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Message: [QUOTE="JudgeSCR, post: 2055723, member: 245"] I have no idea if Ms. Wiggins is homophobic. However, her comments are deeply worrisome and lend to a valid concern that she is. The fact that she has supported gay rights issues in the past is evidence of a general view but does not mean that she, at the same time, does not hold homophobic views. For example, there are many people who support women's rights in many respects but still hold some deeply sexist views. The fact that one supports women generally, promotes women in the workplace and even marries a woman does not mean one is free of uninformed and/or deeply sexist views. Sometimes people just haven’t yet connected the dissonance between multiple views they hold. [B]“98% of the women in the WNBA are gay women.”[/B] Whether or not Ms. Wiggins is homophobic this comment is deeply troubling. Although she may have exaggerated to make a point, her comments likely cast some people as gay who are not. Now some players have to consider whether they publicly broadcast their sexuality or be assumed to be something they are not. They have to calculate whether by proclaiming their sexuality they are helping to demonize those who are gay and are thereby stating that it is somehow bad to be gay ("and therefore I don't want you to think that I am gay"). This may be an unintended, but real, consequence of her speaking so sweepingly (and likely inaccurately) about a group of women. [B]“People were deliberately trying to hurt me all the time” “I have never been thrown to the ground so much.” “There were horrible things that happened to me every day.” [/B] These are overlooked and deeply troubling statements. If true, that is assault. If true, she is saying by implication that not only did players assault her “all the time” but the coaches, trainers and management, who certainly must have seen this behavior, condoned or promoted it. If this is true, this is a big deal and she should sue those players and teams, if for no other reason than to protect future players. The statute of limitations on some of that behavior has surely not passed. I assume she complained about this to coaches, team officials, the league, her friends and/or family so she will have ample support for her claims and be able to show these are not some newly contrived and reckless complaints. If not, these are dangerous and troubling statements that cast aspersions on multiple people. [B]“I was proud to be a woman.” [/B] This is troubling for its implication -- gay players are not women or at least are not proud women like her. Otherwise why say it? This is a subtle and deeply homophobic statement in the context of her other statements. Maybe she is supportive of gay rights but she seems to make a distinction between someone who is proud to be a woman … and those others. On so many fronts, her comments – if reported accurately – were deeply disturbing. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach