Fridae

will the straight guy buy this issue?

no but the 300 million Chinese closet queen will dear! and hid it from their wives.............................well 200 Million of them

Michael, did you just out 100 million closet cases, or did you ïn 200 million?

Wait, Michael, did you just out 100 million closet cases, or did you ïn 200 million?

This only proves that gays in China are spared of human rights violations. Very good.

@ MichaelAsia and desireq3... You have no idea what its like to be gay living in countries like China and Malaysia so with all due respect.... please shut your noise holes. Sad over opinionated rice queens giving the rest of us a bad name again.

Grrrr!

"a short report became a nine double-page story which includes a photo spread and interviews" -- how could it be any less? It's got to be FABULOUS!!

Next time, a 120-megapixel resolution centerfold pull out of two very hot and sweaty muscular gay male wrestlers in a pinning combination, please.

I don't see an issue like this ever being printed in North America...

That's because most gay athletes have already come out in North America, and there were features like this in the 90s.

As a young Powerlifter, I think the guys I trained with knew I was gay - even though I wasn't saying anything. They were men of the world and I was shy and prone to blushing. I went on to become a British Junior Champion (twice). Many years later, there was a feature in Gay Times (UK) about Britain's first Gay Powerlifter, and I got very excited for a moment. But, alas, it wasn't me. I felt a little ruffled. Later I met the Gay Powerlifter who'd been featured and asked him about the article. He was, I'm afraid, a little arrogant. And he insisted he was the first gay powerlifter because he was 'out'. Gently, I argued that, if I had a boyfriend at the time, and if I was head of my University's gay society, then, perhaps, I might have been the first gay powerlifter. His basic argument then ran on to say, and I paraphrase, that 'you weren't gay enough'. My friend stepped-in at this point and argued the case that being in or out - as the gay powerlifter defined it - doesn't make the difference. I was a Powerlifter before I was gay - being gay was important but didn't define me in my chosen sport. I wasn't a 'gay powerlifter'. I was a powerlifter who was gay.

This article is fantastic. When the UK won the Gay Football World Cup there was a scathing article in a national newspaper. Scathing - why couldn't the 'straight' teams be this good! It was a great piece - a rather camp headline, of course, but great.

Now, I play Kung Fu. I'm totally out in my life, but I don't wear a rainbow ribbon on my uniform. And why should I? Would I compete in a gay sporting event? Yes I would. Would I feel it necessary? No. Despite the homophobia, there is one saving grace about sporting competition - it measures men and women by their performance, and, for most athletes, that's all that matters.

whats there to criticise/bitch about it is all positive yes??? (;-))

Regarding post #9, I was just reading Joe my god and Queerty that reported on this, many readers commented that mainstream sports magazines in the US especially of SI's stature have never had a similar spread or cover story. If you recall seeing something in the US, please do share.