Boston Herald columnist Steve Buckley: "I'm gay."

Incredibly gutsy column.

http://bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view.bg?&articleid=1307703&format=&page=1&listingType=col#articleFull

 

gutsy, yes. well-executed, big-time. column-worthy? i'm not sure. would surely appreciate anyone's input.

part of me agrees with his mom's initial take, that it's nobody's business. part of me believes it's also best to out yourself instead of risking that someone else does it for you, making readers wonder why you were 'hiding it.'

all of me cannot wait until this is no more column-worthy than declaring yourself a raving heterosexual... yup, mixed emotions for me at every turn. which is largely why i'm eager to hear others weigh in on this...

 

*shrug*

Good for him.

 

Still think he's an a-hole on the radio, and I want to strangle him more times than not, but that was well done. Whether or not he needed to do it, I don't know. He is a public figure, to some degree, and maybe he felt it was something he had to do to relieve a little pressure. Either way, it was a good read.

 

It's probably the journalistic equivalent of sticking his chin out and daring Howie Carr to take a swing at him.

 

I admire the heck out of him for writing that column, which is made all the more poignant by his connection to his mother and the fact that her death was part of the reason he did not write it earlier.

Shockey, I agree that it would be great to have a time when this column is as relevant as declaring yourself heterosexual, but the reality, especially in the sports world, is that we're not there yet. If Buckley felt he was living a lie and hiding a piece of himself, then it made sense for him to write this. You also have to consider all the readers he has who are either still in the closet or have emerged themselves. This type of column can have a big impact on them and takes another step toward the day when such columns won't be necessary.

Applause all around for the courage it took, and support for any issues it causes him in the future. Be proud and stay strong, man.

 

Good for him, but who cares? It sounds like the people close to him have known for awhile, so why the need to tell readers?

Maybe he thinks this will protect him from a round or two of layoffs.

 

easy for any of us to applaud and say, 'good for him.' i just wonder/worry what the reaction of his readers is/will be? as wrong-headed as it is, will a significant portion of his readers in boston -- not always the most open-minded people -- will ever read steve without thinking, 'oh, so this is how the gay community feels about the sawx, etc.'

i mean, other than to be brave for writing a 'coming-out column,' what is the relevance for a sports columnist?

please, friends, i'm not being snarky. would just appreciate serious responses addressing these same questions steve no doubt wrestled with in the years before deciding it was time for his coming-out admission.

 

As someone who grew up in Massachusetts, I can agree that Bostonians likely aren't the most open-minded people, but they are knowledgeable about their sports. And when someone makes a good point, gay, male, female, straight, whatever, it's a good point.

I'm sure a small percentage will be turned off by this, but on the whole, I think he may have gained the respect out of readers who maybe weren't enthralled by his writing previously.

 

Curious to how the players he covers will treat him.
Gay or straight, he's still a pompous douche.

 

I was Buck's teammate for a long time. I respect his honesty and courage in this column to the max, and I am sure he would not have written it if he didn't feel it was relevant to his other work and his relationship to his readers, that is, that doing so would make him a better sportswriter in some way.

 

Michael, was this well-known among the other writers?