10/24/2007
Former Big Ten Basketball Player Zach Puchtel Discusses Sexuality
Former Minnesota Gophers basketball player Zach Puchtel (above, center) interrupted a fashion show last May and told an audience of 3,000 people that he was gay. A fairly big announcement which seems to have led to a much more complex analysis from the athlete himself. Yesterday, in an interview with the GopherHole website he says he's neither gay nor straight.
The GopherHole asks how his former girlfriend reacted to the news:
GH: How did she react when you told her? Was she surprised?
ZP: I had shared some feelings with her, but yeah, she was shocked. She was very understanding. For the record, I’m not gay, I am who I am.
GH: Does that mean that you are interested in dating men or women?
ZP: Women.
GH: I'm a little confused, how is that coming out if you still want to date women?
ZP: I had to find out exactly where I stood with my own sexuality, and so I did.
GH: So...you experimented and realized you did want to be with women?
ZP: I’m at a point that if I met someone and loved them, I wouldn't let their gender get in the way, and I don’t think anyone should.
...
GH: What sort of backlash have you experienced, if any?
ZP: Not much, most people have thanked me for speaking out once again. It feels as though I’m helping people by being myself, and I’ll do that anytime I can.
GH: What do you want people to learn from your coming out?
ZP: I guess the take home message would be that being yourself is ok, regardless of stereotypes and other people's opinions. I believe it was Socrates who said, "Know thyself."
Confused, or simply evolved and fluid with his sexuality? Whatever the case, I appreciate his message. Puchtel, who graduated last spring, hopes to go into the NFL.
He also has a blog, called The Search. In a recent entry, he writes: "I want to play football in the NFL. I believe that I was put on this earth to play football. This is my next goal, and I don't see anything that can stop me. Narcissism and ego aside, the one problem that may arise is the issue of being gay. I am not gay. I am not straight. I am who I am. I am sexually attracted to men and women, and I enjoy being with women in intimate relationships. I think human beings are beautiful, and I try not to differentiate due to sex, race or any other minute detail. We are all humans, we are more than 99.9% similar in every way, and we all share this life together."
Former Golden Gopher comes out [outsports]
“Go Big or Go Home” Zach Puchtel’s Philosophy on Life, Sports, and Coming Out [gopherhole]
The Search [blog]
Posted 1:30 PM EST by Andy Towle in Basketball, I'm Gay, News, Sports, Zach Puchtel | Permalink
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WTF? He's a college basketball player who wants to play pro football? He says he's gay one day, straight the next. He's gay, but wants to date women? He interrupted a fashion show to come out?!!
Somebody has some issues.
Posted by: crispy | Oct 24, 2007 1:39:58 PM
Issues? Yeah, how many highschool/college athletes wouldn't? But still incredibly brave. Very brave young man.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Oct 24, 2007 1:49:21 PM
i think essentially he is saying he is bisexual. i applaud him. a quote that i find perfect is:
Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself ~ Harvey Fierstein
Posted by: J | Oct 24, 2007 1:51:05 PM
Wow is that evolved. "I believe it was Socrates..." -- wait, doesn't Zach know that athletes aren't supposed to wax intellectual? What do we normal folk have left if we can't be both famous sports figures and eloquent wordsmiths? Zach, it's one or the other. We demand you choose!
Posted by: dan | Oct 24, 2007 1:54:08 PM
Okay...Did I just secretly climaxed...Well, not so secretly anymore.
OMG, I find his take on sexuality to be very bold and since I know that it's more common than generally acknowledged, and coming from a culture where such behaviour is widespread, I applaud him for his courage.
@CRISPY...There IS such a thing as bisexuality. And contrary to popular belief, it ain't a one way ticket to gayville!
Posted by: Shabaka | Oct 24, 2007 2:06:04 PM
Also, He went to Harvard, then to Minnesota, and back to Harvard. Yeah, I don't think he's the best decision maker.
Posted by: Jason | Oct 24, 2007 2:08:13 PM
Mmm, the guy on the left in the first pic has a pretty face. But they are all just so skinny..
Oh yeah, good on him to experiment for himself.
Posted by: beergoggles | Oct 24, 2007 2:08:54 PM
Why come out as gay if you think you are bisexual? And why come out as gay (or claim to be bisexual) if you are interested in dating and intimacy only with women? He sounds confused rather than evolved - anybody can quote Socrates...
Posted by: kipp | Oct 24, 2007 2:11:01 PM
I agree with Kipp. He's one confused puppy who's back-peddling big time. And a two-word quote from Socrates hardly an intellectual makes, especially when it's pretty obvious that he doesn't know himself.
Posted by: Jeff | Oct 24, 2007 2:17:57 PM
Puh-leeze, Mary. Quoting a widely used cliche like "Know thyself" does not make one an "eloquent wordsmith." He probably just read it on a plaque in his frat house.
Posted by: crispy | Oct 24, 2007 2:19:05 PM
Jesus you guys. Cut the kid some slack. We are supposed to be the loving supportive ones, he's going to get enough crap thrown at him from the christians/rightwingers. Can we be just a tiny bit more understanding or are we officially bitter queens?
Posted by: secretagentman | Oct 24, 2007 2:23:58 PM
Give me a few minutes with him...all the confusion will be put to rest.
Posted by: Davey | Oct 24, 2007 2:26:25 PM
A callous interpretation might be that he retracted his gay comment because he was "put on this earth to play football," and that's still pretty unlikely in the NFL. And that comment about not letting gender influence who he loves was pretty common among semi-closet cases back when I was in college.
Posted by: Paul | Oct 24, 2007 2:27:12 PM
I don't get it.
Did he play college football or does he just want to play in the NFL?
I'd be more likely to applaud his "openess" if it didn't feel so much like an "oh shit, I want to play in the NFL and don't think it'll go over so well as an out gay person."
Posted by: Dan B | Oct 24, 2007 2:29:48 PM
Brave? Oh Prunella! "I'm gay . . .except I want a woman so I'm not."
Comeback when you've got your act together dear. We have neither the time nor the patience for the likes of you.
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | Oct 24, 2007 2:30:38 PM
I agree with two points being made in the comments above.
One, yes he has some issues, yes, he is back peddling. But he was brave saying what he said in the world he navigates through, sports/jocks, etc.
Two, we should cut him some slack. He may be no child, but he is still pretty young and speaking from experience, I was still working on some issues at his age.
As for bisexuality being or not being a one-way ticket to gaydom, well, I tend to think it is only because I can't imagine having sex with a woman again once you have had cock. ;-)
Posted by: Will | Oct 24, 2007 2:34:01 PM
He seems really confused.
When asked if he dates men or women, he says women. He then goes on to say that he believes gender shouldn't matter to anyone when it comes to love. Of course he ends by saying he's available for intimate relationships with women.
Translation: He wants to lead a straight life with the occasional guy on the side.
As far as Socrates goes, that particular quote is so common and cliche, and didn't George W go to Harvard as well?
Posted by: michael | Oct 24, 2007 2:35:18 PM
David:
For a young man in his early 20s to admit that he "likes" other men IN PUBLIC is brave. Have you forgotten? Things haven't changed that much in his environment of student athletes (or pro athletes--they may be worse).
And don't call me "Prunella" I'm always regular. I need no help.
Posted by: Derrrick from Philly | Oct 24, 2007 2:37:44 PM
Derrick from Philly, darling, one word: overshare.
Posted by: Will | Oct 24, 2007 2:48:05 PM
I guess this is why they created the "Not Sure" option for Myspace's "orientation" field.
Posted by: Graham | Oct 24, 2007 2:51:41 PM
Okay. Here’s some hotness. It’s a Youtube video of Zach Puchtel lip-synching to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.” I kid you not.
Zach's Journey
Posted by: Markt | Oct 24, 2007 2:58:11 PM
Sorry, here's Zach's Journey.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND8CzDkZE3o
Posted by: Markt | Oct 24, 2007 3:01:17 PM
Dubya went to Yale, no?
Posted by: Jeff | Oct 24, 2007 3:02:23 PM
Good on 'm ! Clearly he has a lot to figure out (like we all did at his age) but that he is willing to do it in public is pretty fucking remarkable especially when you consider his NFL jones.
Posted by: Giovanni | Oct 24, 2007 3:03:46 PM
I love this guy for daring to say and do what he likes. Maybe he DOES want to date women and have an occassional guy on the side, so what? The point of declaring that you, and you alone, are the captain of your ship is admirable. Unfortunately, it's not only the straights who will have a problem, but it's also us, many of whom cannot grasp the idea of liking BOTH men and women. It's always the straight guy who we always want to believe is secretly gay, but when was the last time a gay guy cheating on his boyfriend with a woman?
I applaud this guy for making his own decision and defining himself anyway he chooses for whatever reason he chooses. More people, including gays, should do the same.
Posted by: Do Your Own Thing | Oct 24, 2007 3:10:57 PM