Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer

For a long time, too long, Sheryl Swoopes kept her secret,  and then it got to be overwhelming," writes Seattle Post-Intelligencer sports columnist Jim Moore. But then he gets to tell an inspiring story about an athlete -- something that sports writers do every day, but this the kind of story that too few sports writers have the opportunity to pen.

"In late October of 2005, the WNBA's best player broke the news to ESPN The Magazine, admitting she was gay."

As Moore points out, that's hardly the most significant thing about Sheryl Swoopes: "She won an NCAA title at Texas Tech, four WNBA titles, three WNBA MVP awards, three Olympic gold medals and, oh yeah, she's a lesbian. That always seems to come up, and Swoopes knows it's a story but can't wait for the day when it's not," Moore writes.

Swoopes is now a member of Seattle Storm, the WNBA team that was saved from a move out of town partly by the active support of its considerable lesbian fan base, and -- of course by the women who bought the team from its former Oklahoma-based owners.

"When I made the decision (to come out), it was the right time," Swoopes told Moore. "The timing was perfect. It was at a point when I was ready to be me, to live my life and not have to pretend anymore."

She told Moore that people have been supportive but the league has not been.

"That's probably been the most disappointing thing to me," Swoopes told the PI. "That's definitely the one thing that's hurt my feelings more than anything else."

Asked why, Swoopes said: "I really feel like since I've made that choice, it's like the league tolerated it, but probably would rather that it didn't happen. It's easier on them to avoid the issue and move on."

One of the Storm's new owners, Anne Levinson, sympathized with Swoopes but said the league has grown and is doing "a lot of things with marketing to acknowledge and respect the diversity of the fan base."

Levinson was proud of Swoopes when she made her announcement, Moore notes. And -- oh yeah -- the team's co-owner is a lesbian.

"It was a brave thing for her to do," Levinson said. "She has a son and was in a conservative part of the country. But she stood up and said: 'This is who I am.' "

Moore admits that the questions he asked Swoopes have been asked by dozens of other sports reporters, but they're questions that can't yet be asked of many professional athletes.

"People think female basketball players are all gay, all lesbians. Is it true? Absolutely not," Swoopes said to Moore. "It's a huge stereotype."

But still, there are a few others, but only two of them in the WNBA have ever come out. Asked why more haven't, Swoopes told Moore: "It's personal choice. It's not something you have to flaunt and say, 'Oh, I'm gay.' How many times have you heard someone say, 'I'm straight?' If you want to (say you're gay), go for it."

Full article: Sheryl Swoopes speaks from the soul