Gay sports writers?

Is this the reason men aren't allowed into women's locker rooms? Because they might become visibly sexually aroused and that would make the women uncomfortable? I ask because I honestly don't know if that's the reason. Women are certainly allowed in men's locker rooms.

I don't really know why anyone would care, but that doesn't mean they don't have good reasons. Hell, a man can become sexually aroused from pretty much anything. If they're not trying to do anything physical toward you, I'm not entirely sure why that matters. But I'm pretty sure most people can handle a work situation without it becoming an issue.

 

Buck;

I'm just looking at it from a paranoid straight man's point of view. It's the only way I can rationalize it. And, I'm SURE women out there - athletes or not - would whole-heartedly protest a straight man walking into a room full of naked women.

You're right. Instant arousal left me long ago (I'm 31) as evidenced by my immature friends sending me the occassional pornographic e-mails, which I receive and discard without incident.

However, Buck you can't tell me if you go to the bar, grocery store or wherever, you don't quickly "check out" good looking ladies? And I think this (gay men doing this) worries paranoid straight men.

 

I like to think I'm professional enough (and in enough of a hurry and almost-married enough) to get in, get quotes and get out. Whether or not the man or woman is naked.

 

Not related to the topic at all, but this statement keeps being repeated as truth and it's not. Men can enter women's locker rooms. It's equal access for all or for none -- either all interviews are done in the locker room or players are brought outside for all journalists.

Can we let this misconception die? (Unless there's some situation I'm unaware of where a guy tried to get in a woman's locker room and wasn't allowed in, while female reporters were... never heard of that happening though.)

 

There's no way to rationalize the paranoia. Assuming that gay people will jump the bones of the same sex any time they have the chance is the same type of paranoia that made white men fear that all black men were after their women. It's a completely baseless assumption that is predicated on the us-vs.-them theory that human nature somehow doesn't apply to them, that their animalistic instincts will kick in before it will for us civilized folk.

There is no justification for that point of view. None.

 

Even if gay men really did this, why would it bother people to the extent that it does?

 

Nobody:

I have never covered a pro women's event, so I don't know. Hell, I haven't covered enough men's pro events to know.

But, I know in covering junior hockey, Triple-A baseball, some pro football, I know the locker rooms have been open and men have been walking in and out of showers and around in towels while reporters work.

But on the women's side of things, I have no idea. I'm assuming it's a situation where all women are covered up OR they are brought out to meet the media.

Anyone know the answer to this when it comes to covering women's sports?

 

Thank you, n_i ... most college locker rooms are closed to all reporters, and it has been well documented on this board that the US WNT (soccer) has an open-door policy.

 

Ah, but I never said gay people will jump the bones of the same sex any time they have the chance. I said "checking them out," or something to that extent. Big difference. Women know men would never jump their bones any time they have the chance, unless the guy is a rapist.

I also know that women would say "oh god, so-and-so male is checking me out, gross."

So couldn't a straight man say the same thing about a gay man checking him out? Just throwing it out there.

 

I've covered the WNBA and the locker rooms are open to all journalists, male and female. The women weren't naked or showering... I don't know if there was a rule against that or if the women just chose to wait on their own before doing so. The point is though, the locker rooms were open to all.

Haven't covered much women's sports at the college level, but when I have, two or three players were brought to reporters for interviews and no one went in the locker room. That's a comparable policy to most men's college basketball and football teams -- no one in the locker room and all interviews are done in a separate interview room.

I know there aren't a lot of men covering women's sports (or reporters covering women's sports period), but I've never heard of a situation in which a male reporter was kept out of the locker room while female reporters were allowed in.

 

One of my first sports editors was gay. Not in the closet, but never discussed it. He knew we knew, and nobody made a big deal about it.

 

It's so many fruity sports writers than straight ones. the athletes talk about em all the time.

and they sick of them.