You know the word. It is arguably the most egregious homophobic slur. It is not comparable to thousands of other insults because its primary meaning is very specific – a derogatory term for a gay man. Nor is it a word that easily finds its way onto the tongue of an angry person, even in a moment of sudden provocation, unless that term is heard or used with some regularity.
Duran told the heckler to “shut up” and cursed at him. He could have stopped there. But he chose to add the insult to question the man’s masculinity. It’s similar to how men sometimes conclude that a man is weak or soft by comparing him to a girl or woman. (Men who think women are weak have obviously never met a woman.)
But then there is The Word that attempts to feminize a man in a way that the user might perceive as the most degrading and emasculating insult imaginable.
Of course, the only reason anyone is talking about Duran’s insult is because it was heard on television during the game’s broadcast. That’s usually the case. One of the most famous cases occurred in 2011, when Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant was fined $100,000 by the NBA after he was filmed yelling a profanity and a homophobic slur at a referee who had just called him for a technical foul.
NBA and Olympic basketball coach Steve Kerr, then working as a TNT commentator, recognized what Bryant had said from the bench and said, “Maybe you should get the cameras away from him now, for the kids watching at home.” Kerr’s locker room partner audibly chuckled.
Kerr seemed only surprised that cameras caught Bryant using the word. Also problematic is that Kerr’s only concern was that children might be watching. She had no similar concern for LGBTQ people who might have seen Bryant’s casual use of the slur on television or heard it in the stands.
After a well-deserved backlash, Bryant said in a statement that his actions “were born out of frustration during the heat of the game, period. The words expressed do NOT reflect my feelings toward the gay and lesbian community and were not intended to offend anyone.”
Bryant wanted to insult the referee. That’s why he said it. And he insulted a lot of people who weren’t directly affected.
Duran’s apology was better. But he still seemed to lack a deeper understanding of why that word is never justified. Anger is not an excuse. Nor is the idea that an insult was not intended when it is widely known that the word has a long and painful history of deriding a marginalized community.
Coincidentally, Duran’s transgression occurred just days after the death of former baseball player Billy Bean, who came out as gay after retiring from his major league career in 1995. Bean often spoke in interviews about how the casual use of homophobic language by his teammates during his playing days only made him more determined to come out as gay.
At the time, he was only the second MLB player to come out. Like Glenn Burke of the Los Angeles Dodgers more than a decade before him, Bean didn’t feel free to do so until he was no longer playing in a league where homophobic “locker room” talk was commonplace. But Bean also remained connected to baseball. In 2014, he was named the league’s first Inclusion Ambassador. At the time of his death, he was MLB’s senior vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion.
What Duran said — and all the insults from others who, while not caught on video, were undoubtedly present — underscores the need for MLB to not only replace Bean but also double down on its DEI efforts at a time when such programs are under attack from Republicans nationwide.
Perhaps, in addition to a suspension, the league should establish a rule for immediate ejection for any player who makes racist, sexist, or anti-LGBTQ comments toward anyone, be it a fan, a referee, or another player. This is something all major sports leagues should think about, as such derogatory language is not just a problem in baseball. Make teams really feel the consequences of hateful comments.
In addition to his suspension, Duran’s salary for two games, about $8,000, will be donated to PFLAG, a national LGBTQ support and advocacy organization. It’s an appropriate gesture, but it’s not enough. If baseball wants to ease the intense pain of this terrible incident and promote a reality where anti-LGBTQ language is not tolerated, or Off camera, American pastimes need to change and reflect the best this country has to offer, rather than the worst.
This is an excerpt from Outtakesa Globe Opinion newsletter by columnist Renée Graham. Sign up to receive outtakes in your inbox every week.
Renée Graham is a columnist for the Globe. You can reach her at [email protected]. Follow her @reneeygraham.
