Charley Sullivan Shares Inspiring Story As Gay Coach
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Search Rear View “Between The Lines Newspaper” 39 | Puzzle Get breaking news updates. 40 | Horoscopes Follow us @YourBTL 40 | Classifieds Receive our E–Digest – just sign up today online 43 | Deep Inside Hollywood 3 Between The Lines • October 13, 2011 4 Between The Lines • October 13, 2011 5 Between The Lines • October 13, 2011 News MICHIGAN Out? Outrageous! Openly gay coach works to make sports industry gay-friendly BY TARA CAVANAUGH harley Sullivan says it’s OK to be “outrageously queer,” even in sports. A longtime coach, Sullivan has been out Chis entire coaching career, even though in his field many stay closeted. Those who dare to come out make headlines - such as former Phoenix Suns CEO and President Rick Welts, who hid being gay for 40-plus years as he worked his way up in the industry. But Sullivan, a successful varsity rowing coach at the University of Michigan, has decided not to hide anything. He hopes one day that gay athletes are as unapologetically out as he is, and he’s working hard to make that happen. First, he’s setting an excellent example. ‘The big queer guy’ Sullivan blew up the gay blogosphere recently with a column on the popular blog Out Sports. In his essay, he proclaimed that not only is he out, but at times he’s even “outrageously queer” when he manages a team. What does he mean by that? He means that he’s completely unafraid to be exactly who he is - even if that self is more than a little gay. “I’ve found that the best way to let guys be comfortable and know that I’m comfortable is to tell jokes,” Sullivan says. “I will tell gay jokes. I will take their jokes among themselves and I will turn the double entendre queer.” Gregg Hartsuff, who has coached with Sullivan since 1992, puts it another way. “The other day, Charley was demonstrating something on the rowing machine. His movement made him look very homosexual - the way he moved his body, he swayed his hips some Charley Sullivan blew up the gay blogosphere recently with a column on the popular blog Out Sports. BTL Photo: Andrew Potter way, and he titled his hand and his head and I could see the group of about 20 guys just sort of laughing inside at him being what you’d call the so I see him a lot, and you can see that he stays says Sullivan is now one of his best friends, coming up now, with professional athletes being big queer guy. in touch with all the alumni. He’s a friend-for- and their athletes understand how much the two fined for homophobic remarks, professional “I just said: ‘Charley that was very gay.’ And life kind of character.” respect each other. teams making ‘It Gets Better’ videos - which I Charley says: ‘Asshole, I am a big queer homo.’” No one would agree with that sentiment Sullivan agrees. “I think we’ve helped each think is spectacular - I think there’s also a desire The exchange caused the young men to more than Hartsuff, who learned Sullivan was other grow in significant ways,” he says. “He’s to make sure the people who comment on this crack up, Hartsuff says, “because I said exactly gay the very first time they met in 1992 when my best ally in all this.” from the gay community also know about what they were thinking. And it was one of those the head coach paired them up and scheduled athletics,” Sullivan says. moments where you know not only is this OK, an introduction at a coffee shop. Sullivan also hopes the alliance can but we kind of like it. It wouldn’t be Charley if Sullivan and Hartsuff arrived, but the head Forming a gay athletic encourage athletes not just to come out, but it weren’t that way.” coach was late. In pre-Internet and cell phone community to be out. While many hope for a professional “I really have come to take the position days, the two had nothing to do but wait and male athlete to come out, Sullivan says there’s of - and I wish a lot of gay people would too chat. The discussion turned to weddings. Thanks to his years as a coach and the a bigger picture to consider. - if there’s a problem here about this, it’s your “He was planning to get married that spring contacts he’s made, Sullivan knows he’s not “For me the question is: when do you have problem,” Sullivan says. and I had just gotten married the prior fall,” the only gay male coach out there. He wants the first guy, who gets drafted into the NFL, Pat Pannuto, a U-M graduate student who Hartsuff says. “I asked him what his fiancee’s to create a space to organize and unify coaches already out? Having been recruited to a top was coached by Sullivan and Hartsuff for four name was and he said it was Rob.” like him. college program, already out? Having played years, says eventually all new team members “And I thought, OK, short for Roberta?” Sullivan is part of a group called the at high school, already out? That’s the goal.” figure out that Sullivan is gay - and they don’t Hartsuff recalls, laughing. Equality Coaching Alliance. The group is so As a teenager, Sullivan opted to be care. They care more about winning, which “He could see the look on my face. I came new that it doesn’t even have a website yet, a closeted athlete. He hopes the world of Sullivan and Hartsuff help them do: the team from a small town, so I hadn’t really had any just a Facebook fan page. The idea behind the athletics stops making those who love sports has an impressive record, including winning experience at all with homosexuals. If I had alliance is to provide a space for coaches to deal choose between being an athlete or being four national championships in a row between encountered them in my previous days they with coming out issues, whether it’s their own out. It’s not such an impossibility - he lives 2008 and 2011. would have been in the closet.” or their athletes’. it every day. “(Sullivan is) a defining part of my Hartsuff, whose political views lean The alliance could also provide a unified Daring to be an athlete while also being Michigan career,” Pannuto says. “He’s a conservative and Republican, says Sullivan was voice of gay coaches. openly gay: it’s not such an outrageous idea defining part of who I am. I’m still at Michigan his first introduction to gay life. Hartsuff also “As these sort of gay athletic issues keep after all. 6 Between The Lines • October 13, 2011 News MICHIGAN Dontchangeyourself.com’s website front. ‘Gay? You’re Fired’ education campaign launches on NCOD DontChangeYourself.com comes out big BY BTL STAFF Research, a total of 66 percent of Michiganders favor legislation to protect gay and transgender LANSING– In honor of National Coming people from discrimination. “It goes inherently Out Day, local advocacy groups launched against our American values to fire someone the “Don’t Change Yourself. Change the based solely upon who they are or whom they Law” campaign Oct. 11 to raise awareness love,” said Jay Kaplan, ACLU of Michigan that in Michigan you can still be fired if LGBT Project staff attorney.