Ultimately, the bill proposed by lobbyist Jack Burkman isn’t aimed at keeping gay players out of NFL locker rooms. Instead, it’s about keeping gay players in the closet.
The proposed bill, titled The American Decency Act of 2014, prohibits NFL teams from employing “self-declared homosexual football players.” If that label weren’t clear enough, the next sentence states that the bill “shall apply only in cases where a football player has openly declared himself to be a homosexual.”
In other words, as long as the player doesn’t come out as gay, there would be no problem. Moreover, there would be no witch hunts or other efforts to out gay players. The law would apply only if/when a player comes out publicly and openly as gay.
Even then, the openly-gay player wouldn’t be banned from playing. Instead, the team would have to give the player “facilities” that are “separate and distinct from the facilities used by heterosexual players.”
As Burkman has explained, the bill provides for a fine of not less than $3 million and not more than $8 million.
Burkman will officially be unveiling the bill later today. It’s intended to be introduced to Congress.
Unless the Arizona legislature gets to it first.
