Gay men wrestling in san francisco
Why did he think homosexuals were agaisnt wrestling? So I can’t understand how he would think that any gay would not want wrestling in the Olympics. It sounds to me like something all my gay friends would want to watch, not have removed. What those Russian coaches said was really absurd, you’re talking about a sport where guys are very buff, not wearing much, rolling around on the mat getting sweaty. I think that there are people in wrestling that are homophobic, but they’re homophobic because they’re homophobes, not because they’re wrestlers. You mentioned sexuality being a non issue in wrestling, in light of some of the comments that the Russian Olympic coaches have said, blaming a homosexual conspiracy for the sport being removed from the games, do you think there is a stream of homophobia in wrestling outside of your community?
![gay men wrestling in san francisco gay men wrestling in san francisco](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6f130ca/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1944x1296+0+0/resize/840x560!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F05%2F7b%2F53d521af4cddbe8f345f967880bf%2Fla-photos-1staff-812415-sp-0801-tokyo-olympics12-wjs.jpg)
The clubs pull together a critical mass of athletes and provide a safe environment and that gives many the confidence to come out. I would say homophobia has become less of an issue in wrestling because of the existence of clubs like Golden Gate. They know what it is like to be underestimated.īut if homophobia is less of an issue in the wrestling community, why are there clubs like Golden Gate? They know what it is like to compete in a sport which few know or understand. I think all wrestlers are accustomed to being tested to their limits and realising value in everyone with whom they grapple. I noticed when I wrestled in school and college that no matter how psyched I was to dislike opponents, after wrestling them I always had to respect them. After I came out I never really noticed any differences in how they treated me. I don’t know because everyone I’ve always wrestled with has known I was gay so I can’t compare it to anything, I’ve been very fortunate throughout my life, I came out in 1982 when I was a wrestling coach in Alaska in six different high schools. It’s really important to have the conversation in there, and then the reality is once you’ve done that it becomes such a non-issue.ĭo straight people wrestle you differently if they know you’re gay? We don’t want somebody to be in a club and find out that people are not accepting. We need to put it out there, because we need to make sure the conversation occurs. Some place the fact that they’re gay right up front, where others you have to dig a little bit further. We've had this discussion many times with different clubs, because different clubs market themselves differently. There are still significant barriers to overcome. VICE: Do we still need “gay sports clubs,” is it naive to assume that in a modern world all clubs should be gay friendly? There is probably a fair amount of rooting among the bar crowd when a wrestler’s shorts start to ride low.We called up Roger Brigham, a coach at San Francisco's Golden Gate Wrestling Club to ask about the continued existence of gay sports clubs in an increasingly gay friendly world. But for the record, it is against the rules to grab the sensitive parts, or invade any “cavities” if you will, but if a wrestler loses his trunks on his own, he’s gotten himself disqualified. Oddly, ask a Turk about it and they are very blase about the whole thing, it’s their national sport, it’s just the way it has always been. Matches are also done to the pounding of the Ottoman drum. A lot of awkward positioning and posturing ensue. Due to the oil this is much harder than it seems.
![gay men wrestling in san francisco gay men wrestling in san francisco](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gYcY0WjqSOjvk7SxyHBusmK5_7w=/0x151:4786x3058/1200x800/filters:focal(2237x866:3001x1630)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68902340/1189251905.0.jpg)
Referees then pair off two men who proceed to wrestle under the hot summer sun for 30 to 40 minutes grappling with each other, both attempting to gain control of the other by forcing their hand through the others kispet. Next, douse them head to toe in olive oil before the games can begin.
![gay men wrestling in san francisco gay men wrestling in san francisco](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53fe950be4b0281e27988bb4/1521908848191-WVPE9KF8FMDIHRK0C2DQ/CJ.jpeg)
What makes this sport so eye catching? Perhaps the ‘300’ style gladiator specimens wrestling for a start.Īdd to that, the men are all wearing nothing but special leather britches known as ‘kispet’ and the appeal may start to grow. And that attention is coming from the guys of San Francisco’s gay scene. One particular sport has been getting some perhaps not so surprising attention these days in San Francisco.