Jocks: True Stories of America's Gay Male Athletes - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1555833993 ISBN 13: 9781555833992

Publisher: Alyson Books, 1997

Synopsis

Profiles several dozen young male athletes who have in most cases "come out" as homosexual to their coaches, teammates, and fellow students, with advice for coaches on dealing with homophobia

About this title

From Booklist

Woog characterizes the athletic locker room as "the largest, dingiest, smelliest closet left in America." He then profiles several dozen men, many still quite young, who have helped dispel at least the closet part of that characterization. Each has acknowledged his homosexuality and, with one poignant exception ("The Suicidal Jock," still adjusting as a college junior), has come out to coaches and teammates, or, if a coach himself, to students. Woog writes vividly about them all, communicating the fulfillment they find in sports as well as the satisfaction they experience in being out. He depicts them as normally complex persons coping with normally complex life situations, one of which is not, however, being turned on by the sight of naked teammates. Besides plenty of soccer players (Woog has coached the sport for 20 years), swimmers, gymnasts, wrestlers, runners, basketballers, hockey players, and even an "impostor," who admits going out for junior-high sports to be near other boys, also appear, and Woog concludes with advice to coaches on dealing with homophobia. Ray Olson

From Library Journal

Over two dozen personal profiles of high school and college coaches and athletes succinctly and sensitively dispute the contention that "gay jock" is an oxymoron.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Alyson Books
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 1555833993
• ISBN 13: 9781555833992
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256