Are Sports Reporters Missing Big Stories Because We're Afraid To Out Gay Athletes?

LGBT issues have played a prominent role in sports news over the last few months, with Jason Collins, Brittney Griner, and Robbie Rogers all coming out. Their bravery has given everyone who covers and cares about progress on those issues in the sporting world a reason to celebrate. Lost in those stories, though, was one about Kerry Rhodes, a defensive back for the Arizona Cardinals who was “outed” by a former manager who claims to also be Rhodes’ former lover.

The story, in fact, wasn’t really “lost.” Instead, it was “purposely underreported,” according to ESPN’s LZ Granderson, because Rhodes denied it immediately and discomfort about the prospect of outing Rhodes without his consent prevented other outlets from reporting it out. That may seem appropriate — who, after all, wants to out someone? — but in reality, it may be a form of soft bigotry that keeps sports reporters from pursuing stories we’d consider fair game and relevant news if the athletes in question were straight, Granderson argued:

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