Leave it to CNN's Newt Gingrich to be the one to take up for those poor picked on homophobes following the reaction to the kiss Michael Sam shared with his partner following the news that he was going to be drafted by the St. Louis Rams.
From CNN's Crossfire this Monday:
GINGRICH: Jamal, let me give you an example. Let me say in advance, I think Michael Sam is a brilliant marketeer. We'll see how good a football player he is. If you look at his new Visa commercial, which apparently had already been cut, has already ready before Saturday, I mean, this guy understands how to manipulate the media and maximize his impact.
Take the case of Derrick Ward, retired Super Bowl champion. He's now getting death threats because of the following tweet. He tweeted, "I'm sorry, but that Michael Sam is no bueno for doing that on national TV. I'm fine with it being a new day and age, but for him to do that on national TV is disgusting, gay or not. Man, you have little kids looking at the draft. I can't believe ESPN even allowed that to happen."
Now, doesn't it worry you that he apparently is getting death threats for this tweet?
ANDERSON: There's no question it worries me that he's getting death threats. When you tweet out about inclusiveness and acceptance and understanding, part of that is a new clip on ESPN where a gay athlete for the first time ever is being drafted into the NFL, that celebration is part of it.
Nobody would have said anything if Michael Sam would have turned and kissed a beautiful young lady. It would have been something we've seen all the time. He's a gay American. This is, in fact, how he chose to celebrate.
Yes, it surprised a lot of people and may have been the first time a lot of people have seen that, but this is about inclusiveness. This is about --
GINGRICH: Let me go specifically, because I think you talk about how you want to be inclusive, except, of course, if somebody tweets this, having a death threat or let's send them off to sensitivity training. I mean, it strikes me, that's repression. That's not inclusive.
ANDERSON: Is it repression to try to teach them to be understanding and open to other people? Maybe -- especially when you talk about people they have not been exposed to?
GINGRICH: Shouldn't you also be teaching people gay understanding of people --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: That's a good point.
JONES: I think that people who are gay and people who are lesbian have to spend their entire lives learning how to get around the minefields. This whole term "out of the closet" is a reflection of the fact they have to deal with those minefields.
Yes, if they could just be more understanding of the people who hate them, that will solve everything.
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