Out Athletes Stir Debate in NASCAR

commentary – by Michael T. Myers

On Monday, you couldn’t turn on a television or the internet without seeing the news that a pro-athlete had finally come out of the closet.

Jason Collins, a 12 year veteran in the NBA told the world he was gay in a Sports Illustrated column. “I’m a 34 year old NBA center, I’m black and I’m Gay,” Collins said.

So how does this all tie into NASCAR…. I am not sure, but free lance journalist Viv Bernstein posted a blog on Monday that stirred up some strong feelings in NASCAR and on my Twitter timeline.

Typically, even on a busy work day I check in on Twitter a few times. This week, I’m in Denver for training classes and wasn’t able to check Twitter until after I got out of class…. and my timeline had ASSPLODED.

It took me a few minutes to trace it back to Bernstein’s blog titled, “NASCAR’s Silence on Jason Collins Says It All.”

Says what all?

Bernstein’s assertion is that the sanctioning body and NASCAR drivers should have made public statements on Monday supporting Jason Collins, and that lack of comments, sent a clear message to any gay people working in the sport.

Appearing on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, Bernstein was pressed by Dave Moody as to what message she thought NASCAR was sending with their silence, “Stay in the closet.”

I find this to be absurd on many levels. Mostly because I know many gay people who work in NASCAR. Some of them are out publicly, some are out to friends and family. None of them have relayed any stories of intolerance at the track.

Two years ago I profiled an openly gay couple that works for Michael Waltrip Racing. When Craig Wadsworth was asked if had ever been given a hard time while working in the garage, he said, “I don’t have any problems at all – they all know it (that I’m gay) and nobody seems to mind.”

Ty Norris, the Vice President of Michael Waltrip Racing told Q4G, “Michael Waltrip Racing is a reflection of all society. We are a welcoming workplace who cares only about the quality of people’s performance and Craig is an exemplary employee.”

I have been very OUT at the track since 2009 and I have only encountered one incident of homophobia.

In fact, the overwhelming acceptance that NASCAR, the drivers, other media, the tracks and fans have shown Queers4Gears is amazing and should shatter any stero-type Bernstein’s blog seems to enforce.

Bernstein used the expression “Crickets” several times on Twitter to stress that no one in the NASCAR world was talking about the gay issue. But, that’s not exactly accurate.

The fact is, our current Sprint Cup Champion and one of the highest profile drivers in America, spoke out a few short weeks ago about how he thought an openly gay driver would be accepted in NASCAR. In an exclusive interview with Queers4Gears, Keselowski said, ”I don’t think anyone cares (if a driver is gay.) If you can win, you’ll have a ride in NASCAR. If you can win, people will want to be a part of what you can do.”

That doesn’t sound like Crickets.

The Keselowski interview was picked up by several national publications and it upset the loony “God Hate F*gs” Church so much that Westboro came to the race in Kansas to protest NASCAR and Keselowski. The sentiment in the garage and on social media was almost universal…..”those protesters do not represent my Christian values. A few fans invited the protesters to “get out.”

At the time, NASCAR’s Chief Communication Officer, Bret Jewkes told Q4G that they agree with Keselowski’s statement and they will stand behind their driver.

That doesn’t sound like Crickets.

Bernstein wrote, that she wasn’t sure if NASCAR’s silence about Collins was a “nod to Nascar’s predominantly conservative Southern fan base.”

I think the statement by Keselowski to Q4G and NASCAR’s willingness to stand with him, are a nod to the fact that NASCAR is indeed inclusive.

Is there room for improvement? Sure – that’s what I am trying to do here!

I organized a counter protest of sorts and asked NASCAR fans who didn’t agree with Westboro’s anti-gay rhetoric to support me in the Las Vegas AIDS Walk. NASCAR fans responded – I raised over $3,400.00 and was the third highest fundraiser in the entire AIDS Walk.

You know the old adage – a persons money does their talking……….. and in this case, NASCAR fans supported an openly gay blogger in a big way.

That doesn’t sound like Crickets.

I will agree with Berstein that Monday presented an opportunity for someone from NASCAR to come out in support of Collins. But I don’t agree that there is any timeline for issuing a response. While a statement on Monday, could have ridden the social-media wave, it also could have been lost in the weeds of a million tweets.

About 24 hours after the Collins story broke – NASCAR issued two statements:

Marcus Jadotte, NASCAR’s Vice President of Public Affairs and Multicultural Development said, “NASCAR is a recognized leader in diversity and inclusion initiatives in professional sports and home to the best drivers in the world. We want our athletes and our sport to look like America, and exclusion or intolerance of any kind – whether behind the wheel, on pit road, or in the garage – is not a part of that formula.”

Brett Jewkes, NASCAR’s Chief Communication Officer tweeted, “Over past 24 hrs reporters sought/got comment on NASCAR’s diversity efforts, of which we’re very proud. We admire Jason Collins’ courage.”

I was okay with waiting a day to hear what NASCAR had to say. If you are keeping score at home, that’s TWO statements from NASCAR’s Chief Communication Officer in less than a month affirming NASCAR’s commitment to diversity….. specifically in regards to a gay driver.

That doesn’t sound like crickets to me.

Finally, I want to say how important it was for Jason Collins to come out of the closet. It’s true that being gay in 2013 just isn’t that big of a deal…. but it once was. I just turned 40 and I didn’t come out until my late 20′s. I could not have imagined coming out when I was younger to anyone…..

But, do you know what made it possible for me to come out? Other people coming out.

I am not only talking about about celebrities… but the average gay citizen.

The reason attitudes have changed over the past decade is that people came out of the closet. Everyday people then realized some of their family and friends were gay, and that made the topic of “gay rights” personal.

I have talked to tons of people that told me just knowing a gay person changed their mind on gay issues. No longer were gays the butt of some joke on a sit-com, but gays are people that we all know and love.

The more people that come out – the easier it is for others to come out. As more people come out – attitudes in our culture will shift even more. I am hoping these changing attitudes will prevent anymore gay teens from taking their own lives and they will understand that It Gets Better. It sure did for me.

We still have a lot of work to do, but I am grateful for how far society has come.

Perhaps, just perhaps, as the machismo world of pro-sports accepts Jason Collins, other gay athletes will come out.

And that can only be a good thing.

Q4G Interview: Meet Race Car Driver Justin Mullikin

Credit: Mary Schill

Queers4Gears’ Adam Lovelace interviews NASCAR Grand National Sportsmen driver Justin Mullikin.

Meet 27 year old Justin Mullikin, of Holmen, Wisconsin. Justin is an out and open race car driver running in the NASCAR Grand National Sportsmen division, which falls under the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, at Lacrosse Speedway in West Salem, Wisconsin. We caught up with Justin, whose season opens this weekend at Lacrosse Speedway, to get his story. Follow Justin and his season at his JM Racing page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/mullikinracing

How and when did you get started in racing?

I started in 2005 on a whim. A close friend of mine raced in the 4-cyl Hornet class at LaCrosse Speedway and I started mostly to prove him wrong in that I could do better than him (which was no small feat. He was quite a well respected and tough competitor.) So I scanned the local papers and came upon a 1994 Nissan Sentra that was well rusted and had zero brakes (there is a story in itself on driving it home). After two seasons racing in that division I was able to amass an unheard of amount of top 3 finishes up until that point. I finished outside the top 3 twice over a two year span. For the record, both years there were over 110 individual drivers, with roughly 70 people racing on a weekly basis. At the end of the 2006 season I sold my car to another competitor (my $200 investment became a $1500 car based on what I was able to do with it) and purchased a Thunderstock which was the next division up from what I was running. That idea did not last long, it was a wreck of a car that I traded for an old non-running truck. This was the start of something I am known for, chassis work. I had that car for about 3 months, completely gutted, rebuilt and sold to a driver that traveled 3.5 hours to get the car. I purchased my first sportsmen car at that point and decided that I would go to the 3rd tier division and try my hand at transitioning from a front wheel drive class on a 1/4 mile track to a V8, rear-wheel drive class on a very fast 5/8 mile track. Lacrosse Speedway has a 5/8 mile outer track and an inner 1/4 mile track that utilizes a portion of the front stretch and turn one of the big track. Six years later I am on my third car in this division

Credit: Forte Design

Tell us about your stats: best finishes, awards, season ending standings:

Several wins, a number of top 5`s and top 10`s. I really don’t keep track of the number of each. This past season I was chosen, by the track officials and tech directors, for the Competition Achievement Award, which is basically an award for someone who had an outstanding achievement at the track, is well respected by competitors and has an overall positive impact on the speedway.

What racing series do you follow?

I follow all of the NASCAR series (top 3 and regional), and the Formula One Championship.

Who is your favorite driver?

Regan Smith, Jenson Button, Jeff Gordon, & Johanna Long.

What is your favorite track?

This is a hard one. I tend to prefer the short tracks, specifically Martinsville and North Wilkesboro; however, Texas, Rockingham, Charlotte and Infineon rank near the top as well.

Other than your own, do you attend any other races?

When my schedule permits I attend the local dirt track, a 1/3mile true oval about 30 miles north of here. This season I will also be attending a track that has recently re-opened, a 1/3 mile flat, tight, asphalt track.

What are your future racing plans? Anything in the works?

This season I am currently looking to get a few starts in a late model under my belt; beyond that, perhaps a full season in late models, or in a touring late model series. The ultimate goal would be to progress to a level where I could compete in the ARCA series and see where that might take me.

Do you find any difficulties in being a race car driver that happens to be gay?

For the most part I have not had any issues. There is the occasional comment that gets back to me; however I typically don’t care if someone who has no meaning to me has anything to say. I did have an issue early on in my racing with another driver who happened to be my best friend when we were children. That was resolved after a bit of rough driving on my part and a good friend of mine saying to him something to the effect of, “Have you seen the front end on his car? You’re going to lose this battle” (in reference to my being known for having the most durable overbuilt front ends on my cars, in the event I needed to assist someone to get out of my way).

Credit: Justin Mullikin

After you are a big time drive, will you always remember us here at Queers 4 Gears??

Of course I will. How could I forget this site, and the frequent references someone makes about Kasey Kahne?

Now for some VERY important questions

Favorite movie?

First and foremost, Casino, then Titanic (it’s perhaps the best done movie ever), The Underworld Series, Eragon, Silent Hill

Favorite TV show?

Rupaul’s Drag Race (I am a sucker for a hilarious competition), Finding Bigfoot

Do you ever smile for pictures? (Asked because I never see him smile for pictures)

Hilarious given the fact that I rarely do!

Ever gotten a speeding ticket?

Not a single ticket on my record

Your last concert?

Marilyn Manson at the Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee

Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?

Nope. I rarely wear shoes, I am usually seen in flip flops (including at the track)

iPhone, Android, Blackberry, pager, or bag phone?

Iphone all the way

Two-car tandem or pack racing?

Anything is better than the 2013 Daytona 500. I tend to prefer pack racing, however the two car tandem was enjoyable to watch as well.

Follow Adam Lovelace on Twitter at @aclovelace

The Dudtona 500

Adam’s Daytona 500 rant.

The Daytona 500 has been here and gone and will likely only be remembered for Danica Patrick’s pole and good run, leading laps and running up front before finishing in 8th place. The TV ratings were up a good amount, but the race was not a sell out and the grandstands for all of Speedweeks had a LOT of noticeably empty seats. With empty seats and declining TV ratings we’ve been told it’s the economy, but I don’t fully buy that (other than your cable/satellite TV bill, it costs nothing to watch). Last year’s Chase started out with a fizzle and a major lack of action on the track, which was not unlike a large amount of the 2012 season. This year was going to be different. We were all looking forward to the build up to Daytona and the Gen 6 cars, which look great, but failed miserably to put on much of a show at Daytona. Four Sprint Cup races during the week, the Unlimited, the Duels, and the 500 itself resulted in four follow the leader duds. If I were not a fan or just a casual fan, I can tell you for a fact, that I would not have paid money to go watch races like that either. The opening race, the “Super Bowl” of our sport, millions of eyes watching and we give them a dud. As a long time follower of this sport, that I love by the way, I knew that the truck race and the Nationwide race would be the best races of the week and they were packed full of action, racing, & passing. If not for the final lap crash that injured fans on Saturday, I would say those two races overshadowed the big show in a big way!

Yes the cars are new and the drivers and teams will get it figured out, I get that, but it’s our biggest race of the year, our chance to grab new fans, get them interested in the sport to tune into the next 35 races. It should already be figured out. Don’t experiment on our biggest race of the year. We throw a party every year for the Daytona 500 and invite friends that follow the sport and other friends that don’t know what number Jeff Gordon’s car is. After Sunday’s race, I guarantee you those non-fans won’t be tuning into the next 35 races. On Friday I tried to get some other friends interested by having them tune into what I think is one of the best races of speedweeks, the truck race. The race was great, but during the whole race it was non-stop with the “R U Faster Than a Redneck?” promos. Really? I thought NASCAR wanted to get away from that image. We have that demographic wrapped up. Stop it already.

The last two days I’ve read many tweets from some prominent and not so prominent racing media condemning the fans that have complained about the racing and telling us how few cars finished on the lead lap 30 and 40 years ago. While true, NASCAR did not have a multibillion dollar tv deal then either, or any real tv deal for that matter. As a fan and being involved with this sport for 20 years, I know that not every race is going to be exciting all the time. So, I don’t know the answer to the cars at Daytona and I for one, will be tuning into the next 35 races and I know that these new cars have the potential to put on some great racing and I can’t wait to see it. But insulting fans and going after the same old demographic over and over is not the way to get more eyes on the sport. I don’t need to be convinced to tune in or go to the track, ~~NASCAR has my demographic wrapped up~~, err, trust me, I’ll be watching.

Here’s to a great 2013!!

Follow me on Twitter @aclovelace

Gaynalysis: Kansas: Cautions? Yeah, cautions!

"Gay NASCAR" by Keith J. Varadi - 2009

After the all the non-drama of four of the first five Chase races, who wouldn’t be looking forward to the excitement of another 400 mile race at yet another 1.5 mile race track? Just kidding, I fully expected Kansas was going to be yet another snoozefest, boy was I wrong!

Kasey Kahne started on the pole alongside Mark Martin, but given that there was no new shirtless picture of Kasey to come out this week, we all knew he wouldn’t win. Note to Kasey: shirtless pictures = wins. Got it?

Matt Kenseth, who started 12^th and hit the wall on lap 173, scored his third win of the year. Kenseth hit the wall while avoiding Aric Almirola, who has great teeth started near the front of the field and lead the race early on before hitting the wall twice during the day. The second hit would take Almirola out of the race with a 29^th place finish.

Jimmie Johnson wrecked on lap 137. Jimmie had lost a lap earlier in the race after an untimely caution sent him from leading the race to the tail end of the field. While trying to race his way back to the front, he spun out and backed his car into the wall, which would effectively end anyone else’s day. Unbelievably, crew chief Chad Knaus was able to fix Jimmie’s mangled car on pit road without losing a lap and he would salvage a 9^th place finish for the day.

The race on the newly repaved Kansas track produced 14 cautions for 66 laps. Two of those were brought out by Kyle Busch. Busch spun out by himself on lap 41 but was then taken out for good on lap after Ryan Newman poked him in the rear sending the 18 hard into the wall and wrecking himself in the process. Kyle wasn’t happy. Shocker. “I’m glad he’s wrecked along with me, and he’ll get another here before the year is out”, said Busch, who apparently has forgotten about his retaliation against Ron Hornaday at the end of last season. Tsk tsk!!! Busch finished in 31^st position.

Danica Patrick and Landon Cassill got together on lap 155 after racing hard together. Replays showed Cassill had gotten into the side of Danica a lap or two earlier and then Danica bumped Landon from behind causing both to spin out. Cassill recovered after the spin, but Patrick spun into the wall ending her day. “Well, rule number one in stock car racing is learn how to wreck someone without wrecking yourself”, said Cassill on the radio after the incident.

Martin Truex Jr. finished the race in 2^nd place followed by Paul Menard and pole sitter Kasey Kahne, who could’ve won if… well, you know. Tony Stewart, who also spun during the race, finished in 5^th followed by Clint Bowyer in 6^th. Regan Smith, driving for the injured Dale Earnhardt Jr. started 39^th and finished in 7^th.

Points leader, Brad Keselowski , who started pretty deep in the field in 25^th position, finished in 8^th place holding on to his points lead. Brad leads Jimmie Johnson by 7 points as we head to teeny-tiny Martinsville this weekend.

Follow @aclovelace on Twitter

NASCAR Diversity Supports Spirit Day

The NASCAR Diversity program took it’s first major stand on an LGBT Issue this week.

In an unprecedented show of support, the six most prominent American major sports leagues — The National Basketball Association (NBA) / Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Baseball (MLB), Major League Soccer (MLS) and NASCAR’s diversity program — will all ‘go purple’ with GLAAD for Spirit Day on Friday, October 19, in a stand against bullying and to show their support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth.

The @NASCARDiversity Twitter Page Tweeted this today:

We love and support all of our fans. Happy #SpiritDay!

— NASCAR Diversity (@NASCARDiversity) October 19, 2012

They also shared the message of support on their Facebook Page:

It’s a small step – but the first steps are always the smallest……. from everyone at Queers4Gears – THANKS to the NASCAR Diversity Program.

Gaynalysis: Pocono

The Gaynalysis is just one gay NASCAR fan’s take on the race weekend. You can read the “straight” recap from Pocono by clicking here.

"Gay NASCAR" by Keith J. Varadi - 2009

Typically, the Gaynalysis is a place for me to make silly jokes and double entendre about our favorite NASCAR drivers – but after the race was called for rain news broke that ten fans were struck by lightning outside of the track. One fan was killed and the nine others remain in the hospital.

Right now – let’s take the energy I would expend coming up with lame jokes and direct it to those fans in Pocono….. not a time for humor…. let’s just hope it isn’t serious.

Today’s winner, Jeff Gordon, acknowledged the incident with these fans will cast a shadow on the victory. “It’s so unfortunate because Pocono fans are so loyal and so avid,” Gordon said after the race.

The win puts the driver back into the hunt for the Chase – the bad luck streak that plagued the #24 all season seems to have been snapped.

Teammate Jimmie Johnson seemed like he was running away with another win – when on the final restart the #48 got lose and clipped Matt Kenseth. Johnson was able to save the car but he dropped out of the top-10 and Kenseth got the worst of it….. he was unable to save the #17, spun and was t-boned by Denny Hamlin.

Kenseth’s misfortune was Junior’s good luck. Jr. blew a transmission early in the race going several laps down, but the Kenseth wreck allowed Junior to maintain the points lead.

This week’s “Q4G Shout-Out” goes to Kasey Kahne. Heyyyyyyyyyy Kasey! After an error on pit road he got the #5 back up front and avoided the mess when Kenseth and Johnson wrecked. He did pick up some debris and got a flat- but he and Kenny Francis kept the #5 out knowing the coming rain would soon end the race. Making lemonade out of lemons – nice work Kasey!

Once again, everyone at Q4G is sending our thoughts out to those injured fans in Pocono. Let’s hope they both make a full and speedy recovery.

How do NASCAR Sponsors Stack Up in LGBT Equality – 2012

How do the sponsors in NASCAR stack-up when it comes to workplace equality? Better than you might think!

Using the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index – I have taken a look at the scores for the sponsors that we see each week at the races.

Who is the HRC?

The HRC (Human Rights Campaign) is the USA’s largest civil rights organization working for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered) Equality. Their website states, “HRC seeks to improve the lives of LGBT Americans by advocating for equal rights and benefits in the workplace, ensuring families are treated equally under the law and increasing public support among all Americans through innovative advocacy, education and outreach programs.”

The CEI (Corporate Equality Index) is published every year by the HRC. It provides an in-depth analysis and rating of large U.S. employers and their policies and practices pertinent to LGBT employees. The survey also tracks these trends and best practices among all businesses in a particular industry.

How do these companies get scored?

Companies are given a score of 0 to 100. You can see the entire survey and how the points are awarded by clicking here. As an example: 15 points are awarded for companies that offer medical benefits to same-sex domestic partners with an additional 10 points awarded if the company also offers “soft benefits” such as: bereavement leave or life insurance for same-sex partners.

Using these survey questions every company is given a score. You can find a complete list of all the questions – and how each company is scored on scale of zero to one-hundred by clicking here.

So how does the NASCAR garage rate? Quite well actually! Of the 41 NASCAR Sponsors that have a CEI score nearly half of them score a perfect 100. The average score for all sponsors was 75.625

I complied a complete list of sponsors that you would see from week to week on the track. I also included main NASCAR sponsors like Goodyear, Sunoco and Service Master.

There are currently 17 sponsors with no CEI score. There are many reasons a company would not be scored and it is not a negative. For various reasons some companies declined or were not asked to participate. Many of the un-scored companies would do quite well if they took the survey.

There is one sponsor that is dragging the NASCAR’s average down. Mobile 1 is owned by Exxon and is rated with negative 25 points. They are the first company in the history of the HRC CEI Index to receive a negative score. Not only does Exxon Mobil fail to meet a single criteria in the equality survey – they had points deducted for engaging in activities that are detrimental to LGBT Equality. Despite pressure from shareholders and customers – the Exxon Mobile board continues to fight against equality for all of their employees.

If a few of the sponsors that are currently un-scored took the survey I think the NASCAR average would come up. For the record, the NASCAR sanctioning body has not taken the CEI survey and has no score. The 75.625 average is for the sponsors we see each week at the track.

So how does your driver’s sponsor rate? Here are all the scores:

2012 NASCAR Equality Scores:

Sponsor	2012 HRC CEI Score
Toyota	100
Ford	100
Dodge (chrysler fiat)	100
Kellog’s	100
Clorox	100
Cheerios (general mills)	100
Motorcraft (Ford)	100
UPS	100
Kingsford Charcoal (clorox)	100
Miller Light (Miller Coors)	100
DuPont	100
Nationwide Insurance	100
Sprint	100
Coca Cola	100
Best Buy	100
3M	100
Office Depot	100
Amp Energy (Pepsi)	95
Huggies (Kimberly Clark)	90
Budweiser	90
Old Spice (Procter & Gamble)	90
Chevrolet (GM)	85
Pennzoil (shell)	85
Target	85
The Home Depot	80
McDonalds	75
Fed Ex	75
DirectTV	75
Caterpillar	70
Farmers Insurance (Zurich)	65
Burger King	55
Snickers/MM’s (MARS)	55
Long John Silver’s (YUM brands)	45
Taco Bell (YUM brands)	45
AFLAC	30
Lowes	15
Goodyear	15
Sunoco	15
NAPA Auto Parts (Genuine Parts Group)	15
Mobile 1 (exxon)	-25
Stanley/Dewalt Tools (Black & Decker)	no score
Scott’s	no score
US ARMY	no score
Tornados (Ruiz Foods)	no score
National Gaurd	no score
Go Daddy.com	no score
GEICO	no score
Speed Energy	no score
Furniture Row	no score
Aaron’s	no score
Affliction Clothing	no score
Camping World	no score
Menards	no score
Servicemaster	no score
NASCAR (Sanctioning Body)	no score
Interstate Batteries	no score

You can read and compare the scores from 2011 for NASCAR by clicking here.

How Does Rosie Know?

Rosie O’Donnell is convinced…..that Tom Cruise isn’t gay!

The other night on Piers Morgan Tonight Rosie told America that she was super-sure Tom isn’t a big ole’ homo – wanna know how she can be sooo certain. Turns out, Tom drives race cars. Rosie said:

“A lot of people have said to me oh you know so and so…are they gay? I personally don’t know a star who I have come to know and become intimately friendly in my life with who is living a false reality. I don’t, I really don’t. People say to me all the time ‘Tom Cruise is gay.’ I’ve been around Tom Cruise a lot. Tom Cruise drives race cars. I do not think Tom Cruise is gay.”

The video is not online – but you can hear the audio here in a segment from The Gary and Dino Show. Gary and Dino played the clip from CNN and you can hear how, even Piers is incredulous at Rosie’s comment.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Not all gay dudes are into hair dressing, decorating and musical theater – not all lesbians are into home improvement and drive dual axl trucks!

I was kinda shocked to hear such an ignorant statement coming from Rosie. Rick Santorum maybe, but not Rosie!

All stereotypes are based somewhat in reality – otherwise they wouldn’t exist. But maybe Rosie could come up with better reasoning.

Perhaps if she really thought about it – Rosie could come up with other reasons she knows Tom isn’t gay. If for instance – she had seen him spend time lovingly with his wife and children or if she had never seen him having sex with a dude….. those might be more concrete examples of how she “knows” he isn’t gay.

Rosie needs to meet Evan Darling and read the recent story on Q4G about openly gay F1 Driver Mike Beuttler – heck, she should just add Queers4Gears to her bookmarks. We even welcome straight readers like…. Tom Cruise. (allegedly)

(thanks to the Gary and Dino Show for the Audio – everyone needs to listen to their show online or on iTunes.)

Queers4Gears.com

NASCAR and MotorSports – From a Queer Perspective

Category Archives: gay

Out Athletes Stir Debate in NASCAR

Q4G Interview: Meet Race Car Driver Justin Mullikin

The Dudtona 500

Gaynalysis: Kansas: Cautions? Yeah, cautions!

NASCAR Diversity Supports Spirit Day

Gaynalysis: Pocono

How do NASCAR Sponsors Stack Up in LGBT Equality – 2012

How Does Rosie Know?