4.29.10 Editor’s Desk

Imagine that an organization with good intentions outright limits the number of gay people that can join its ranks. It doesn’t ban gay people, but its bylaws only allow for a certain percentage of LGBTs to be active in the organization.

Let’s say that organization is a country club that prides itself on openly accepting all races and people from all religious and economic backgrounds. It is so proud of its racial and economic diversity that it posts it on banners and on websites—but maintains a strict two-gay-people-per-15-members rule that must be abided at all times.

How, in reality, would such an organization pinpoint the gays among its ranks? The days of the pink triangles of the Third Reich are long gone, and even “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” appears to be on its way out. But, for fun, let’s say that if someone at this country club is suspected of being gay, those members are subjected to a harsh interrogation about their sexuality, personal lives and sexual activity. Then a panel votes on that individual member’s sexuality. If they are found to be gay and they exceed the limit allowed, they are booted. If they are found to be straight, they can rejoin their fellow members for cocktails on the lanai.

As a community, we would no doubt call in the ACLU and every equality group we could find, and a Facebook page decrying the blatant discrimination would sprout up and see legions of fans within a matter of hours.

It’s hard to believe, but a version of the above situation is happening in America in 2010. But in this case, it’s the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Association (NAGAAA) discriminating against our straight allies.

The popular LGBT softball league, which has affiliates in Tampa Bay and Orlando, has a strict
two-straight-players-per-team rule on its books that has landed the organization smack in the middle of a well-deserved lawsuit. To read the full story on the suit, see our Sports page.

But the short of it is this—several gay players at the 2008 Gay World Series were upset that straight people participated in a gay league. So, LGBT players played the “straight” card and three young athletes found themselves in a tribunal answering questions about their sexual orientation.

I was not there and what exactly happened in that tribunal depends on whom you ask. It was found, however, that two of the three players were straight (gasp) and that a third was bisexual. In effect, that “finding” disqualified the team and forfeited its well-deserved second place finish. It also caught the attention of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, which is now suing NAGAAA for discrimination and $250,000 in damages.

Officials with the softball league are saying the suit is frivolous; but if they lose, the organization could be shut down.

Is that a bad thing? Do we, as a community that faces discrimination every day and on every level of government really want to support a group that does exactly what we fight daily to prevent?

Also, what does this say about our talented gay athletes out on the softball fields every Sunday? Do we think that just because a person is straight that he or she is a better athlete than a member of our community?

As a former softball player, that offends me. Talent is talent—it has nothing to do with sexuality.

According to the NAGAAA officials, the bylaw in question was introduced in the 1970s. Maybe back then, when discrimination against LGBTs was harsher than it is today, the rule was needed. But if an organization wants to survive in 2010 and reflect the overall goals of the community it serves, it must evolve.

Straight people are not our enemy. In fact, any straight ally who supports our community and is comfortable sharing the softball field or any other sporting arena with us should be applauded, not chastised for being attracted to  the opposite sex attractive.

NAGAAA, do what’s right: Drop the archaic bylaw and embrace our straight allies. And if a straight player happens to be more talented than a gay player—I just hope that eventually, he or she lands on my team!