Lemon has since gone into full damage-control mode. He has stated that the ballplayer was fully aware the column was going to be published and was highly supportive. And he seemed to back off a little in wanting the jock to come out. Unfortunately, Lemon is never called on this rather absurd claim. While it might be tough for a gay male professional athlete of a team sport to come out, it's hard to imagine assault with a deadly weapon being a legitimate fear.
Children take weapons to school.
Gay men and women are beaten and assaulted for no other reason than that every day. They compare the situation to Jackie Robinson, but what they forget is that Jackie Robinson was a legitimate star, a person whose talent was so great that a team was willing to deal with what both he and management knew would be a truly hideous time. But the racial abuse didn't stop. The abuse reached new heights when Philadelphia manager Ben Chapman led a barrage of foul language that continued for a three-game series. And that's the other team, the ones who had relatively little opportunity to do anything.