Story Of Gay Lacrosse Player Inspires Other Gays To Play Lacrosse

HANOVER , NH --The story of gay lacrosse player Andrew Goldstein is one of courage and perseverance. His bravery in the face of adversity has been an inspiration to the gay community. Now, all over the nation, homosexual men are doing something they never dreamed of doing: playing lacrosse.

“Wow, I never realized what a cool sport lacrosse is,” said homosexual Jay Severin, 42, of Boston , Mass. “The fast paced action, the skill, the excitement—it’s everything a sport should be. Andrew Goldstein is an inspiration to us all. Thank you, ESPN, for that enlightening profile.”

The ESPN piece aired on Sportscenter last week and highlighted Goldstein’s decision to come out of the closet and declare his homosexuality to the world. The moving, compassionate segment also showed what a cool and fun sport lacrosse is. Now gays all over America want to emulate Goldstein and become a lacrosse goalie.

“I never thought I would be playing lacrosse. I just didn’t think I would have the courage to do it,” said Vic Forrester, 30, of Ames , IA. “But then when I saw Andrew Goldstein—‘Goldie’—out there on the field with his teammates playing the game he loves, I thought ‘Why not me?’ I was really touched by the camaraderie he had with his teammates, too. I hope he realizes what a big impact he is making on the gay community. He’s like a cult hero now. Gays are no longer afraid to play the sport of lacrosse.”

Goldstein is not just any lacrosse player. He is an outstanding player, shattering the long held myth that gays can’t play the sport. He even scored a goal, which is rare for a lacrosse goalie, let alone a homosexual one.

“Andrew is just a helluva player,” said Raymond McCullough, Goldstein’s teammate at Dartmouth . “I mean, he’s really good. One day he told us all he was gay and we were like ‘Oh OK, that’s cool.’ Then these guys from ESPN came around and started acting like it was a big deal. But it’s not. We totally accept the guy. The fact that he’s on the team and he’s really good didn’t hurt. If he wasn’t, we probably would’ve beaten the shit out of him.”

ESPN’s Greg Garber, who interviewed Goldstein for the groundbreaking story, was struck by his positive attitude as well as his athleticism.

“When I first met Andrew, I really didn’t know what to expect,” said Garber. “But what struck me the most was the fact that he had such a great attitude about being a homosexual athlete. The fact that he had this horrible, freakish disorder and was so completely different than everyone else didn’t even seem to bother him. We really tried to capture that in our presentation. That’s why we had all those dramatic shots of him standing alone on the field, a solitary figure, alone in his gayness. It was so moving. I think we really got our message across that being gay is like having some kind of exotic disease.”

Garber said he hoped Goldstein’s story would open the door for other athletes who are living their lives in the closet.

“You know, if I had one wish, it would be that gays would see that piece and have the courage to come out by themselves,” he said. “It’s a shame that it’s so rare to have an athlete step up and admit that he likes the company of men. And the fact that he [Goldstein] plays lacrosse just drives home the fact that it’s a pretty gay sport.”

Now that Goldstein is out of the closet, he is looking forward to using his status as the world’s only publicly gay male lacrosse goalie from an Ivy League school to make the world a better, more tolerant place.

It feels great to finally be out of the closet and not have to live a lie anymore,” said Goldstein. “And I’m happy that my teammates accept me for who I am. And if I can be an inspiration to other gays in the process that’s just a bonus. I just hope they are inspired to come out of the closet, and not just to play lacrosse. It’s a great sport, but I think the point of the whole segment was to, you know, show how courageous I am and stuff. That, and to show the world that gay people are abnormal and should be treated as such. Thanks ESPN.”