Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel Tells LGBT Publication All Lifestyles Are Welcome In His Locker Room
Sports locker rooms are stereotypically filled with people who have, oh, I don't know, Shavlik Randolph's open-mindedness when it comes to homosexuality.
But that stuff wouldn't fly at Ohio State, where coach Jim Tressel took about the firmest, most tolerant stand on homosexuality that anyone involved in major college or pro athletics ever has.
“We strive to teach and model appreciation for everyone. One, we are a family. If you haven’t learned from your family at home that people have differences and those strengthen the whole, then you are hopefully going to learn it as part of the Ohio State football family."
That. Is. Awesome. Seriously, the fact that Tressel even gave the interview in the first place is pretty miraculous — very little could be gained in the macho and competitive world of big-time football recruiting by putting that out there.
If serious change in how homosexuals are viewed in sports is ever going to happen, it's going to have to start at the top with coaches, particularly the high school and college level, who set such a mature tone.
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