Simply Sam

6 feet two inches. 260 pounds. All-American. Top defensive player in the nation’s toughest conference, the SEC. Named MVP by his teammates.

Damn this guy sounds like a winner – right?

What if I also mentioned that this person is gay? Does this change your outlook on Michael Sam from Missouri? If it does then I would suggest you hit the back button because this article is not for you. Let’s get something straight right now: I am not defending Sam for brownie points nor am I am going to put him down because of his sexual orientation. In fact, I’m going to do what most of you all don’t seem to have the ability to do – look at this as a twofold win for the National Football League.

There have been rumors about gay players in every professional sporting league, but until recently we have not seen many come out. We definitely have not heard of a player openly saying he or she was gay before being drafted. I see the National Football League is a representation of the United States. It represents what our nation is about and is something extremely unique to our country – our identity. Until recently, Americans had this preconceived notion that there is only one type of family unit: that consists of a man marrying a woman and having children. The white picket fence family unit. Don’t get me wrong, I plan on being a white picket fence unit and there is nothing wrong with it. What is wrong with our society is the inability to accept people for who they are and the choices they make. We rose up as a people and defended ourselves from unwanted persecution over two centuries ago. We just happened to be defending our right to tax ourselves how we chose and to not take orders from a king who, at the time, was a two month journey away. We were a people of many different backgrounds fighting for one cause – the right to be free.

So what changed from then to now?

You’re right, this is not about taxation without representation or the ability to practice your religion without persecution, but are we not stepping on an individual’s right to happiness here? Yes, Michael Sam is gay. You’re telling me that you don’t have a coworker, relative, or acquaintance who you interact with on a fairly regular basis that may not have the same sexual orientation as you? Does a man or woman not have the right to practice their version of happiness openly in a country based upon the values of freedom? Hell yes, the right to free speech is part of this and I encourage everyone and anyone to speak their mind – I’m doing it right now. I understand there are deep religious beliefs embedded in society, especially in the Southeastern United States. I also understand this country was founded on such religious beliefs. I hope you understand, however, that we are a country that has separation of Church and State. Last time I checked, the church was a choice while obeying the law of the state was, well, the law! Sam may not have made choices that agree with your religious views, but everything be has done is totally in compliance with state and federal law. These are the same laws that govern this country that you are proud to call home. The country who’s people once fought for their right to be heard and respected. How is this any different?

Before you start off with the “it ain’t natural” crap, I’d like to stop you. I know you don’t think it is natural, in fact a segment of society would agree with you. Today, however, I’m going to challenge you to ask yourself a couple of questions: Does this really affect me? When I go to sleep tonight, will my life have changed because of this? When you wake up tomorrow and start your day, will you question the purpose of this life? Something tells me I already know your answers to these questions. If I don’t, then you need to find something more important to obsess over – try looking into the faults of your own life before dissecting what you feel is a fault in someone else’s life.

Now, I said this was a twofold win for the NFL. So what is the second part?

The first part of this second part (confusing, huh?) is pretty obvious – Michael Sam is a beast on the defensive side of the ball and will contribute to the NFL for many years to come. My second point is a little deeper, however. Like I stated earlier in this piece, the NFL, like many other professional sporting leagues, has homosexual athletes. Whether stated outright or not, there is no chance every player in the NFL is heterosexual. Now, Michael Sam has given the National Football League the opportunity to act upon something, to become a part of the ever-evolving society we live in, and that is a chance to prove that sporting leagues can accept openly gay athletes without backlash.

What about the locker room? Will he not have to shower with other men?

Yeah, he will. I’m a heterosexual male and tomorrow if I walked out on a nude beach, I doubt I’d jump every woman I came across. I don’t think I would notice a majority of them purely on the basis that they are nude. If you question Sam being in a locker room because he’s gay, then you might need to get yourself checked out. Last time I look into it, the only people who have uncontrollable sexual urges at the sight of every mildly attractive person are perverts – and those people need help.

Michael Sam is simply a man who has the unique ability to play an incredibly difficult sport at the highest level. He also simply likes other men. I don’t see the problem here – and I encourage everyone to look past the stereotypes and educate themself. Like I said before, we all have the right to free speech and I hope we all utilize it. You also have the ability, through that free speech, to make yourself sound like a fool. I do not discourage anyone from speaking out against Sam, but I do encourage everyone to do their research before choosing to speak. I plan on living my white picket fence life, but if my neighbors to the right have a green fence and those to the left have a blue fence, then so be it! Their decisions do not affect how I live my life.

Keep on painting the world Sam.