Being hit by rock causes gay teen athlete to stand against homophobia [View all]

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http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog/2012/01/31/being-hit-by-rock-causes-gay-teen-athlete-to-stand-against-homophobia/


Jacob Gardner (Photo by Peter Hvizdak/Register)

Two years ago, Jacob Gardner of Madison, Conn., was walking on the track before a high school track meet when he was hit in the head by a rock thrown by a teammate who said he did it because Jacob is gay. A great story in the Shorline (Conn.) Times relates that this has a happy ending, making Jacob an advocate for other gay teens and athletes.

“It was an awakening,” says Gardner, 17, now a junior. “I had been bullied and teased in middle school, but once I got to the high school, everything had settled down. I even dared to join an athletic team.

“When I joined the cross-country team, I realized I couldn’t have chosen a better team to participate with. I was treated like one of the guys. People weren’t saying nasty things to me in the hallways anymore. I was in a passive state of feeling that things were getting better. And then that happened.”

The boy who threw the rock was booed by the rest of the team the next day and kicked off the team and the school gave Jacob and his parents their support.

“Life can be difficult for gay athletes,” he says. “In sports, especially for boys, athletes are portrayed as hyper-masculine. The stereotype for gays is effeminate and wimpy.

“For some athletes, coming out to their team is very hard. There are some people who still are not OK with it, and sometimes in sports, the person who is not OK with it might be the person who is running into you.”