Fallen lesbian WNBA star Latasha Byears cites homophobia
Latasha Byears helped the Los Angeles Sparks win two WNBA championships, then she was accused of rape following a party at her Marina del Rey condo. It ended her career. Meanwhile, a similar allegation would be leveled against Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant by a Colorado hotel worker. The athletes shared more in common than the specter of a criminal trial. They also worked for the same corporate family, an L.A. institution that would treat the two ballplayers—one famous and the other relatively obscure - very differently.
The Lakers stood by Bryant and NBA Commissioner David Stern said that Bryant should "absolutely" continue to play until proven guilty. For Byears, as soon as the police investigation opened, the Sparks wasted no time in releasing Byears. Since then she's had a series of odd jobs, including a stint slinging JC Penney merchandise in a Buena Park distribution center that lasted seven hot, boring days. "It's not that the work was bad," Byears says. "I just couldn't take it. Byears believes her particular predicament stems from something other than her largely unheralded status as a player or her reputation for unladylike behavior. She's convinced she has been ostracized because she's gay.
« Read Previous Post | Queer Day Home | Read Next Story »
