49ers Cornerback Chris Culliver: Gays are not welcome in the locker room

A player for the Super Bowl-bound San Francisco 49ers gave a controversial, anti-gay interview just days ahead of the NFL's championship game. Speaking with shock jock Artie Lange, cornerback Chris Culliver said he's not OK with gay players in the NFL or on his team. "I don't do the gay guys man," Culliver said, according to Yahoo. "I don't do that. No, we don't got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do." Culliver went on to say that gays would not be welcomed in the locker room, but if they remained closeted, he might be all right with them playing. "Yeah, come out 10 years later," he said. "How progressive!," Deadspin's Tom Ley quipped, noting that the "interview came to a hurried conclusion at that point." The question of whether or not gay players would be accepted in professional sports has been in the news lately, as some media professionals speculated whether or not Notre Dame player Manti Te'o's fake girlfriend was a cover for his sexuality. Te'o has since turned down the gay rumors, but the scandal re-opened the conversation about sexual orientation in the National Football League. Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis said it's likely he played with gay players during his career, although none of them were fully out. "Because [the sport] is so testosterone driven, it’d be really, really difficult for a gay player to really stand up and say, ‘Hey, I’m gay and an NFL football player,'" Bettis told HuffPost Live. "And you don't know how the teams are going to respond to that as well." But at the same time, he said, as long as they perform well on the field, he wouldn't have a problem with openly gay teammates. Another former NFL player, Wade Davis, told the Daily Beast that he personally knows of several gay players currently in the NFL, although none of them have come out due to a continuing stigma in the league. Culliver's comments, meanwhile, contrast strongly with those of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo, who has been an outspoken advocate for gay marriage and LGBT equality. Ayanbadejo said he plans to use the Super Bowl as a platform to talk about same-sex marriage. The 49ers will face off against the Baltimore Ravens in New Orleans on Sunday, Feb. 3. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. EST. Update at 6:26pm ET on January 30: NBC Sports reports that the San Francisco 49ers responded to Culliver's comments with the following statement: “The San Francisco 49ers reject the comments that were made yesterday, and have addressed the matter with Chris. There is no place for discrimination within our organization at any level. We have and always will proudly support the LGBT community.”

• What a piece of shit.

• link:

  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/30/chris-culliver-49ers-cornerback-gay-players-not-welcome-in-nfl_n_2584762.html

• Please don't let him be...damn.

• I'm a S.F. fan, but I truly hope somebody knocks Chris Culliver in his junk on national TV. Hard. Hard enough to make him squeal.

  NOT%20MY%20FATHER%27S%2049ERS

• Go Ravens!

• Won't this cause a huge controversy in San Francisco... Where he actually lives and works? What a moron.

• Sadly, he echos the feelings of a lot of straight black guys.

• City of San Francisco: Chris Culliver is not welcome in our team's locker room.

• I'm rooting for the Ravens anyway. For one thing the 49's have 5 rings and are tied with my team the Dallas Cowboys in second place, behind the Steelers, for most Superbowl wins. We can't have them win a 6th Superbowl.

  obsessed%20gay%20sports%20nut

• Nuthin' but ignorant nigga trash: Culliver had a difficult start in life. His mother, although she would eventually graduate from Temple University, was single and only 16 years old when he was born. Culliver has a brother four years his junior and twin siblings, a boy and a girl, who are eight years younger. In 1996, Culliver's stepfather and a cousin were shot to death, and his mother was wounded, in a Philadelphia bar fight.

• That first sentence was uncalled for, R10. FF for you. [quote]he echos the feelings of a lot of straight black guys. And a lot of straight white guys as well. Come out of that box you live in.

• And now the "apology" - which makes no sense at all: "The derogatory comments I made yesterday were a reflection of thoughts in my head, but they are not how I feel," Culliver said in a statement released by the 49ers on Wednesday night. "It has taken me seeing them in print to realize that they are hurtful and ugly. Those discriminating feelings are truly not in my heart. Further, I apologize to those who I have hurt and offended, and I pledge to learn and grow from this experience."

• But is he uncut?

  The%20Circumcission%20Troll

• Does he know what team he's playing for? SAN FRANCISCO?!? Jesus, what an idiot.

• [quote]But is he uncut? Hopefully he's cut...from the team! ba da dum.

• I personally know quite a number of gay NFL Players and Chris does too. C'mon dude.

• He does realize it makes him sound like a big closet case, doesn't he?

• It makes him sound like a big asshole, not a closet case!

  Anonymous%20

• I was thinking the same thing, r17.

• R17 the guy is just an ignorant homophobe. Why is it that everytime a straight guy has a problem with gay guys stupid queens call them closet cases?

  anonymous%20

• Would Chris Culliver appreciate white guys not allowing him in the locker room, because he was black? I really dislike hypocrites.

• Love this comment: "He says gays aren't welcome in the locker room, but he plays for SF. Gays have season tickets"

• Sheesh, did Chris ever go to school? "I don't do the gay guys man," Culliver said, according to Yahoo. "I don't do that. No, we don't got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do."

• [quote]Why is it that everytime a straight guy has a problem with gay guys stupid queens call them closet cases? Because.

• [quote]Why is it that everytime a straight guy has a problem with gay guys stupid queens call them closet cases? Because: "The lady doth protest too much, methinks."

• Chris Cullliver is a big ol' Queen on the Down Low.

• It was very cool of their publicist to release those statements. I don't believe for one minute he didn't say what he really feels. And r7 I know you're trying to be provocative, but don't try to pull it; last time I checked Tank Carder is not a "straight Black guy".

  BITCH

• It's so strange how the racist infected queens here constantly want to pin homophobia on black people yet it's the predominantly white Republican party that is the most homophobic.

• I'm just pinning really bad English language skills on black people. OOFA

• I guess he would be against the Niners drafting Manti then.

• He's a piece of shit, but if that apology is sincere, I'd accept it.

• He seriously needs English lessons.

• Truthfully SF isn't as gay as it used to be. I think the highlight of a lot of gays in SF was late 70's early 80's. It's way too expensive & not worth moving there.

• Artie Lange conducting an interview with a homophobe?!? I can't believe it.

• Um... he looks like he smelled a bakery full of cookies.

  http://sitracking.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/chris-culliver.jpg

  Chris%20Culliver%2C%20gay%20face%20for%20days

• Right there with you, R9. Stupid idiot must have forgotten where, exactly he lives and works. What a dumbfuck. Go Ravens!!

• R20, this is for you.

  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/opinion/sunday/homophobic-maybe-youre-gay.html%3F_r%3D0

• Oh, and this too, R20.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Licensed_to_Kill_%281997_film%29

• Former SF offensive lineman Kwame Harris who was recently outed due to being charged with domestic violence against his ex boyfriend, now calls out Chris Culliver. "“It’s surprising that in 2013 Chris Culliver would use his 15 minutes to spread vitriol and hate,” Harris told NBC Bay Area. “I recognize that these are comments that he may come to regret and that he may come to see that gay people are not so different than straight people.”

  http://larrybrownsports.com/football/kwame-harris-chris-culliver/172744

• R7 Please tell me you are trollin'

• [quote] It's so strange how the racist infected queens here constantly want to pin homophobia on black people yet it's the predominantly white Republican party that is the most homophobic. Fuck off, prick. Anyone who generalizes an entire group of people DESERVES to be generalized right back. Enough passivity, sometimes you have to get dirty right back. His bigoted behavior stamps him as cheap black trash.

• Hypocritical much, R41?

• Overkill. He said something stupid and mean, the public reacted, the 49ers denounced him, and Culliver recanted and apologized. It's over. Stop wanting a pound of flesh over peoples' mere comments. Stop acting like you need other people to validate you. Stop making gay people look like they are trying to tangibly punish everyone who disagrees with homosexuality. Be gracious, loving, and healing, like MLK. Learn how to forgive and move on.

• OK, San Francisco Ticket Holders, show this man who pays his bills!!!

• Everything r43 says is true. Still -- what's all that gym time worth if you can't track this asshole down and give him some direct gay reaction. We won't be free until we bash back instead of waiting for authority figures to take our side.

• He does realize he's in SF, right?

• Why is there any mention of his race? It's not germane--there are plenty of white NFL players who would say the same, and with grammar just as bad.

• I disagree R43 This is not about a pound of flesh, this is about having a healthy work environment. No one really cares what this idiot really feels about homosexuality. But his saying that he won't work with someone who's gay--that's workplace discrimination. It's like saying I won't work with blacks, latinos, muslims etc. and he can't get away with that. He really should be suspended from the super bowl game. I'm sure this apology was totally insincere as well as it sounded just slightly less illiterate than his original comment. I'm sure someone else drafted his non apologetic apology.

• I think the same standard should be applied to athletes as it is to everyone else: Closet Case.

• OMG saw a picture oh him for the first time yesterday, Gay face much?

• Go Ravens!

• OK, not welcome in the locker room ... but how about your bedroom, Chrissie?

• "The derogatory comments I made yesterday were a reflection of thoughts in my head, but they are not how I feel," He really is a dolt, isn't he?

• He sounds like a tool, but it's not that different from having mixed sex locker rooms.

• [quote]we don't got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do." ***stage whisper***: "I think he's black!"

• R54 is as dumb as Chris Culliver.

• R55 is too.

• The SF gays need to step up their criticism of the 49er bosses.

• Baltimore Ravens win Super Bowl, defeating San Francisco 49ers, 34-31

• You know what else isn't allowed in the 49ers locker room? WINNERS!

  Seth Meyers

• So glad the fucking homophobes lost.

• Thanks, Seth. Let's hope the losers lose Culliver from their roster.

• In light of inflammatory remarks he made about homosexuality, San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver will undergo sensitivity training and education following Sunday's Super Bowl, according to the Associated Press. Culliver will be working with a group called "The Trevor Project," which aids the LGBT community in crisis and suicide prevention.

• R63 It's nothing more than a PR image fix. People can change their views, but not after only a few days. If nobody had called him out on it, he would've never thought twice about it. Glad his team lost. Karma's a bitch.

• bump

• He pretty much jinked his team.

• [quote]bump WTF are you bumping a currently active thread for???

• Lauren McGinnis, communications director for the Trevor Project, said in a statement: "We really feel that education about LGBT youth and the challenges they face is a great way to get (Chris) started on the right path, especially since he's a role model and there are kids all over the country with his poster on their wall, his jersey - his fans that take his words and actions to heart."

  Barfing as I type

• [quote]WTF are you bumping a currently active thread for??? Because I can if I so choose.

  deal%20with%20it%2C%20honey

• Why aren't the gays in SF making more noise about this? Do they really think this jackass gave a heartfelt apology? Do they honestly think Culliver makes up for his nationally publicized hate by going to a Trevor Project for a few hours?

• A couple of gay players might have enabled them to win the game, but NO, they aren't welcome. Glad this loser lost. Fuck him

• A few hours at a Trevor Project don't make up for the hate he spread with his comments.

• #ChrisCulliverLOSER Tweet it now!

• Most smart gay people don't look up to a roided-up jock as a role model.

• He's in the wrong city..

• [quote]He's in the wrong city.. There's something wrong with the city if they're going to let this hate-monger get away with a tiny slap on the wrist.

• I see the Pink Fairie Wiccans have been successful in their curse against the 49ers. congrats! I also liked how you made the stadium lights go dark--nice touch.

• [quote]He sounds like a tool, but it's not that different from having mixed sex locker rooms A locker room with all dicks isn't "that different" from a locker room with dicks and pussies? Uh, ok.

• r64 & r72, that may be true but if minds are to be changed, you have to start somewhere. And the best way to change a mind is by getting them to understand how others feel, not by harsh punishment that drives them to deeper resentment.

• I know voodoo and it works.

• Some here need to see the bigger picture. People power is in play here, and Chris Culliver has been TRASHED in the media, on twitter and people I know who had never heard of the guy were talking about and clowning him. He was roundly and sharply criticized and that's honestly the way we're going to win this fight. People power. Having people behind us, straight people, straight allies, who say "NO" when someone does something homophobic. That's how you change minds. That, and, of course, understanding, education and overall awareness; building a bridge. Blaming this on he being black, saying he should have kept his mouth shut, giving him a symbolic suspension, wouldn't change anything. You have to make someone take accountability for what they do and hopefully they do so and realize what they did wrong and attempt to do better in the future.

  Francis

• R81, gay men who stand up and say "no" is how you win. Not straight people. It doesn't matter if gay people are accepted or not. The government needs to step in and do what what's ethical, moral, and right. Society may not like it, but they'll get used to it. Just like how it was for African-Americans. I don't need validation, permission, or approval to live my life freely in America. It should just be that way in this country. That's why the government needs to step in.

• I don't need anyone fighting my battles, R81. Gay people fight their own battles. Well, a lot do anyway.

• Of course, obviously, we have to fight our own battle first and foremost, it's #1 priority that gay people fight for ourselves, that the gay community fights and asserts our place in the world. We need to have the integrity and self-respect to make it known we won't take shit sitting down and speak out whenever people denigrate our lives or hurt one of our own, as well as raise hell regarding LGBTQ youth in our schools being terrorized, and put pressure on legislators to enact equal. Honestly, this all to me goes without saying because if we don't fight for ourselves then how can we expect to make any progress. However..........we do need straight people too, maybe not as the front and center of this fight, but to be there as support, and to be there as an example. Those straight allies who put in check someone in their circle who makes hateful comments, or disassociates with an ignorant homophobe and says why. Straight people who set the example of someone who is empathetic, welcoming and understanding. They're almost as important in this fight. That makes us less easy to dismiss as simply a fringe group. Guys like Hudson Taylor and Patrick Burke have been amazing in fighting for equality in the world of athletics. Brendon Ayanbadejo and Chris Kluwe. Do they fight for us, or are the fighting with us? Anyone who is fighting with us and is genuine in wanting to see us succeed and progress should be welcomed with open arms. It's easy if you're an adult to say "I just want rights" or "I'll fight for myself" especially if you're an adult who doesn't have to fend for their lives on a daily basis. Tell that to 15 year old awkward gay kids in high school in rural Texas. Somewhere around 8-12 percent of society is LGBTQ and a huge amount of that 8-12 percent is closeted out of fear for their lives or confused in who and what they are. We need a bit of help.

  Francis

• [quote]if minds are to be changed, you have to start somewhere. That "if" is way too big in this case. It's possible that he could have enough smarts to fake a mind change, but why bother when there is also the possibility that as soon as he can no longer play football he'll become a gay basher again. We don't need this asshole on our side.

• Francis, Martin appreciates you. Let the Malcolm boys have their place, but ultimately it will be the Francis/Martin types who prevail.

• Losers!

• [R82] The problem here is the federal civil rights laws do not extend to sexual orientation. Some states provide that equality and others don't. As far as federal law is concerned you have no right to equal treatment under the law.

• What an ignorant statement R86 is.

• Then get out there and make change, Francis. Help out those LGBT homeless shelters, volunteer at AIDS units. Volunteer at at a gay-owned business. Be open and visible about who you are. That helps gay people more than any straight person ever could.

• R90, I'm not one of those talk the talk, don't walk the walk types, so your words are something that I don't take for granted........I'm not a computer activist. I actually feel guilty about having fun quite a bit when I know so many fellow gay people aren't as fortunate so I'm going to really pour everything I can for my community. Everything you said is right, and I've lived openly and honestly as gay since 16 years old, and never have felt any sense of shame in being gay, but I can't do it alone. None of us can do it alone. It takes all of us coming together to make change.

  Francis

• Well good for you then. Being openly gay is enough for me. Just keep doing your thing.

• [quote]we do need straight people too I agree, Francis, however we don't need straight bigots like Chris Culliver. I honestly don't think he'll change the opinion he expressed last week. He'll pretend to be a changed person just to keep the money rolling in, while still viewing gays the same as the Phelps clan views gays.

• Chris Culliver is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, he being pro or anti gay will not change the standing of our fight, but look at Tim Hardaway. The guy went from gay basher to speaking out for marriage equality. Change can happen. If a person seeks change, then that's a good thing. And it makes for a strong example of someone who went from a hater to a supporter, and is yet another example of a straight person who has grown up and better himself/herself. That's something that will further push anti-gay straights on the fringes. And given the amount of homophobia in sports, that's an incredibly important, at the very least, image that's released. That being anti-gay is wrong and change is possible. We don't need Chris Culliver but I'm not going to immediately castigate him, either. He has a gay uncle he's close to. He plays for a team with a large gay/pro-gay fanbase. We'll see what happens. Forgive but don't forget.

  Francis

• He doth protest too much! But he should have waited until after the Super Bowl. Instead, he sent out bad vibes, and they were returned to him and his team. This might help explain the erratic plays during the most critical part of the game!

  Anonymous

• You don't get it because you *are* ignorant, R89.

• If ignorance means I don't say the things you say R89 then I'm proudly ignorant.

• R96 not R89.

  R97

• Apparently, R97, which is a shame.

• You know, if only his apology meant something more than just the 49'ers knowing they have gay fans. I hope he actually can grow from the experience and try to educate himself, but that will take action, not an apology written by a public relations suit.

• Malcolm? Francis? What about Reese or Dewey? Or even Jamie?

  Hal & Lois

• He hated. They lost. Guess God wasn't pleased with your ravings, bitch.

• R102 = Ray Lewis. Hey Ray can we have a scripture quote or two this morning? DL is very fond of the scripture, you know.

• R103 ?????????

  R102

• Exactly, R104. ?????? is how I read your post at R102.

• Consider the source... it's just sour grapes because no one would give him a turn.How many baby mammas do dis foo have? Worse was watching the coaching staff and fellow players defend him. One guy said "he's a kid and had been talking to reporters for over an hour...he mis-spoke." Well, of course. Asking a black ball player to concentrate for more than a few minutes is asking for trouble.

• You deserve what you get, R106.

• [quote]He has a gay uncle he's close to. On his mother's side, I'm sure.

• He's just another back pedaling mouth breather

• he seems like a great dude