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Botany

(70,533 posts) Fri Feb 1, 2013, 11:07 AM Feb 2013

49ers' Donte Whitner ready to accept gay teammate, disappointed in Chris Culliver

NEW ORLEANS — San Francisco 49ers safety Donte Whitner, who spoke out against bullying gay teens in a public service announcement last year, said Thursday it was "a little disappointing" when fellow Niners defensive back Chris Culliver spoke out against gay players in the NFL in a radio interview this week.

Whitner said comments such as the ones made by Culliver are the reason no active player has announced he's gay.

"It is common sense, first and foremost. But sometimes when you're not used to speaking for a long amount of time, you might get caught off guard, and I think it was a situation where he was caught off guard and answered a question incorrectly," Whitner said.

"Chris is a very young guy. It's his second year in the National football League. A lot of this stuff is new to him. He'll learn from this mistake and get better."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/niners/2013/01/31/donte-whitner-chris-culliver-gay/1880449/

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BTW Mr. Whitner has gay family members and is a really nice guy too ..... he used to play football and basketball
w/ my son when he was about 10 years old and going to a day camp at Ohio State in the summer. He and the other
football players called my son "White Chocolate" and were very kind to the kids they were spending time with.

6 replies

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Highlight:

49ers' Donte Whitner ready to accept gay teammate, disappointed in Chris Culliver (Original Post) Botany Feb 2013 OP

Donte Whitner sounds like a real stand up guy Kber Feb 2013 #1

He didn't "answer a question incorrectly" Marrah_G Feb 2013 #2

He (Culliver) was crying and issued a nice apology Botany Feb 2013 #3

That's what sometimes happens when you DON'T go all medieval on somebody's ass. randome Feb 2013 #4

I have to give Culliver credit: he said he was sorry "THAT I offended anyone", not "IF I offended Aristus Feb 2013 #5

I'll take him at his word Aerows Feb 2013 #6

Kber

(5,043 posts)

1. Donte Whitner sounds like a real stand up guy

Reply to Botany (Original post)

Fri Feb 1, 2013, 11:26 AM

Feb 2013

This is the kind of man we should be holding up as a role model.

Marrah_G

(28,581 posts)

2. He didn't "answer a question incorrectly"

Reply to Botany (Original post)

Fri Feb 1, 2013, 11:39 AM

Feb 2013

He said what meant and outed himself as a bigot. Then his managers wrote an apology for him to try and preserve his "brand".

Botany

(70,533 posts)

3. He (Culliver) was crying and issued a nice apology

Reply to Marrah_G (Reply #2)

Fri Feb 1, 2013, 12:09 PM

Feb 2013

"I was really not thinking. Or, something I thought, but not something that I feel in my heart," Culliver said. "I'm sorry that I offended anyone. They were very ugly comments, and that's not what I feel in my heart. Hopefully, I can learn and grow from this experience and this situation. I love San Francisco."

snip

Culliver, 24, said he has intends to reach out to San Francisco's gay community, though he has yet to hear from any LGBT groups.

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I have to take him at his word and I think this might help him grow.

randome

(34,845 posts)

4. That's what sometimes happens when you DON'T go all medieval on somebody's ass.

Reply to Botany (Reply #3)

Fri Feb 1, 2013, 12:15 PM

Feb 2013

Whitner has class.

Aristus

(66,410 posts)

5. I have to give Culliver credit: he said he was sorry "THAT I offended anyone", not "IF I offended

Reply to Botany (Reply #3)

Fri Feb 1, 2013, 12:22 PM

Feb 2013

anyone", which is the standard, tried-and-true, disingenuous, non-apology we've all come to expect from dickish public figures.

He also admitted his statement was ugly. There's hope for him.

Aerows

(39,961 posts)

6. I'll take him at his word

Reply to Botany (Reply #3)

Fri Feb 1, 2013, 12:36 PM

Feb 2013

He admitted he made ugly comments, and apologized for them. People learn of their ignorance by being educated. He seems to be willing to educated, and I can't fault him for that. Some of the staunchest allies of any group suffering from prejudice have been people that were once bigoted and then got more information.

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