Thoughts on gay athletes and showers

[ckissick]

The Michael Sam issue got me thinking. (He's the College senior and star football player who announced he's gay last week. Should make the NFL draft more interesting.) Anyway, I have no problem with him. Whatever.

But it got me to thinking about the locker room and the showers. Men aren't allowed in a women's locker room and showers. Women aren't allowed in a men's locker room and showers. Why, exactly, is that? Now apply the answer(s) to that question to the case of a gay person in a shower with members of their own sex. Is that OK? If so, why? Or why not?

I don't really see a difference. If you put a naked man in a shower with a bunch of naked women (lucky guy!), I'm guessing some of the women won't care, some will enjoy it, as long as he's good looking, but a good portion will be very upset. We don't allow it so as not to upset the latter group. Is a gay man in a men's shower any different? I'd be in the "don't care" group. But I bet there would be many who would have a problem with it. Are they homophobes? Or are they merely uneasy having a guy checking out his junk and having certain thoughts?

Because rest assured, if Michael Sam is drafted, as he likely will be, he will be sauntering into those NFL showers with the rest of the guys.

[Schumi]

There's really only one solution:

coed showers for all.

[craigster59]

I've showered in high school, swim club, Army, local gym, etc. I'm sure there's been a few "sword swallowers" lurking about. Never made me no nevermind, I can deal with it.

[aigel]

No big deal. A gym shower is not a sexual setting. Neither is a sauna, nude beach etc. I could care less who looks at me naked. People in the US are way too uptight about nudity. Anyone here born clothes on their back? Yet the majority of the world's hard core porn is made here. Go figure ...

G

[diverdan]

My experiences are similar and some folks are just too uptight about things like this. Most folks are respectful of others and it is only the thugs that bother others for whatever reasons.

[sc_rufctr]

In (most of) our world? No big deal but...

What about the professional football world?

There's a reason no one has come out before. Without a major shift in culture I would guess he's got troubles ahead.

[black_falcon]

I'm a live and let live kind of guy, but I can't stand it when I'm in the locker room feel another guy staring at me. And let's be honest: a gay guy who is showering and dressing with other guys is gonna window shop. Just natural for them.

[look 171]

if I were in the shower, there should be nothing to worry about since I have a small pencil dick, so naturally the gay guys would be window shopping the healthy swords. I fly under the gaydar. I know guys wouldn't piss in the urinal when they suspect a gay man is around. Gay men are only interested in gay dicks, not yours. Move along, nothing to see here. I think he going to catch hell in the locker room with a bunch of tough guys in the NFL or college players.

[Schumi]

To add:

I'm not an athlete, nor do I take showers with athletes and I have a pretty good feeling that neither does anyone else here, so I gotta beg the question: why give a F?

Maybe work on those hands and your 40-meter until you get drafted and then start worrying about the gays in the shower.

[URY914]

Originally Posted by Schumi

To add:

I'm not an athlete, nor do I take showers with athletes and I have a pretty good feeling that neither does anyone else here, so I gotta beg the question: why give a F?

Maybe work on those hands and your 40-meter until you get drafted and then start worrying about the gays in the shower.

Using the words, "showers", and "I have a pretty good feeling.." in the same sentence while discussing gays may not be the best choice of words. Just saying..

[HardDrive]

Gay guys can look at my tackle all day. Who cares? Sorry my 'light in the loafers' friends, its reserved for vajayjay.

[lane912]

Originally Posted by Schumi

There's really only one solution:

coed showers for all.

this^^^^

one locker room for all

EQUALITY!!!!!

[Taz's Master]

Seriously, is there any justification for segregating showers by gender?

[VaSteve]

Just like there's plenty of women I don't want to see naked I'm sure that I fit into that large group of men that other men are not interested in seeing naked. Come on, I don't want to see myself naked!

[stomachmonkey]

Personally I'm just as turned on by dressed woman as naked woman, sometimes even more. YMMV.

[weseeeee]

I really hope that his professional team mates can be as mature as the college team he played for. Live and let live.

[widebody911]

Originally Posted by aigel

People in the US are way too uptight about nudity. Anyone here born clothes on their back? Yet the majority of the world's hard core porn is made here. Go figure ...

This

[Nostril Cheese]

Something tells me that most of you guys don't have a lot of experience around gay/lesbian folk.

[cockerpunk]

not seeing this as any kind of change personally. chances are, if you have showered as a group before, you've showered in front of homosexuals.

oh the humanity

[island911]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Personally I'm just as turned on by dressed woman as naked woman, sometimes even more. YMMV.

yep.

Most everyone else is looking at this wrong. I mean, sure, High school-college locker room is one thing -bodies at their prime- but most adults .... really, clothes make them look better.

So what I'm saying is, adult locker rooms are there to protect the eyes of the opposite sex.