Concerning NBC's coverage of Matthew Mitcham

I guess people don't understand that we are in the middle of a civil rights battle. A young male athlete comes out of the closet right before the Olympics and goes on to win gold? That is a story that NEEDS to be told to further the gay rights cause. It is humanizing and inspirational. NBC sucks

That's right up there with GWB saying "Sorry about all those dead American Troops in Iraq."

It is ridiculously easy to issue an "Appeasement apology." Whatt takes courage and integrity is doing the right thing when it matters.

Fuck NBC.

The shameful thing is that NBC is probably the most tolerant or gay friendly of the networks.

This was a big deal made of nothing. I watched NBC's primetime Olympics every night. Unless your name was Bolt, NBC generally did little coverage of non-US athletes. It's not like NBC did so many stories on Luxin Zhou's and Gleb Galperin's love life in comparison to the gay Mitcham. Even Mitcham would not have wanted his sexuality to be made the main issue. Here is what he said in The Advocate months before his win:

“I just want to be known as the Australian diver who did really well at the Olympics,” he says. “It’s everybody else who thinks it’s special when homosexuality and elite sport go together.”

Heya all from - melbourne/australia.

I think ur poll says it all, and its after the event!!

We have had the same problem from media in this country as the left-wing media are all out there and great, where as the right wing media just mention what they want and use the excuse that matthew said "i dont just want to be known as the gay diver"?

So thats exactly what the right-wing media wanna hear so they can leave out the GAY or Depression bits. In other words his life story not just the bit about leaving diving in 2006.

Also we just had one of our TV actors (mark priestley- in ALL SAINTS) jump of a building and died at 3pm wed 27th August, in central sydney due to Depression. But seems the 7 (seven) network which was our broadcaster during the Olympics, said nothing about his medical problem? Please, u only had to watch the programs over the last 4-6 months to pick up his flat mood and that was'nt noticed by the producers or other actors/crew or writers?

Anyway thats my bit. Best of luck with ur major networks and the games that management play to please the right-wing views.

cheers.

The apology didn't mention the word gay / partner / boyfriend / homosexual / etc. The whole point was that they wouldn't acknowledge this side of Mitcham's life: the apology once again won't dare to speak of the orientation-which-shall-not-be-named.

As in the Berlin Olympics, Jesse Owen's win infuriated Hitler. Seems NBC has the same problem. The Sports world cannot tolerate the fact that gays and lesbians can be good at sports. This should not end here. There should be an official on air apology and they should do a segment on Mtthew on one of their prime time news shows!