The Human Rights Campaign sent a letter to commissioners of the National Football League, the National Hockey Association and Major League Baseball regarding the online sale of the leagues' personalized jerseys and the rejection of certain words deemed 'inappropriate, derogatory, or profane.'
Winnie Stachelberg, HRC's Foundation Vice President, 'writing on behalf of more than 600,000 members, many of whom are proud sports fans,' said, in part:
'Dear Commissioners Paul Tagliabue, Bud Selig and Gary Bettman: We're sports fans. Like you, we love the squeak of shoes on a basketball court, the smell of clay in the infield, the sound of the whistle at kickoff and the way players' skates slice through the ice. Like most kids, we grew up wanting to be part of the team, dreaming of a jersey of our own. That's why it's with some disillusionment that we write you today regarding the online sale of your leagues' personalized jerseys and the rejection of certain words deemed 'inappropriate, derogatory, or profane.' Your software is allowing some words to be printed on jerseys but not other words they deem unsuitable.
'So we did our own search to see what your leagues might consider dirty words. Apparently, you can be a 'heterosexual' in the MLB, NFL and NHL. But you can't be a 'lesbian.' We share your concern that no sports fan sees their favorite team's jersey plastered with profanity. We're writing today to respectfully remind you that 'lesbian' is not a dirty word.
'According to a news report, a spokesperson for the NFL said these jerseys weren't designed for political statements and that's why the word 'lesbian' would be inappropriate. A fan's sexual orientation isn't his or her political statement, it's their identity. Much like a name or a nickname, it's part of who they are. ( Also, a quick check showed you can be a 'Republican' or 'Democrat' in all of the leagues. ) We recognize that it would be nearly impossible for your leagues to police every word allowed on jerseys. That's why we're urging you to come up with a short list of truly obscene words and ditch the words that your software blocks that simply refer to a fan's identity. There are serious controversies plaguing professional sports these days, and the word 'lesbian' shouldn't be one of them.
'The thing about sports fans is that we come from all walks of life. For an hour or more, we sit side-by-side. And, forgetting our differences and the challenges that face our families, neighborhoods and country, we join together for a common purpose—to root like mad for our team. We leave the game euphoric or disheartened, but we leave united. Let's be sure that that harmony extends to all sports fans, including those of us who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender.'