The Tribune has come a long way since the 1980s when it opposed Chicago’s gay rights ordinance, asserting that sexual orientation is “a lifestyle choice” whereas religious beliefs are “something a person is born with.”
In some respects, however, things have not changed. In vain I perused the sports section for information relating to the Gay Games. Did I read anything there about the world records set by participants? The level of love and support accorded them by 500,000 spectators? The stupendous logistical achievement of the organizers in planning and executing the event? In other words, anything similar to your coverage of the Winter Olympics in Norway?
Of course not. There was nary a word, except for a few brief comments elsewhere in the paper in articles that focused on New York’s annual gay rights rally.
For years, the Tribune portrayed sports figures like O.J. Simpson and Mike Tyson as larger than life-people I could look to as role models. As we now know, the reality is often very different from the illusion. Yet thousands of true role models, who are also fine athletes, put on a terrific show. To learn about it, I had to purchase the Windy City Times.
How can invidious stereotypes of gay persons ever be debunked if their achievements are ignored in the supposedly objective mainstream press?
