Michael Sam Makes Strides in the Sports World

Michael Sam, a defensive lineman from Mizzou, came out as a homosexual this past week. Sam is also a considered to be a top pick priority in the upcoming NFL draft in May 2014. If Sam is drafted for the NFL, he will be the first player in history to be openly gay before the draft. There have been gay NFL players, but their sexuality was not discussed until after their NFL career.

Sam confided in his Mizzou teammates last August that he was gay. They kept the information to themselves, allowing him to come out to the world on his own before the 2014 NFL draft. Though he may drop a few ranks in the pick for coming out, this is a huge stepping-stone for LGBT rights in the sports world. Michael Sam is confident that his sexuality will not stop him from achieving his dream of becoming an NFL player.

Though Sam is facing a lot of opposition from some professional players and supporters of the game, he has gained more support than he could have imagined. According to ESPN, Sam gained upwards of 18,000 followers on Twitter after he came out in an interview. Media services from around the U.S. are rallying around Sam in acceptance and hope that his sexuality will not keep him out of the league.

Lifting the Marriage Bans

The American Civil Liberties Union is filing a lawsuit against the state of Missouri for its unconstitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

A federal judge in Kentucky ruled out part of Kentucky’s same-sex marriage ban. Meanwhile, a district judge ruled that the state of Kentucky is to recognize same-sex marriages that have been performed in other states. This is a huge step for Kentucky residents, as they have not asked for the state to perform same-sex marriages, but rather to have their same-sex marriages from other states recognized by the government.

A same-sex couple from Texas will be heard in federal courts challenging the ban on same-sex marriages. Along with them, another couple married in Massachusetts is calling for the Texas government to recognize their marriage as legal. They are hopeful for progression in the courts.

Recently, Utah and Oklahoma declared the ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional.

Facebook Gender Options

Facebook recently expanded their pronoun options to be more specific and inclusive. Trans individuals will no longer have to choose strictly “male” or “female.” They now have the opportunity to express their gender online as they see fit. Not only is gender no longer an issue on the popular social media site, there is also the option to make gender private, meaning the user can choose who can and cannot view their gender status.