Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

In 2011, we wrote an editorial for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: It’s time for the Steelers and other pro sports teams to confront the homophobia in their ranks. James Harrison provoked us. So we pivoted to working with The Pirates on their It Gets Better video and eventually Pride Night, slowly losing interest and connection with our hometown football team.

At some point, the good works of men like Charlie Batch, Jerome Bettis, and Cam Heyward can’t balance the scales, especially while so many – the majority – of the team, coaches, owners are just ‘neutral.’ Neutrality isn’t an option, gentlemen.

From that editorial:

Fines are levied. Apologies are issued over Twitter. Teammates band together. But it just doesn’t seem to sink in to these otherwise grown men that their choice of language is hurting people, especially kids.

These repeated fouls suggest there is a culture in professional male sports that condones animosity toward gays — to the point of holding them up as the ultimate way to demean someone’s manhood.

These sports figures are heroes to millions of people. And the message they send when they so carelessly use gay slurs is that it is OK for their fans to do the same thing.

While Roger Goodell probably won’t suffer for being labeled with a gay slur, can we say the same thing for the gay 14-year-old boy heading back to school in September?

Personally, I have no investment in the Steelers franchise. Go team, I guess. But mostly it seems like ‘omg team’ and then a big sigh.

Could Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers navigate three hours of trap coverage without losing his cool?

15 years later, I stumbled across the information – current QB Aaron Rodgers attacked and disparaged Anthony Fauci, calling him a coward and an absolute criminal for his work to save the United States from COVID-19.

When questioned about the stupidity and cruelty of Mr. Rodgers, the Steelers said

“Discussions around culture and politics can bring differing perspectives, and our players are entitled to their own personal views. With respect to that, I am certain there are a variety of opinions on many topics within our locker room,” Steelers Spokesman Burt Lauten said via email.

Over at OUTsports, Steeler fan and out gay man John Casey called out Aaron Rodgers for his indeceny and the hurt his words will cause for so many

Anthony Fauci has saved millions of LGBTQ and cishet lives around the world with his work around AIDS. The same is true of his work around COVID-19. And I’m sure many other accomplishments in his illustrious tenure in public health.

An 85-year-old man, a lifelong public servant under attack by the United States Senate, threatened with imprisonment protected himself, other public health officials and every American 111 times. 111 times they tried to hit him and he remained resolute. Dr. Fauci demonstrated courage, conviction, and composure for three hours. No guards, no tacklers, not even a running back.

It would be so easy to mock Aaron Rodgers for his greed, hypocrisy and ultimate disdain for his fans. He’s an arrogant fuck who has no constraints on his ego except financial. He used the Epstein scandal to take a swipe at Jimmy Kimmel.

That is so utterly disgusting. Why do the Steelers keep allowing this behavior? What is wrong with them as an organization?

What kind of man uses pedophilia to falsely attack anyone? He’s not a good man. He is retiring I understand and will probably flip to a lucrative career as a commentator where he’ll have a bigger microphone and bigger audience.

I’m writing him off.

My problem is with the Steelers organization. As always. They lack a disciplined roster of decent human beings who contribute to the community. The decent human beings are always the exception, never the rule.

I live .8 miles from the stadium, put up with deranged drunken fans during games, and generally am as Steeler-adjacent as I can get. What I’ve never seen in my 21 years here in Manchester on the Northside is a local initiative. Big sponsorships? Yes. I’ve never heard that any Steeler personnel, player or staff, volunteer with Manchester community football. That they deliver food to our local food pantry. That they do anything to offset the harm their fans bring specifically to Manchester, a predominantly Black neighborhood.

I would love if the team sent some clean-up crews into Manchester after a game. Or regularly set aside tickets for local residents to attend a game if they choose. Not showy rollout the famous player events, but actual investments.

At the end of the day Aaron Rodgers is just another jagoff shooting off his mouth without any actual facts. He’s hurt Pittsburgh and the nation, but he’ll never be held accountable. His derision of Dr. Fauci is the epitome of a sporty buffoon tossing a smart kid into a trash can, just because he can.

It would be interesting to see if Rodgers could withstand a three hour hearing, having to repeat the same sentence 111 times without losing his composure at age 42 or age 85.

Somehow, I doubt it. People who spout off this nasty level of vitriol are simmering with anger. Sports writer Tom Jones at Poynter writes “OK, whatever. Rodgers often comes across as someone who thinks he’s the smartest and coolest guy in the room. Half of the provocative stuff he says seems designed to keep the spotlight on him now that his best playing days are well behind him.”

I apologize to Dr. Fauci for this bully taunting him. I am sure Dr. Fauci will be fine. But a lot of people look at up to Aaron Rodgers, including children. One can only hope those kids are exposed to Dr. Fauci’s legacy as well.

After all, Aaron Rodgers will be 85 with only glory days behind him. His legacy will include the hate and trash he sows.  Dr. Fauci will be in the pantheon of public health heroes who saved and improved many millions of lives. There are children’s books about him that perhaps a sports ball person could donate to local libraries – here’s one and here’s another.

I can see why Aaron Rodgers is so jealous and petty. Nothing he’s done will amount to Dr. Fauci’s accomplishments. Still, he is only 42 and can turn his life around, he could become a good man. It’s possible, but not probable.

For now, Aaron Rodgers represents the worst of Pittsburgh, especially those who deny the realities of racial injustice – closely tied to health injustice – that permeate our City.

Bullying any 85 year old person is a clear example of cowardice.

Fans of the Steelers and Pittsburgh in general deserve better.