---
[ ARCHIVE ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/archive)
# The Super Gay Bowl
January 31 2013
Written by Daniel D’Addario.
[](https://www.addtoany.com/share)
NFL CREATES GAY RIGHTS’ BIGGEST STAGE - As the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens prepare to face off on Super Bowl Sunday, each team has a player astride a cultural fault line. Baltimore’s Brendon Ayanbadejo has led a charge in favor of gay equality, while San Francisco’s Chris Culliver has condemned gays and declared that he doesn’t want to play with them.
How did the NFL create the most high-profile (and probably most important post-election year) stage for gay issues? Just this week, former 49er [Kwame Harris](http://www.salon.com/2013/01/28/kwame_harris_former_nfl_star_allegedly_assaults_ex_boyfriend/) was outed after a domestic violence dispute with his ex-boyfriend. And today, Connor Barwin, Houston Texans’ popular “[hipster](http://www.buzzfeed.com/katienotopoulos/connor-barwin-is-the-nfls-biggest-hipster)” linebacker, is set to become the latest high-profile jock announcing his support for gay rights through [Athlete Ally](http://www.athleteally.com/), joining Ayanbadejo and a group of other straight athletes including [Chris Kluwe](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-kluwe/an-open-letter-to-emmett-burns_b_1866216.html) of the Minnesota Vikings and [Sean Avery](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/10/sean-avery-new-york-rangers-gay-rights-anti-bullying_n_2271226.html), formerly of hockey’s New York Rangers.
With the US military finally accepting gays and lesbians within their ranks, it’s as though the next most macho American institution — football — was primed for its own evolution. And there are plenty of similarities within the two cultures; asked to compare the former “don’t ask, don’t tell” world with professional sports, [OutSports](http://www.outsports.com/) editor Cyd Zeigler said, “What makes them similar is the shower; athletes not wanting to shower with a gay athlete — which is totally insane. There have been people who’ve been openly gay in the military for years. People have known.” *[(Read the rest … including Culliver’s ‘no gay people on the team’ comment … here)](http://www.salon.com/2013/01/31/how_did_the_super_bowl_land_on_the_front_lines_of_the_culture_war/)*
*-cw*
CityWatch
Vol 11 Issue 10
Pub: Feb 1, 2013
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/107 "LA DWP | Save $4K, Green | Priority Ad")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/98 "Donna Tryfman - HS1-1")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/82 "LA DWP #2 (Power Savers)")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/111 "David DeJute Campaign")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/97 "Home - LA DWP #2 (Pay Water Bill Help)")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/112 "Anna Reitano Vertical R. Col")
## Get The News In Your Email Inbox Mondays & Thursdays
Website
---
## Featured CityWatch Stories
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33349-l-a-county-faces-a-government-shake-up)
### [L.A. County Faces a Government Shake-Up](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33349-l-a-county-faces-a-government-shake-up)
WESTSIDE - Currently larger than 40 states in terms of population with roughly 10 million residents, Los Angeles County…
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33386-massacre-on-city-streets-mayor-bass-must-issue-an-emergency-declaration-now)
### [Massacre on City Streets: Mayor Bass Must Issue an Emergency Declaration Now](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33386-massacre-on-city-streets-mayor-bass-must-issue-an-emergency-declaration-now)
NICK'S VIEW - I have previously written about Los Angeles’s grim paradox: a city that promises safer streets while bein…
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/voices/33372-the-greater-israel-delusion-may-undo-israel)
### [The Greater Israel Delusion May Undo Israel](https://mail.citywatchla.com/voices/33372-the-greater-israel-delusion-may-undo-israel)
ANNEXATION - The vision of “Greater Israel” draws on maximalist readings of biblical verses, especially Genesis 15:18–2…
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/neighborhood-politics/33365-sherwood-forest-when-an-adu-becomes-an-apartment-complex)
### [Sherwood Forest. When an ADU Becomes an Apartment Complex](https://mail.citywatchla.com/neighborhood-politics/33365-sherwood-forest-when-an-adu-becomes-an-apartment-complex)
OP|ED - If anyone asks what my priority issues are in the legislature, I talk about the three Hs - housing, homelessnes…
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/neighborhood-politics/33368-two-censured-one-replaced-and-two-appointed-to-the-venice-neighborhood-council)
### [Two Censured, One Replaced and Two Appointed to the Venice Neighborhood Council. ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/neighborhood-politics/33368-two-censured-one-replaced-and-two-appointed-to-the-venice-neighborhood-council)
WESTSIDE - It was a bit of spring house cleaning Tuesday evening at the September General Meeting of the Venice Neighbo…
---
## [ ARCHIVE ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/archive)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/archive/15339-early-intervention-and-jobs-are-key-to-stemming-chronic-homelessness-in-los-angeles)### [Early Intervention and Jobs are Key to Stemming Chronic Homelessness in Los Angeles](https://mail.citywatchla.com/archive/15339-early-intervention-and-jobs-are-key-to-stemming-chronic-homelessness-in-los-angeles)
### [Tucker Carlson and Gay Rightwinger Blame California Wildfires On Hiring LGBTQ People](https://mail.citywatchla.com/archive/18755-tucker-carlson-and-gay-rightwinger-blame-california-wildfires-on-hiring-lgbtq-people)
### [Anti-LGBTQ Veep Just Can’t Stop Talking about Mayor Pete](https://mail.citywatchla.com/archive/17690-anti-lgbtq-veep-just-can-t-stop-talking-about-mayor-pete)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/archive/15316-news-pulse-corrupt-system-reason-for-not-voting-in-2018-majority-wants-more-than-two-parties)### [NEWS PULSE: ‘Corrupt System’ Reason for Not Voting in 2018 … Majority Wants More Than Two Parties](https://mail.citywatchla.com/archive/15316-news-pulse-corrupt-system-reason-for-not-voting-in-2018-majority-wants-more-than-two-parties)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/archive/10245-dead-dog-set-on-fire-sparks-fears-for-strays-in-los-angeles)### [Dead Dog Set on Fire … Sparks Fears for Strays in Los Angeles](https://mail.citywatchla.com/archive/10245-dead-dog-set-on-fire-sparks-fears-for-strays-in-los-angeles)