i have always wondered,why do we need to know they’re gay? why is there a need to tell everyone about their sex life?

Cheryl,

Nicely done. You presented both sides of the issue and also acknowledged the possibility of a gay driver currently that is not known about. Personally, the Old Testiment is very clear on this issue and in my opinion, that is that. I believe that the male/female interface is tenuous—and is supposed to be, and the gay lifestyle is what is perceived as an easy way out—but is anything but. It should be noted that forgiveness is always available upon repentance. Always. That said, it is a performance and marketing driven sport. I do not believe that you will see an openly gay driver in the field any time soon.

Kudos to you for having the bravery to field such an issue.

Jay Staton

Concur with Stardog.

I could completely care less about what someone is doing privately. How about we use driving talent as a way of getting new drivers, and not their perceived disabilities.

I can hear it now, “Adam Bruce, driving the “Depends” Volkswagen, is racing hard down the straightaway, holding off all comers as he streaks to victory! By the way, Benny, did you know Adam is the first openly gay driver?”

Benny: “NASCAR sure is doing its job to show how diverse we are. Let’s celebrate by talking about Adam’s partner, waiting in the pits.”

Way too much info. Way too much “Engineering”.

Please stop the recuiting. I am sick of have homosexual life style shoved down my thoat every where.

I agree with the first response by stardog. The whole “coming out of the closet” thing is just selfish to me. It is not that people are going to change their lives per se, but it seems the only people that need to be sensitive to other peoples feelings are the ones who have the closet thrust open in their face. Any one who disagrees is a “Bad” person or a “redneck” or a “bigot”. A person is not deemed equal if they believe that homosexuality is a mental illness. They have to accept it like apple pie and baseball or they are demonized in the work place, in the media, at universities, etc. This is perversion and bigotry at its finest. I for one feel it is an illness and I do not go on Oprah, jump on a couch and get excited over this stuff. To me, leave your laundry where it belongs. I don’t want to know and definitely do not need to be strapped to a gurney, mouth pried open and feed this sandwich because someone feels the “need” to let me know. Leave me be. Don’t steal teh race forum for your own purposes. It robs a lot of patrons an issue free day of fun with their families and turns it into a circus.

Re: Stardog…

Well said, my feelings exactly. The media doesn’t stick a mic in the face of a straight driver expecting to hear him say “so the wife and I got a little somethin’ somethin’ last night!” To do so would be tacky, classless and frankly, nobody’s business. So why should someone who’s gay feel inclined to do the same?

Amen stardog…...quit wasting time on this crap

Cheryl, I’m sure you’re a nice girl. But this article is simply politically correct pablum. It doesn’t need to be said.

Let’s talk about female drivers. Let’s talk about female drivers who happen to be prostitutes. How would they be accepted? It’s just as likely a scenario.

You need to be writing for a woman’s magazine. Or somewhere your PC hypotheticals would have meaning.

Geez!!

I don’t believe the racing world is ready for openly gay drivers nor the sponsers are ready for the controversy. Everywhere you turn the minority are forcing this immoral lifestyle on the majority. The reason for racing is entertainment not gay politics.

How a person chooses to live his or her life is up to that individual. I would no more decide to follow an athlete (in this case a driver) because he or she was gay than I would abandon one for the same reason. I am drawn to talent, the drive to succeed, a person of honesty, integrity and passion. By the way, in my mind integrity and lifestyle are not tied together.

As to the statement “Please stop the recruiting. I am sick of have homosexual life style shoved down my throat every where.” I did not see your article as that at all! Rather it was a thought provoking way to look at ourselves and face our own bias. If a driver (or team owner) is a traditional “good ‘ol boy” and has the “acceptable” life experiences and vices, such as drinking and womanizing, is that MORE acceptable than a gay man or woman being able to lead their life without fear that their lifestyle will prevent them from the support of fans, sponsors and the powers that be within NASCAR?

All of that said, unfortunately NASCAR itself is not ready to embrace this mind set. If they were heading in the right direction, it would not be such a big deal that Bill Lester is working to find his place in the highest ranks of the stock car race world. The attitude is similar when it comes to women in the sport. I would like to think that the fans are diverse, educated and open minded enough to accept a talented driver no matter who they choose to spend their time with. As for the sponsors, I would absolutely support the sponsor who would take this path no matter who they choose as their driver – I’d be more impressed that they had the good business sense and the faith in a drivers ability that whether they were straight or gay was not an issue.

Cheryl;

There’s no reason to even bring a subject like this up, unless you have an agenda to promote the acceptance of homosexuals by NASCAR and its fans. After reading Cheryl Walker’s piece, I’d say she has a pro-deviancy agenda. She evens uses the tired analogy that acceptance of gays is equivalent to the civil rights struggle American blacks went through by using a reference to segregated bathrooms. If I were black, I wouldn’t appreciate some gay loving liberal equating the civil rights struggle to a filthy lifestyle choice.

So to answer the question posed by Walker of gays being accepted in the world of NASCAR, the answer is a big NO.

NASCAR is a family sport. Its fan base is predominately conservative and goes to church. I love this sport because God, our nation, and our soldiers are openly praised. Unlike other sports, NASCAR isn’t rife with drugs and criminality. NASCAR is one of the few entertainment venues left in America where I can enjoy some good racing without being bombarded by the filth that has become commonplace in everyday America. NASCAR is a place where I can watch a race with my 11 year old nephew and not have to worry about him being subjected to something inappropriate. NASCAR is my few hours of escape each week from the politically correct nonsense we all have to deal with throughout our week leading up to race day. Cheryl Walker and others need to keep their advocacy for homosexuals out of NASCAR. Is it too much to ask for people like this to go promote the filthy, bathhouse lifestyle somewhere else?

One last question we should all be asking ourselves is why gays and people like Cheryl are targeting our national institutions like the military, the Boy Scouts, and NASCAR to gain acceptance for a sickening perversion? I think something bigger is afoot. There’s an agenda to destroy this nation’s decency, morality and social fabric.

Thank you Chris for giving me the opportunity to say that I am a Christian.

If you noticed, my article leaned neither way. I did not express my personal thoughts.

I am trying to take a proactive stand, and broach the subject before it becomes an issue. That beats acting REactively when the issue is at hand, and you haven’t even thought about it.

If you truly believe this will never happen in the world of NASCAR, then I think you are in for a surprise someday.

And the purpose of your article is??????

Hi Frank. As I just stated to Chris, it’s better to try to hash it out now, then stand there with jaws gaping when it happens.

Not if.

To reiterate, I have no agenda but to broach the subject. If just broaching the subject causes some to get so excited, just imagine what it will be like when it happens.

Not if.

Thank you for addressing this issue! With all of the diversity initiatives going on in NASCAR as of late, with African-Americans and women, among many others, I was wondering when (and if) the subject of homosexual race drivers was going to come up. Unfortunately, NASCAR remains a sport that harbors many conservatives (and also prejudice, which may or may not be held by said conservatives), and I’m afraid that a gay driver will be the last person accepted into the sport.

It’s upsetting. NASCAR is my favorite sport and I care about it expanding to be enjoyed by everyone, but there are so many ignorant folks who just can’t accept that people are who they are: black, female, gay, whatever. It’s appalling that such a “Christian” group of people as the NASCAR Nation cannot accept that some people are attracted to those of the same gender and continue to degrade them and say they have some kind of “agenda.” They just want to be live life and not be persecuted by everyone! Greg Biffle has Nicole Lunders on his pit box all the time, and Kurt Busch licks his wife’s face in Victory Lane—-what’s the big deal if Racer McGayman wants to bring his boyfriend to the race for support? GET OVER YOURSELVES. PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE. And they can all race NASCAR if they want to.

I’ve read with great interest the story and the replies. I can understand people’s religious beliefs and everyone is entitled to an opinion. My question is, is the opinion based upon fear and or ignorance?

Very often it’s the public’s fear, ignorance and misconception of the homosexual community that forces people to remain quiet about their preference. And then there are some who feel it isn’t anyone’s business. Regardless, what does any of it have to do with the person’s ability to drive a race car or to participate in any forum (music, sports, etc).

To ask if NASCAR is ready for a gay driver is akin to asking if any other sport should have become diversified.

Let people be – gay, straight or bi. Does it matter?

What is this. The percentage of population is so low and so unlikly to occur. BUT!!! You think Kurt Busch gets boo,d. Talk about getting unhinged. I think the money would go away. Look at what just happened to FORD. The backlash would be huge. I have watched with my children for years. And as much as I love the sport. I would have to make the decision to never watch again. Kevin

Having read the article, it throws me back to the time of Tim Richmond. NASCAR did not like the fact that Tim had AIDS. Even to the point of letting others in NASCAR know if they went to him they would have a hard time getting a car through tech and into the race. I for one am sick and tired of NASCAR making robots of our drivers. Lord help them if anyone says the wrong thing, either in print or live media. Give me back the days of drivers truly being themselves.

What is it with pop culture,and the obsession with gays???

People who pretend that bigotry and hate are “American” or “Christian” values are disgusting. The “filthy lifestyle” comments are far more reflective of [their] imagination (and desires?) than reality.

Frankly, if someone can race and can convince a sponsor that they make a good face for their product, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be out there. In all probability, they already have been.

To those of you who automatically reach for the “we’re being persecuted” or “you’re violating our rights” pablum on this issue, you are missing the point well stated here by several: we’re not persecuting; we’re not taking your rights away. We are saying keep your sex life out of Nascar. Why does gayness always have to be on the front page? There IS an agenda going on here, you’d be blind to miss it.

As a gay nascar fan….What does sexual preference have to do with racing. Let’s get back to discussing what is important, racing.

Wow! I even called XM radio’s Claire B. Lang and asked this same question. I was nearly shunned and taken off the air. Why did I call? I am a young 24 year old who raced in the SCCA national series and was ranked in the top 25 in the country. NASCAR is my ultimate goal and I see auto racing as an opportunity to be a positive role model, whether it be gay, straight, purple, pink, or two-headed. The problem I faced, and still do is financing a racing career. At the end of my National Series run I graduated college and had to choose to chase racing or a career. The career was my choice, it was safer, but racing is and always will be my passion. I am confident that given the chance I can and will be the positive role model for all young gay men, and I can show the world how wrong most stereotypes are. I haven’t raced in a couple years, but know I have the talent, star factor, and drive to do it. I am currently seeking sponsors, and trying to find a gay owned company to join my endeavors. Thank you so much for writing this article.

For those asking the question of what does being gay have to do with racing…if you are gay and a race car driver, being gay is part of racing. I don’t expect to make NASCAR my soapbox when I make it, just another role model to let those who struggle with the stereotypes know that they aren’t alone and that there is someone to look up to.

Cheryl, I have to take issue with this statement if your original article: “NASCAR is an American business, so they will be expected to treat each of their employees or prospective employees equally, with no preference of one person over another. If a gay driver wanted in, legally the door must be opened.” First: NASCAR does not employ race car drivers. Individual teams employ drivers. Second, and much more important: nothing in federal employment law bars discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. It is perfectly legal to fire a person for being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Only a few states and communities have laws protecting non-heterosexuals from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. It is a common perception among fair minded Americans that, of course, you can’t fire a person for being gay, but you can. The federal government does it all the time: get found out in the military and you’re out.

I was surprised at the hostility I received in some of the messages here and in emails.

Anyway, it looks like someone is knocking on the door. Please read the article, ‘NASCAR Gets First Openly Gay Driver’ at this link: http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ci=108&ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=features&sc3=&id=4354