In his recent hit single, Ronnie Dunn, formerly of Brooks and Dunn, arguably the greatest duo in country music history, sums up the human race in four words:  We all bleed red.  
Dunn’s song came to mind while reading some of the commentary following Sheryl Swoopes’ recent announcement.  For those who aren’t familiar with Swoopes, she’s often referred to as the female Michael Jordan.  She was the first player to sign with the WNBA when it was created in 1996.  She won four straight WNBA championships with the Houston Comets from 1997-2000 and is a three-time league MVP.  Swoopes also won three Olympic Gold Medals along with an NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship at Texas Tech in 1993.  She still holds a number of Tech and NCAA records.
Swoopes recently announced that she was engaged – to a man.  The news set the media and Twitter worlds abuzz, with many people questioning her sexual orientation.  Why?  In 2005, Swoopes became the second openly gay player in the WNBA when she “came out” in an interview with ESPN The Magazine.  In the magazine article, Swoopes said she was a lesbian and had been in a relationship with her partner for the previous eight years.   
There’s more.  In college, Swoopes got married, had a son, and then divorced her husband in 1999.  While her admission that she was a lesbian came as a shock to some, it didn’t seem to have an effect on Swoopes’ WNBA career.  Swoopes’ Comets coach, Van Chancellor, told ESPN The Magazine, “What she (Swoopes) does in her personal life is her own decision.  I respect everything about Sheryl.”  WNBA President Donna Orender was even more emphatic.  In a statement released to the media, Orender said, “Sheryl’s lifestyle is a non-issue for us.”
Swoopes’ latest announcement initiated heated debates among those with too much time on their hands.  The most frequently asked questions were: Is she straight?  Is she no longer a lesbian?  Is she bisexual?  The real questions should be:  Why should we care and why does it matter?
Sexual orientation in sports has been a topic of discussion for decades, prompted in part by the increased participation of women in athletics since the passage of Title IX in 1972.  For a variety of reasons, some unfounded, others irrational, a certain segment of the population assumes that all female athletes are lesbians until proven otherwise.  
The reverse is true in men’s sports, even though the reality is quite different.  Male athletes have come out – John Amaechi in the NBA, Billy Bean in MLB, among others – but not until after their playing careers were over.  That will change, and when it does, the reaction will dwarf the response to Swoopes’ recent engagement, mostly for the wrong reasons.         
For the record, I am not a member of or affiliated with any GLBT group or organization.  Nor do I have an agenda.  However, I firmly believe an athlete’s sexual orientation is nobody’s business except their own.  In her coming out interview, Swoopes said that “sexuality and gender don’t change anyone’s performance on the court.”  She’s right.  The measure of an athlete should be their performance on the field of play, not what they do in their personal lives or boudoir.  If fans are opposed to an athlete’s lifestyle off the court, they have recourse through their wallets and pocketbooks.
Swoopes’ situation is reminiscent of Billy Jean King 30 year ago.  Not a bad comparison, considering King has been a champion for equality and a role model for women.   
When she came out, Swoopes was asked by the Advocate if she considered herself lesbian or bisexual.  “I just consider myself a person,” she said.  What Swoopes said in 2005 is still true today.  She is the same person and same basketball player today – engaged to a man – as she was during her lesbian relationship, and as she was during her first marriage.  
Ronnie Dunn would certainly agree.  I enjoy country music, but that’s not the only reason I embrace Dunn’s song.  His words are simple yet powerful, and his message eternal:  We all bleed red.  

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