In an Episode of ESPN’s Outside the lines, Michael Sam, the 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year from Mizzou, announced that he was gay.

Sam is an NFL prospect; and prior to the announcement, Mel Kiper Jr, a NFL analyst on ESPN, projected Sam as a fourth round draft pick. If Sam were to be drafted, this would make him the first openly gay player in NFL history. Sam received much positive feedback, as the student body at the University of Missouri shoveled the words “SAM” at the football stadium; he also received encouraging tweets from celebrities such as Barack Obama, Mike Greenberg, and Jason Collins.
With such a surprising announcement, the question arises: How do high school students react to having a gay/lesbian teammate? Apparently, students feel as if any sexual orientation should be welcomed with open arms onto a York athletic team.

“I believe everyone has equal rights to be on the playing field, no matter sexual preference,” said junior Football player Peter Varughese.

It seems as if the past couple of years, American society is at a turning point in terms of equality for all, whether it be gender, race or sexual preference. Mizzou students displayed this mindset after Michael Sam’s announcement; most people around campus were already aware of his sexual preference, yet did not publicize because it is irrelevant to them.

“It wasn’t a secret (that Sam was gay), it’s just that no one was running to the press to out him to the nation. He came out because he wanted to tell the world his way, rather than from a random student or someone else,” Lothian said.