Wasn't Emile Griffith the first openly gay boxer?

[KidKwik]

Because I'm trying to figure out why they're making such a big deal about this Puerto Rican kid

[Scott9945]

Because I'm trying to figure out why they're making such a big deal about this Puerto Rican kid

No. Everyone in the boxing knew he was gay, but Emile would never admit it. He actually was married for awhile. Back then being openly gay would be very bad for a fighter's business.

[GeneralZod]

i dont believe he was open about it to very many people, let alone the public.

[billeau2]

My understanding was that he eventually admitted it but perhaps after retiring. I thnk the fight where he killed (Parrot?) caused some soul searching

[aaron.king]

My understanding was that he eventually admitted it but perhaps after retiring. I thnk the fight where he killed (Parrot?) caused some soul searching

I don't think he ever admitted it. I recall when he got assaulted by a group of punks after leaving a gay club, he didn't even admit it then. He simply said that he enjoyed those kind of bars, but wasn't gay, or something like that.

[Humean]

Griffith's *******uality was known well enough in boxing circles for Benny Paret to call him a '******' in the build up to their fateful final fight. He certainly wasn't 'open' about it, even by the 90s/2000s he was still saying he was simply bi***ual, possibly he was, or he just didn't want to refer to himself as *******ual. Infamous 50s/60s British gangster Ronnie Kray always referred to himself as bi***ual even though there is no evidence that he ever had any interest in any woman, i think in that era to admit you were *******ual was to admit you were like a woman.

Orlando Cruz is properly 'out', coming into the ring with gay pride coloured trunks and gay pride flag.

[Scott9945]

Griffith's *******uality was known well enough in boxing circles for Benny Paret to call him a '******' in the build up to their fateful final fight. He certainly wasn't 'open' about it, even by the 90s/2000s he was still saying he was simply bi***ual, possibly he was, or he just didn't want to refer to himself as *******ual. Infamous 50s/60s British gangster Ronnie Kray always referred to himself as bi***ual even though there is no evidence that he ever had any interest in any woman, i think in that era to admit you were *******ual was to admit you were like a woman.

Orlando Cruz is properly 'out', coming into the ring with gay pride coloured trunks and gay pride flag.

Exactly. Even someone as flamboyant as Liberace couldn't come out. A world champion boxer doing it would have been considered shocking.

[taansend]

If I'm not mistaken Kid Chocolate, the all time great Featherweight out of Cuba - who was 55-0-1 when he finally lost to Jack "Kid" Berg in 1930 - openly led a gay life in Paris after his retirement.

I could be wrong but I remember reading an article around the time of his death (1988) in a British publication. Fidel Castro disowned him over it but it wasn't a big deal in Western Europe.

And nor should it be anywhere.

Anyway, it seems to be a trend among boxers from the Caribbean. Every 30 or 40 years one pops up as regular as clockwork

[RubenSonny]

If I'm not mistaken Kid Chocolate, the all time great Featherweight out of Cuba - who was 55-0-1 when he finally lost to Jack "Kid" Berg in 1930 - openly led a gay life in Paris after his retirement.

I could be wrong but I remember reading an article around the time of his death (1988) in a British publication. Fidel Castro disowned him over it but it wasn't a big deal in Western Europe.

And nor should it be anywhere.

Anyway, it seems to be a trend among boxers from the Caribbean. Every 30 or 40 years one pops up as regular as clockwork

That was Panama Al Brown actually.

[billeau2]

I don't think he ever admitted it. I recall when he got assaulted by a group of punks after leaving a gay club, he didn't even admit it then. He simply said that he enjoyed those kind of bars, but wasn't gay, or something like that.

I guess during those days you never technically "admitted" it.