rodgers, there was a media blitz proclaiming he is straight. Suddenly, Rodgers was seen dating C list actress Olivia Munn. Staged photographs of Rodgers and Munn having awkward kisses were published on the gossip website Just Jared. What the general public might not realize is celebrities often contact the media for publicity and stage photos to change the narrative. There are media outlets whose purpose to make stars look good in order top get attention of the star. Looking at the photos it is clear Rodgers and Munn are both uncomfortable since the kiss looks staged. In the photos, Rodgers and Munn are wearing sun glasses and since kissing is an intimate act they look like they are acting and performing for the cameras than being in love.
Rodgers and his PR team are working hard to kill rumours he is a closeted homosexual. Even though gay rights are advancing in the United States it is still taboo for a top male athlete to come out as gay.
More gay male athletes are coming out but they are mostly marginal players on the fringes. Michael Sam is no longer in the NFL he has been cut from the practice squad of two teams. The NFL is a very homophobic sport. Michael Sam was a rookie, and yet he was under a lot of pressure to perform and succeed in the NFL. Homophobes denounced Sam and claimed he only got into the NFL because he is gay. However, a gay male star athlete still has not come out of the closet. The gay star athletes are cowards many living in the glass closet but too selfish to make the final step and change sports forever and advance gay rights. If a gay male athlete who is a star comes out it will be a game changer.
Although the sports media are presenting a false narrative of being progressive this does not mean the press is not homophobic. For instance, why are the media protecting NFL star Aaron Rodgers? The media reticence to discuss gay rumours is a symbol that male homosexuality is still some dark secret. The silence of the press about the rumours swirling Aaron Rodgers alleged homosexuality is astonishing and it is due to homophobia.
Unless you have been living under a rock, you have heard about the explosive allegations that Green Bay Packers star Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was rumoured to be a closeted homosexual.
The website The Fame Driven broke the story that Rodgers had a falling out with his male personal assistant and former roommate Kevin Lanflisi. Rodgers has always praised Lanflisi in interviews in the media that they have a close relationship.
The mainstream sports media are engendering a facade that the gay rumours about Aaron Rodgers alleged homosexuality emerged out of nowhere.
After the gay rumour emerged Rodgers told ESPN Radio that “I am not gay. I really, really, like women.” Rodgers answer was awkward he didn’t say he was straight, nor did he leave out the possibility he is bisexual. Human sexuality is complex and people do not always fit into the neat categories of gay, straight, or bisexual. The radio silence about Aaron Rodgers denial he is gay is a sign of the mainstream press bigotry. The mainstream press hesitation to explore the topic of gay rumours is not a signal of being progressive. In fact, it is another example of prejudice.
The issue of homophobia in the NFL is very real. Even though Michael Sam has come out it does not mean the NFL or the sports media are suddenly pro gay.
Even though Rodgers denied being gay he also did not mention his former male roommate and former best friend Kevin Lanflisi. The sports media have attempted to erase Kevin Lanflisi existence pretending he did not live with Rodgers or was not his constant companion for years. Lanflisi wrote cryptic tweets in December 2013 suggesting he was going through a painful break up. On Lanflisi twitter account, he never mentioned the gender of the person he was upset at yet he wrote these tweets at the time he moved out of Aaron Rodgers house. Lanflisi’s silence about the gay rumours is also interesting. Why didn’t Lanflisi simply tweet a response? How does a Christian poet suddenly become a personal assistant to a NFL Super Bowl champion? What qualifications did Lanflisi have and did the Green Bay Packers turn a blind eye to Rodgers situation? Instead Lanflisi remained silent. In fact, after the Green Bay Packers were eliminated from the NFL playoffs in 2014, Kevin Lanflisi’s mother Kay posted on Facebook her delight that Rodgers team was eliminated. Kay Lanflisi also wrote a comment on her Facebook page slamming Aaron Rodgers. Something horrible had to happen between Rodgers and Lanflisi for his mother to be so angry. A few months after the gay rumours got to the mainstream media, suddenly tabloid websites like US Weekly are linking Rodgers to country music singer Taylor Swift. The timing of the news is suspicious given the fact Rodgers and his PR team are trying to downplay the gay rumours. US Weekly once again published a new article a few weeks later claiming Aaron Rodgers moved on from Taylor Swift to actress Olivia Munn. It appears Rodgers PR team and US Weekly are working hard by feeding these stories he is a womanizer and a ladies man to give the facade he is straight. US Weekly is star friendly they often work with stars to give a positive spin to a story.
However, The Fame Driven found out Lanflisi moved out of Rodgers house and he now lives with his sister in California. The Fame Driven reported the story because it is news. Lanflisi has now moved to Long Beach in the state of California. Regardless of whether the gay rumours are true or not Rodgers living arrangement with Lanflisi is interesting. Why would a thirty something multi millionaire like Rodgers need a male roommate? What exactly did Lanflisi do as Rodgers personal assistant? Why are Rodgers and Lanflisi wearing matching suits to various award shows like the ESPY awards? Why was Lanflisi wearing Rodgers Super Bowl MVP ring and why did he delete the photos? Why does Rodgers hide his so called girlfriend Destiny Newton and not take her to public events? What is Rodgers trying to conceal? Lanflisi and Rodgers have also been making cryptic comments to each other. For instance, in February 2014 Rodgers was a guest on the Jason Wilde ESPN show. Rodgers made the comment when he attends award shows he has a male “seat filler” hug him. Many people interpreted the seat filler comment to be a diss against Kevin Lanflisi since he attended numerous award shows with Rodgers. On February 25th 2014, Kevin Lanflisi retweeted a tweet suggesting Rodgers is ungrateful since he helped him. Lanflisi also wrote on his instagram account recently that the last eighteen months have been difficult for him.
Obviously, Rodgers and Lanflisi were extremely close. But the anxiety of the media is to explore homosocial relationships between men. Rodgers and Lanflisi had a homosocial relationship they shared a deep powerful bond. The undercurrent issue is why are the mainstream North American media reticent to cover the news? The real news is the fact mainstream American networks such as ESPN, Yahoo Sports, CNN, ABC, FOX, and NBC have not covered this story until Rodgers made a response saying he is not gay.
One argument is the mainstream media are being respectful to Rodgers they are waiting for him to respond to the allegations about his sexual orientation.
Another point of view is the mainstream media does not engage in outing it is considered yellow journalism and beneath the mainstream media. The NFL is a very powerful organization and Rodgers is one of the biggest stars in the NFL despite the rhetoric that the NFL would accept an openly gay player the Kerry Rhodes situation proves otherwise. Just like Rodgers, Rhodes earlier last year dealt with gay rumours yet he is not on a team. Even though Rhodes denied he is gay no NFL team has signed him. Unlike the NBA player Jason Collins, who came out year Rhodes is not a journeyman or benchwarmer. Rhodes had an excellent 2012 season yet he is not signed. The mainstream press was also reticent to cover the Kerry Rhodes gay rumours. Rhodes is out of a job and yet there is silence to the reasons why this is taking place?
The question is why? However, a more subversive answer is the mainstream North American sports media is dominated by heterosexual men these straight male reporters and journalists might be ignorant about male homosexuality. Also since heterosexual men control the sports media they might be uncomfortable reporting about male homosexuality due to their own homophobia. The mainstream media do report on the private lives of heterosexual male athletes.
For instance,who can forget Brett Favre who was Rodgers former teammate send a text of his genitals to a woman who was not his wife? It was a huge story, the press did not hide the story or ignore it. Remember Tiger Woods cheating on his wife? It was a private matter that Woods had cheated on his wife with multiple women. The mainstream press did not care that Woods cheating was his personal business it became worldwide news even though male athletes cheating on their wives and girlfriends is not surprising. NBA star Dwayne Wade has had problems with his ex wife it is his private business yet the discord he’s had with his ex wife has been reported in the news. Wade recently admitted he has a newborn child with another woman despite being in a committed relationship with actress Gabrielle Union.
However, the reticence of the mainstream media to discuss the Aaron Rodgers gay rumours is a form of latent homophobia.
Heterosexual athletes have dealt with the media gossip and report about their private lives so why are gay rumours treated differently? One reason is, despite the mainstream media’s desire for an openly gay male star athlete to come out of the closet the attitude of the press towards male homosexuality needs to change. Male homosexuality is still viewed as foreign, distant, and does not exist in the sports world.
Male homosexuality is still viewed as shameful, dirty, private, and immoral. Male homosexuality is the last taboo in North American sports.The real reason gay male athletes do not come out is not because of the media or the fans or even losing endorsements. The real reason is the perception that gay men are not real men and are less masculine than heterosexual men. Gay men are all lumped together being effeminate,soft, and delicate but this is an ugly stereotype which persists.
Some gay men are indeed effeminate but there are also many gay men who do not conform to the stereotype and are masculine and excel at sports. The love lives of athletes regardless whether they are gay or straight should be treated the same by the media. It is homophobic of the press to ignore a big story just because it involves gay rumours. The subliminal message the North American press is sending is heterosexuality is public and normal but male homosexuality is private and abnormal. closet until it became advantageous for him to come out. Outing is viewed as negative and bad by certain segments of the gay community and mainstream society. However, outing celebrities is important because by maintaining the sexuality of public figures secret this creates a double standard. By not outing gay celebrities the media maintain the shame of being gay. Outing a gay male star athlete is about bringing the balance of power back it is good for society to out gay male athletes. Outing gay male athletes will reduce the shame and the homophobia in society. The closeted stars benefit from the LGBT movement yet they choose to come out and only when they benefit they get praised as heroes by the media. Ian Thope is an example of a no hero to the LGBT community. Closeted gay male athletes are protected by the press who claim they are waiting for the gay men to come out on their own in sports. However, by not outing gay male athletes the media reinforce the homophobia it is magnified. By keeping the gay secret of male athletes still sends the wrong message to the public that male homosexuality is a dirty secret that needs to be hidden. Thorpe admitted to being depressed over hiding his homosexuality, yet his ego would not let him tell the truth. Suddenly, after being offered half a million dollars, Thope comes out. Thope is no hero to the LGBT community he is a spineless coward who saw a cash grab and an opportunity to get back into the public eye and good graces. Thorpe is opportunistic, he saw a chance to not only make money but also get good press.
Meanwhile, in America another male athlete Aaron Rodgers one of the top NFL players is subjected to gay rumours has also continued to deny his homosexuality despite evidence proving otherwise. Recently, awkward and bizarre photos emerged of NFL star Aaron Rodgers and his new girlfriend actress Olivia Munn. Looking at the photos it is clear Rodgers and Munn are both uncomfortable since the kiss looks staged. In the photos, Rodgers and Munn are wearing sun glasses and since kissing is an intimate act they look like they are acting and performing for the cameras than being in love.
Rodgers has been on a media blitz proclaiming his love for Munn yet the timing is suspicious since he and his PR team are working hard to kill rumours he is a closeted homosexual. Even though gay rights are advancing in the United States it is still taboo for a top male athlete to come out as gay.
More gay male athletes are coming out but they are mostly marginal players on the fringes. A gay male star athlete still has not come out of the closet. The gay star athletes are cowards many living in the glass closet but too selfish to make the final step and change sports forever and advance gay rights. If a gay male athlete who is a star comes out it will be a game changer.
Although the sports media are presenting a false narrative of being progressive this does not mean the press is not homophobic. For instance, why are the media protecting NFL star Aaron Rodgers? The media reticence to discuss gay rumours is a symbol that male homosexuality is still some dark secret. The silence of the press about the rumours swirling Aaron Rodgers alleged homosexuality is astonishing and it is due to homophobia.
Unless you have been living under a rock, you have heard about the explosive allegations that Green Bay Packers star Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was rumoured to be a closeted homosexual.
The website The Fame Driven broke the story that Rodgers had a falling out with his male personal assistant and former roommate Kevin Lanflisi. Rodgers has always praised Lanflisi in interviews in the media that they have a close relationship.
The mainstream sports media are engendering a facade that the gay rumours about Aaron Rodgers alleged homosexuality emerged out of nowhere.
After the gay rumour emerged Rodgers told ESPN Radio that “I am not gay. I really, really, like women.” Rodgers answer was awkward he didn’t say he was straight, nor did he leave out the possibility he is bisexual. Human sexuality is complex and people do not always fit into the neat categories of gay, straight, or bisexual. The radio silence about Aaron Rodgers denial he is gay is a sign of the mainstream press bigotry. The mainstream press hesitation to explore the topic of gay rumours is not a signal of being progressive. In fact, it is another example of prejudice.
The issue of homophobia in the NFL is very real. Even though Michael Sam has come out it does not mean the NFL or the sports media are suddenly pro gay.
Even though Rodgers denied being gay he also did not mention his former male roommate and former best friend Kevin Lanflisi. The sports media have attempted to erase Kevin Lanflisi existence pretending he did not live with Rodgers or was not his constant companion for years. Lanflisi wrote cryptic tweets in December 2013 suggesting he was going through a painful break up. On Lanflisi twitter account he never mentioned the gender of the person he was upset at yet he wrote these tweets at the time he moved out of Aaron Rodgers house. Lanflisi’s silence about the gay rumours is also interesting. Why didn’t Lanflisi simply tweet a response? How does a Christian poet suddenly become a personal assistant to a NFL Super Bowl champion? What qualifications did Lanflisi have and did the Green Bay Packers turn a blind eye to Rodgers situation? Instead Lanflisi remained silent. In fact, after the Green Bay Packers were eliminated from the NFL playoffs, Kevin Lanflisi’s mother Kay posted on Facebook her delight that Rodgers team was eliminated. Kay Lanflisi also wrote a comment on her Facebook page slamming Aaron Rodgers. Suddenly tabloid websites like US Weekly are linking Rodgers to country music singer Taylor Swift. The timing of the news is suspicious given the fact Rodgers and his PR team are trying to downplay the gay rumours. US Weekly once again published a new article recently now claiming Aaron Rodgers moved on from Taylor Swift to actress Olivia Munn. It appears Rodgers PR team and US Weekly are working hard by feeding these stories he is a womanizer and a ladies man to give the facade he is straight.
However, The Fame Driven found out Lanflisi moved out of Rodgers house and he now lives with his sister in California. The Fame Driven reported the story because it is news. Lanflisi has now moved to Long Beach in the state of California. Regardless of whether the gay rumours are true or not Rodgers living arrangement with Lanflisi is interesting. Why would a thirty something multi millionaire like Rodgers need a male roommate? What exactly did Lanflisi do as Rodgers personal assistant? Why are Rodgers and Lanflisi wearing matching suits to various award shows like the ESPY awards? Why was Lanflisi wearing Rodgers Super Bowl MVP ring and why did he delete the photos? Why does Rodgers hide his so called girlfriend Destiny Newton and not take her to public events? What is Rodgers trying to conceal? Lanflisi and Rodgers have also been making cryptic comments to each other on the internet. For instance, in February 2014 Rodgers was a guest on the Jason Wilde ESPN show. Rodgers made the comment when he attends award shows he has a male “seat filler” hug him. Many people interpreted the seat filler comment to be a diss against Kevin Lanflisi since he attended numerous award shows with Rodgers. On February 25th 2014, Kevin Lanflisi retweeted a tweet suggesting Rodgers is ungrateful since he helped him. Lanflisi also wrote on his instagram account recently that the last eighteen months have been difficult for him. In 2015, after Aaron Rodgers team was eliminated from the NFL playoffs again Kevin Lanflisi tweeted a statement many interprerted as him being still bitter. The mainstream media again ,ignored Lanfisi angry tweet.
Obviously, Rodgers and Lanflisi were extremely close. But the anxiety of the media is to explore homosocial relationships between men. Rodgers and Lanflisi had a homosocial relationship they shared a deep powerful bond. The undercurrent issue is why are the mainstream North American media reticent to cover the news? The real news is the fact mainstream American networks such as ESPN, Yahoo Sports, CNN, ABC, FOX, and NBC have not covered this story until Rodgers made a response saying he is not gay.
One argument is the mainstream media are being respectful to Rodgers they are waiting for him to respond to the allegations about his sexual orientation.
Another point of view is the mainstream media does not engage in outing it is considered yellow journalism and beneath the mainstream media. The NFL is a very powerful organization and Rodgers is one of the biggest stars in the NFL despite the rhetoric that the NFL would accept an openly gay player the Kerry Rhodes situation proves otherwise. Just like Rodgers, Rhodes earlier last year dealt with gay rumours yet he is not on a team. Even though Rhodes denied he is gay no NFL team has signed him. Unlike the NBA player Jason Collins, who came out year Rhodes is not a journeyman or benchwarmer. Rhodes had an excellent 2012 season yet he is not signed. The mainstream press was also reticent to cover the Kerry Rhodes gay rumours. Rhodes is out of a job and yet there is silence to the reasons why this is taking place?
The question is why? However, a more subversive answer is the mainstream North American sports media is dominated by heterosexual men these straight male reporters and journalists might be ignorant about male homosexuality. Also since heterosexual men control the sports media they might be uncomfortable reporting about male homosexuality due to their own homophobia. The mainstream media do report on the private lives of heterosexual male athletes.
For instance,who can forget Brett Favre who was Rodgers former teammate send a text of his genitals to a woman who was not his wife? It was a huge story, the press did not hide the story or ignore it. Remember Tiger Woods cheating on his wife? It was a private matter that Woods had cheated on his wife with multiple women. The mainstream press did not care that Woods cheating was his personal business it became worldwide news even though male athletes cheating on their wives and girlfriends is not surprising. NBA star Dwayne Wade has had problems with his ex wife it is his private business yet the discord he’s had with his ex wife has been reported in the news. Wade recently admitted he has a newborn child with another woman despite being in a committed relationship with actress Gabrielle Union.
However, the reticence of the mainstream media to discuss the Aaron Rodgers gay rumours is a form of latent homophobia.
Heterosexual athletes have dealt with the media gossip and report about their private lives so why are gay rumours treated differently? One reason is, despite the mainstream media’s desire for an openly gay male star athlete to come out of the closet the attitude of the press towards male homosexuality needs to change. Male homosexuality is still viewed as foreign, distant, and does not exist in the sports world.
Male homosexuality is still viewed as shameful, dirty, private, and immoral. Male homosexuality is the last taboo in North American sports.The real reason gay male athletes do not come out is not because of the media or the fans or even losing endorsements. The real reason is the perception that gay men are not real men and are less masculine than heterosexual men. Gay men are all lumped together being effeminate,soft, and delicate but this is an ugly stereotype which persists.
Some gay men are indeed effeminate but there are also many gay men who do not conform to the stereotype and are masculine and excel at sports. The love lives of athletes regardless whether they are gay or straight should be treated the same by the media. It is homophobic of the press to ignore a big story just because it involves gay rumours. The subliminal message the North American press is sending is heterosexuality is public and normal but male homosexuality is private and abnormal.
