Here’s a thoughtful article written by one of my favorite columnists, LZ Granderson, who writes for ESPN and CNN.  Granderson is gay, so he’s writing from a personal and professional perspective.

He asks here if reporters are, in fact, contributing to the idea of being gay or lesbian as shameful by not reporting on gay or lesbian athlete’s love lives in the same way that heterosexual athlete’s romances are covered (e.g., the extensive coverage of Tiger Wood’s affairs). 

On the other hand, given the bigotry that still exists, Granderson acknowledges that these reporting decisions protect the lives of athletes who are gay or lesbian.  It’s a great question of respecting the rights of individuals or promoting the rights of a group as a whole, since increased coverage demonstrates the acceptance and normalcy of a variety of sexualities.

This article reflects how gender is created through how we culturally link gender to sexuality.