Here’s a scenario I didn’t have on my 2023 Bingo card: former NBA star Dwight Howard is a victim of homophobia.
Sports :
In case you’re unaware, Dwight Howard was the #1 pick of the 2004 NBA draft. During his almost 20-year illustrious career, he became an NBA champion, was an 8-time All-Star, 8-time All-NBA Team honoree, 5-time All-Defensive Team member, and 3-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Now, in case you’ve been living on the dark side of the moon, you may also be unaware that Dwight Howard has been charged with sexual assault and battery against another man.
According to ESPN News, a man by the name of Stephen Harper sent Howard a private message via Instagram in May of 2021. The 2 men began talking, then flirting, and then agreed to meet in person. Harper was invited to Howard’s Georgia mansion and upon arrival, they disrobed and began kissing and engaging in additional body contact.
After an extended period of sexual foreplay, Dwight Howard briefly left the bedroom and returned with a man dressed in drag who went by the name of “Kitty.” Stephen Harper said the presence of another person was not part of their agreement and it made him feel uncomfortable. He was ready to leave but was allegedly pinned down by Howard, who then forcibly performed oral sex on him. When the NBA star realized Harper was not aroused by his actions, Howard released the man from his grips and instead engaged in oral sex with “Kitty.” That’s when Harper said he called an Uber and left the residence. He later filed sexual assault charges against Howard, saying the 6’10” and 265-pound basketball star completely overpowered him and forced him into activity against his will.
“Hours into me being at Dwight Howard’s home, he ambushed me with this person,” Stephen Harper said on Instagram. “Dwight never showed me pictures of “Kitty” nor disclosed their gender. Kitty walked in with a full beard, 2-inch heels, and a 28-pcs church wig. Immediately I was thrown off, uncomfortable and expressed that I wanted to leave. Shortly after, Dwight forced himself onto me.”
Last week, Dwight Howard appeared in court and admitted that he and Stephen Harper engaged in “consensual sexual activity.” However, he denied doing anything forcibly or against Harper’s will.
Once Howard admitted to having a sexual rendezvous with another man, the NBA and court of public opinion raced in with remarks, bringing juvenile 7th-grade jokes and old-fashioned homophobia along with them.
Popular sports journalist Stephen A. Smith delivered an interesting take on the Dwight Howard debacle.
“Let me tell you what came to my mind when I thought about this: That’s why teams didn’t want him,” Smith said last week on The Stephen A. Smith Show.
“Now, whether they’re going to admit it or not and I’m not going to mention teams, because I don’t want to incriminate anybody or accuse anybody of something I simply don’t know, I’m guessing. What I’m saying is that’s the first thought that came to my mind, that’s why they don’t want him. Because what do I constantly try to educate y’all about as somebody that’s been a reporter for 30 years –- we always know more than we reveal.”
Stephen A. then went on to describe some of the sexual activity outlined in the court report, before stopping himself in disgust.
“I can’t do this no more,” Smith told his audience while reading from the report. “Get it off the screen, fet it off. You gay and that is what you want to do? Cool! I don’t have any problem living their life. I’m not here to judge. Not here to judge the transgender community. But the details… uggh, uggh!” Smith said while scrunching his face into a knot of repulsion.
During an appearance on the podcast It Is What It Is, former rapper Ma$e said he believes Howard’s “business in the bedroom” is the reason he didn’t get any opportunities to remain in the NBA. He then went on to explain that what people do behind doors “does matter,” and anyone who says it doesn’t is lying.
“Stop telling people, ‘I don’t care what you do on your own time.’ Because we do care,” the Harlem World rapper expressed. “And women, you gotta stop. We gotta stop telling ni**as, ‘What you do in your own personal time has nothing to do with me.’ It does matter. These are the lies that are going on in society. We tell people it doesn’t matter. But behind your back, it matters. It matters.”
Interestingly, neither Stephen A. Smith nor Ma$e addressed the severe charge of sexual assault and never once in their retorts even mentioned the word “assault.” Their take on the Dwight Howard story was exclusively related to the shock value of the former NBA star admitting to a sexual act with another man, admitting to some involvement with a drag queen named “Kitty,” and their feelings of disgust at the entire saga.
That, folks, is blatant homophobia. And, in 2023, no doubt!
Whether his claims are true or false, Stephen Harper said he was sexually assaulted against his will. If true, that is a crime. So, why didn’t these adult journalists and podcasters address the real issue?
HOMOPHOBIA!
Sports fans are, quite obviously, fooling themselves, but every basketball player in professional sports is not heterosexual. There are likely just as many gay NBA players as there are gay WNBA players. Yet, the reveal of the truth still provokes shock, awe, and juvenile gasps of “Uggh” while reading from a court report detailing sexual assault.
For his part, Dwight Howard responded to the kiddie responses related to his sexual activity with his own level of disgust.
“People who know what is going on in my bed know what the hell is going on and what I do with it. I don’t gotta tell nobody where I put my wood at since ya’ll wanna get to it,” the 37-year-old ball player said on social media. “That ain’t nobody business where I put my sh*t at. Ya’ll just weird. If you wanna know what people doing in their bedroom or who they messin’ with or sleeping with, you are weird!”
He’s right.
Homophobia is “just weird.” it’s time for adult sports lovers, journalists, and reporters to grow up and accept reality. Some people are gay. Deal with it.
OK WASSUP! discusses Sports News:
Dwight Howard and modern-day homophobia.
Honestly, I have never understood some people’s need to be all up in other people’s personal business(?)
However, in this case, the problem for D. Howard is that all of his business being put out there was prompted by an assault claim filed against him by another gay man who has filed a very public lawsuit against Howard.
Why didn’t D. Howard try to settle this thing privately out of court?!