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OUTspoken

by Steve Charing

Friday, 04 May 2012

It Gets Better for Gay Athletes Too

When we celebrate Jackie Robinson Day in baseball each April —the anniversary of the Brooklyn Dodgers’ star breaking the color barrier—I always wonder if a gay ballplayer would summon up the courage of the late Hall of Famer who dealt with overt racism in baseball and in the U.S. and come out. We are still waiting for a gay athlete as strong as Robinson who would be willing to endure a potential barrage of taunts from teammates, opponents and fans.

Game Changer-in-Chief

Would Obama’s support for marriage equality affect the referendum battle?

A recent story in the Washington Blade suggests that President Barack Obama may be publicly proclaiming his support for same-sex marriage before the election. Citing an “informed source” who spoke to the Blade on the condition of anonymity, “active conversations” are taking place between the White House and the campaign about whether Obama should complete his evolution on marriage and that the chances of his making an announcement are about 50-50.

Not to Lean on a Poll

It’s been a few weeks since Governor O’Malley signed the historic Civil Marriage Protection Act, which if allowed to stand, would legalize marriages for same-sex couples effective January 2013. But it may not stand because of a provision in the Maryland Constitution that enables opponents who can muster the required number of signatures (55,736 in this case) within specified timeframes to put the law before the voters in a referendum this November in an effort to overturn it.