What Is Okay and Not Okay to Say in Public in America

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What Is Okay and Not Okay to Say in Public in America

Jason Collins is America’s new hero. This week the 7-foot nba center announced that he is homosexual, becoming the first athlete in a major American sport to do so.

Collins is being broadly praised for his courage. The press hailed his declaration as groundbreaking, epic, a historic milestone. The day the news broke, with the cover story of the newest Sports Illustrated issue, he received messages of encouragement from former coaches and nba players around the league, as well as the nba commissioner. He got phone calls from Oprah and President Obama. Public personalities were practically tripping over each other in expressing their enthusiasm. It seems America couldn’t be more excited.

If courage is the word for his stepping up to receive this virtually unanimous public ovation, what word can we use to describe espn’s Chris Broussard’s response? This was in the middle of a special one-hour program celebrating Collins’s announcement:

I’d call that courage.

Openly professing homosexuality makes someone a hero in America today. But openly professing belief in the Bible—even its labeling of homosexuality as sin? This is the real minority position.

Predictably, Broussard took flack for the comment. espn issued an apology and emphasized that the network “is fully committed to diversity and welcomes Jason Collins’ announcement.”

So espn is now officially, publicly pro-homosexual. So is the nba. Not to mention the federal government. If you believe the Bible, you are to keep your mouth shut. Your opinion is not welcome in public discussion. If you express it, this is going to require an apology.

The mass pressure to embrace homosexuality has never been so fierce. As I wrote last month, this is “the new mainstream.” If you don’t agree, you’d better have some courage.