Robert Griffin III (RGIII), a black quarterback who’s had a far more successful season with the Redskins than Tebow’s had with the Jets, trailed at 34%.
(with 83% awareness from the public), with retired white quarterback Kurt Warner a distant second at 59%.
Ben carson gay pride meme professional#
Tim Tebow is an example of how the public face of Christian athletes, like the public face of American Christianity in general, is overwhelmingly white-despite the fact that black Americans are the racial demographic most likely to identify as “very religious.” A recent Barna poll found that Tebow is by far the most well-known Christian professional athlete in the U.S. But the glossing over of his faith since his announcement is striking, especially given that the faith of black athletes often flies under the radar of both the media and the religious right. Given his low profile before coming out, it’s no surprise that Collins’ faith wasn’t a matter of public knowledge or discussion before this week. He discusses his faith and belief in acceptance in the same breath as he does his “close-knit” and supportive family, the Civil Rights Movement, and his “ being an African American and the hardships of the past that still resonate today.” Collins’ statement of faith, like his coming out generally, is grounded in his black identity, community, and history. Collins makes the point, however, that his religious upbringing is just as integral to his identity as his race and sexuality. And I’m gay”-allude to the inseparability of blackness from sexuality in a culture that often expects black gay, lesbian, and bisexual people to choose one identity over the other. In his behind-the-scenes profile of how Collins’ historic interview came together, Jon Wertheim writes that the “deeply religious” Collins found spiritual validation for his plans to come out in a “daily prayer manual” that was a gift from his grandmother-specifically a passage he read just days before his announcement:Ĭollins’ now famous opening lines-“I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. He credits “the teachings of Jesus… particularly the ones that touch on tolerance and understanding,” for helping him to accept others (and ultimately himself) unconditionally. Collins’ faith hasn’t gotten the attention that his race has-apart from ESPN’s attention-grabbing decision to put Chris Broussard, a sports journalist with known, religiously-motivated homophobic views, on air to directly question him about his personal opinion of Collins’ Christian witness-in the process playing into popular narratives about black homophobia.Īs Peter Montgomery notes here on RD, Collins pointedly mentions that his parents “instilled Christian values” in him. Where Tebow’s religiosity has been endlessly analyzed by the media and championed by the white religious right, the centrality of Collins’ Christianity and faith community in his decision to come out has been ignored. Collins, on the other hand, is a career role player who keeps his head down on the court and his devout Christian faith, rooted in family and community identity, private. He’s positioned himself as an all-American poster child for the pro-life movement and homophobic groups like Focus on the Family. Tebow is known for game-saving theatrics and an equally performative profession of faith politicized by the culture wars.
In ironic timing, news almost immediately followed that Jason Collins, a veteran center in the NBA, had become the first active male athlete in a major American team sport to come out as gay.Ĭollins and Tebow are a study in contrasts, perhaps especially when it comes to their faith.
On April 29, the New York Jets released quarterback Tim Tebow from their roster after only a year on a team. This article originally appeared on Religion Dispatches.