Spring Break
Goalie comes out, reveals double life
Players accept goalie, give him positive reactions
PETER STEINBAUER
Issue date: 3/2/07 Section: News
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On a typical Tuesday afternoon, the junior from Athens would attend a Lambda Alliance meeting, a student organization aimed at strengthening the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community in Athens.
Fisher, a sociology major, would grab his goalie gear and then hop into his car to drive an hour or two to the Atlanta Ice Forum for hockey practice with the Georgia Ice Dogs, a club team affiliated with the University.
For his freshman and sophomore seasons, Fisher's teammates knew nothing of his other world.
"I pass pretty well," he said of being gay. "Most people aren't able to tell."
But Fisher said he soon grew tired of living the charade.
He said teammates tried to set him up with girls when he went out with them downtown.
Each time he replied with an ambiguous statement - something like, "I'm in a relationship."
He likened his situation those first two years to an episode of Seinfeld - the one in which George Costanza makes every effort to keep his girlfriend separate from his circle of close friends. In the episode, George complains that his two "worlds are colliding."
Fisher faced a decision: either quit playing hockey, a sport he had loved since he picked it up in high school, or come out to his teammates.
"After living a double life," he said, "it's really tough. You have to censor every word that comes out of your mouth."
Fisher, like George Costanza, feared one day his worlds would collide. He logged onto Facebook last summer and added previously missing information.
"Interested In: Men," his profile now read.
A few days passed, and nothing.
Finally a teammate instant messaged him. The teammate told Fisher he personally didn't have a problem with his sexuality but wasn't sure how everyone else felt about it.
Team Captain Mike Williams said once the season started in September 2006, the entire team knew about it.
"Your first reaction is one of, 'I wonder how everyone else is going to take it,'" said Williams, adding he feared the other guys might make fun of Fisher.
Head coach John Hoos said he first found out in a private conversation he had with Fisher.
Viewing Comments 1 - 9 of 14
Jim
posted 3/02/07 @ 8:46 AM EST
Great article! I'm a straight male, but applaud the courage of Joey, especially on a college level when it's even harder to come out to teammates. Just as importantly, I applaud the team and their coach for handling the situation with class. (Continued…)
Joy Strickland
posted 3/02/07 @ 9:00 AM EST
Um..... I was present when the Red & Black reported called the Exec Director of Lambda Alliance for statements on this story. I feel he left out an important aspect of the story - that UGA, in general social circles AND at and institutional level, is not nearly as accepting as the members of our awesome hockey team. (Continued…)
Jim
posted 3/02/07 @ 9:20 AM EST
Sorry to hear of your experiences, but I will say UGA and Athens is far more accepting than many places I have lived and I've "been around." Hang in there, you do have a lot of support--the 50's and 60's had the struggle for women's rights, the 70's and '80's had the struggle for african american rights, and the 90's and '00s are now the struggle for gay rights. (Continued…)
Hoot owl
posted 3/02/07 @ 12:22 PM EST
How does this club hockey news make the front page? Wow a gay athlete comes out, it would be more shocking if he had won a single game he played in his four years he has been on the team. (Continued…)
Really Hoot?
posted 3/02/07 @ 5:23 PM EST
Wow Hoot, first you flame the www.hockey101.com forums, and now you are dragging up your nonsense on a college newspaper you aren't even affliated with. (Continued…)
Joy Strickland
posted 3/02/07 @ 9:16 PM EST
Jim,
You are completely misinformed. If you had bothered to read the origin of this article - printed on an Out zine then you would know that the story was in fact about the struggles of coming out in two hostile environments (environments I live in). (Continued…)
Nathan Hendricks
posted 3/02/07 @ 9:37 PM EST
hrm. these comments are getting a little spicy. Jim, you make a great point by focusing on the positive take home message of the article, but I think it's important that we also acknowledge where Joy's coming from. (Continued…)
Wanda
posted 3/03/07 @ 9:54 AM EST
Great article! I'm a huge hockey fan and applaud Joey for coming out. I am a straight, married, Catholic female, but I totally support gay/lesbian/transgender issues and struggles. (Continued…)
PK
posted 3/03/09 @ 10:32 PM EST
Joey is one of the nicest people in the world. I too applaud him for this honesty. I have known him since he was young and he will only add the best to communities, organizations,and friends that he is involved with. (Continued…)
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