Unbelievable

[novapsyche]

Tim Hardaway: I wouldn't play with a gay man

One week after retired NBA player John Amaechi publically identified himself as gay, retired Heat guard Tim Hardaway said on a Miami radio show that he would not want to play with a gay man.

"You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known," Hardaway said Wednesday, according to a transcript on the Miami Herald Web site. "I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States."

Hardaway was a guest on the show and was asked at the end of the interview how he would handle having a gay teammate.

"First of all, I wouldn't want him on my team," Hardaway answered. "And second of all, if he was on my team, I would really distance myself from him because I don't think that is right. I don't think he should be in the locker room while we are in the locker room. But stuff like that is going on and there's a lot of other people I hear that are like that and still in the closet and don't want to come out of the closet, but you know I just leave that alone."

[...] He later apologized for the remarks during a telephone interview with FOX affiliate WSVN in Miami.

"Yes, I regret it. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said I hate gay people or anything like that," he said. "That was my mistake."

At least one commentator on ESPN called him on this, basically raked him over the coals. So, there's that. But Jesus Christ.

More: Hardaway's new legacy a hateful one | Hardaway won't represent NBA in Vegas

Comments

[brendand.livejournal.com]

What gets me is that he flat out said "I am homophobic."

Just appalling.

[symphonic-rp.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't know. What's worse, a gay hater who hides the fact, or one who pretends he has no feelings one way or the other? What I think is worse than somebody saying this is somebody trying to take it back for the sake of expedience. If I gotta deal with gay haters, I prefer an honest gay hater. An honest gay hater might actually have the stuff to learn about what he doesn't understand and get over it.

I'm kind of like that myself with some things. If I hate something, I won't lie and say I don't hate it or act like I see value in it. Once I say I hate something, I consider it the responsibility of the proponents of what I don't like to show me what there is in it I would like.

Unfortunately, if I were a gay hater, I don't think any gay people would jump at the opportunity to show me why gay isn't something I need to feel creeped out by. Same with furry. In both there are a heck of a lot of people acting like you're obligated not to hate them, but not a lot of people demonstrating how harmless or unworthy of wasting time hating they are. Instead, there are a great many proponents of such things that would be all to happy to reinforce my fears and misunderstandings.

So, I don't know about this. I think being tripped out by an honest gay hater isn't the most productive reaction. It's kind of like admitting you're a gay hater hater. Which brings us to the idea that two lack of reasons never add up to a satisfying result.

I feel sorry for the guy. He has no idea how nice the people are who have him shaking in his boots. He's pitiful. We should pray for his enlightenment.

[novapsyche.livejournal.com]

I think being tripped out by an honest gay hater isn't the most productive reaction. It's kind of like admitting you're a gay hater hater.

As a liberal, the only thing I'm intolerant of is intolerance.

I regard this incident the same way I did the Michael Richards incident and the Mel Gibson incident. I'm glad only insofar as I know whose opinions (and products!) to avoid.

Do I pity members of the KKK? No. I avoid them.

Hardaway is a grown man. It is his obligation to seek out information about homosexuality instead of harboring (and spewing) this vitriol. It is not my obligation to coddle his bigotry.