Bisexual Men
It may be difficult to believe, but in 2005, the New York Times newspaper published an article titled "Straight, Gay or Lying? Bisexuality Revisited". The article claimed that "a new study casts doubt on whether true bisexuality exists, at least in men." The study had design and analysis flaws that resulted in GIGO - garbage in, garbage out. 15 years later, the author produced another study, titled "Robust evidence for bisexual orientation among men", that refuted the idea that bisexuality does not exist in men.
It is very hard to reflect on your own flaws, or the flaws of the scientific paper you have published. However, it is essential to try to see yourself as other do.
Mitchell and Webb - Are We the Baddies? (2:48)
Dan Savage, a sex columnist and Internet personality, has "a history of saying some offensive and misleading things about bi people". This includes citing the 2005 study as scientific "proof" that bisexual men do not "really" exist. However, he has since admitted to his mistakes, and now uses his social media platforms to be a supportive ally of bisexual people.
Similarly, Tim Hardaway made homophobic comments, and issued a contrite apology. It was a real apology, not an "I apologize if you were offended" apology.
When I said what I said . . . I still cringe at it when I think about it, and [it] still hurts me deep inside that I said something like that because I gave people an opportunity to hurt people.
That wasn’t right . . . each and every day when I talk to kids today and they bring it up to me or somebody brings it up to me, I say that was a very big mistake on my part.
It hurts me to this day, what I said, and you know what? It’s going to hurt me for the rest of my life, because I’m not that type of person. I feel bad about it, and I’m always going to feel bad about it.
Hardway has also changed the way he lives.
In the years following the radio interview, Hardaway has become an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ rights, including working with The Trevor Project, a nonprofit group that focuses on suicide prevention for LGBTQ youth. He also became the first signer of a petition to legalize same-sex marriage in the state of Florida. In 2011, Hardaway attended a rally in El Paso — where he had been a college star at UTEP years earlier — to support the city’s mayor, John Cook, who was facing an attempted recall vote (which later failed) after allowing domestic partnership rights for gay and unmarried couples.
In 2013, the basketball player Jason Collins became the first active player in the NFL, NBA, MLB, or NHL to come out as gay. Tim Hardaway called to offer his support.
“I remember seeing or hearing what [Hardaway] said,” Collins said in a phone interview Wednesday. “As a closeted athlete, that’s your biggest fear, coming out and being met with rejection openly.
“I have to say, I get asked what was the most surprising [call] after making my announcement, and, yes, getting the call from the president and Oprah and all of that was surprising. But getting a call from Tim Hardaway is right up there, because I didn’t know he had changed as a human being, as far as being what happened with his comments when Jon came out, and now becoming an ally.
“It shows the power of the coming-out story. It shows the power of John Amaechi’s story. Tim obviously said what he said and was met with a lot of criticism and was forced to look at himself in the mirror and has changed a lot. . . . I’m glad I answered the call and heard his words.”