Kevin McClatchy, the Pirates' owner before Bob Nutting, has come out of the closet, the New York Times reports. McClatchy's sexuality was, as far as I know, an open secret in Pittsburgh, but it's noteworthy that he's acknowledging it. As the Times points out, the sports world is currently a frontier in the acceptance of gay athletes, with pro football players Chris Kluwe and Brandon Ayanbadejo recently offering support for gay marriage, and with Blue Jays infielder Yunel Escobar recently being suspended for wearing eye-black tape that featured an anti-gay epithet.
↵The article chronicles McClatchy's struggles to deal with his public life and his sexuality. It notes that, surprisingly, McClatchy met his current boyfriend through the Senate office of anti-gay former Presidential candidate Rick Santorum.
↵↵↵For their contentment they have Rick Santorum, the former senator from Pennsylvania, to thank. They were fixed up by someone who worked for Santorum and whom McClatchy first got to know through his professional interactions, when he owned the Pirates, with Santorum’s Senate office.
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It's hard not to get a chuckle out of that. Anyway, here's hoping that coming out will bring McClatchy a little peace.
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