A new book documents portraits of LGBT athletes, 'Key & Peele' writers talk about the show's impact, LA's changing area codes.
'Fearless' LGBT athletes who were out years before Jason Collins and Michael Sam
When a professional athlete comes out as LGBT, big headlines follow, with the media asking questions like, "Could this person change the way we forever think about who can play sports?"
It happened with Jason Collins, Michael Sam, Britney Griner, Tom Daley and more.
But a new book shows that it's the wrong kind of question — and has been for while.
There are thousands of LGBT college and high school athletes in America who've already paved the way for acceptance on their teams.
Photographer Jeff Sheng spent the past 13 years taking their portraits and gathering their stories, now compiled in his new book, "Fearless".
"I actually struggled with my own sexual orientation throughout high school," he says.
Sheng was a former tennis player and he recalls that in 1996, when he was still closeted, an older teammate came out but decided to stop playing.
"I remember some of the younger guys on the team saying that they were glad, since they didn't want a gay guy on the team with them," he recounts in "Fearless". "One of them even joked how 'he probably had AIDS anyway.'"
"Fearless" began as a college photography project to confront his past.
"I realized that I was never able to be an out athlete," he writes, "but I wanted to recognize others who could."
Over the years, he got a lot of positive responses to his work.
"When I looked at your photographs, I saw for the first time others who I felt were similar to me," said subject Adrian, a lacrosse player from Cal Poly Pomona in 2005. "It was comforting to know that there were other gay athletes out there who were proud of who they were."
Sheng also recalls when his work was on display at the student union of the University of Florida in 2006. The organizers were worried that the photographs would be vandalized by passersby.
But instead, Sheng says he saw people who were surprised and respectful.
"You could see this moment on their face of, 'Oh my goodness, they're all part of the LGBT community,'" he remembers. "The biggest shock for them was that they looked like every other athlete."
In the past two years, Sheng has noticed the acceptance of LGBT athlete swell to unprecedented levels – he believes that the environment is so welcoming, now, that an athlete from a storied team like UCLA football could soon come out to fanfare.
"What the book actually captures is the moment before all that happens."
Even after the book's publication, however, Sheng plans to continue to photograph student-athletes from all over the country as part of FearlessProject.org.
"There's a new generation out there," he says, "and they can be just as inspiring as the people from 10 years ago."
Impatient: Is it OK to record your doctor with your cellphone?
Think for a moment about the relationship between a doctor and a patient. The patient shares intimate information about her health. In return, she trusts that her doctor gives her the best advice possible, but these days, there's often a third party in the exam room: a cellphone.
A patient can use it to record what her doctor tells her, but should she?
Southern California Public Radio's health reporter
has been looking into the evolving ethics of patients using their phones to record their doctors' visits. She joins us each week for our consumer health segment called "Impatient."
To hear the entire conversation click on the audio link embedded at the top of this post, or if you'd like to read about what Rebecca has to say, check out her blog post.
'Key & Peele' writers reflect on exploring uncomfortable social dynamics through comedy
Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele are the key players of the Comedy Central sketch show bearing their names. It ends a five-season run, with the final episode airing Wednesday.
The show pokes fun at all sorts of topics, but it often hones in on race. That means Key and Peele doesn't always make for comfortable viewing. Sometimes it's not clear if you should laugh, or cringe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zDHSLDY0Q8
This year, the show is up for six Emmys, including Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series.
Two of those writers, Ian Roberts and
, joined host Alex Cohen to discuss how the sketches they write about race are a way to make light of a variety of social dynamics.
Press the play button above to hear the interview.
Sports roundup: Serena Williams, Deflate Gate
At the U.S. Open on Tuesday night, Serena Williams beat her sister Venus to advance to the quarterfinals. She's also won:
- The past 3 US Opens, six overall
- 26 straight Grand Slam matches this year
- 33 in a row overall
- 21 career majors, one more ties Steffi Graff for 2nd (Margaret Court 24)
Host A Martinez takes a look at Serena's latest win, plus the latest Deflate Gate news, in this week's edition of Sports Roundup with
.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above
Angelenos sound off on beloved LA area codes
The 213 area code is making a big comeback.
The California Public Utilities Commission says we're running out of 323 area codes, and it'll start distributing 213 instead next year.
L.A.'s area codes are more than a number: Some of us are so attached to these numerical prefixes that we wouldn't dare part with them.
Here's what our listeners had to say about SoCal area codes on Facebook:
We heard from a Valley girl on Twitter:
@AshleyAlvarado @KPCC My current 805 area code says "beach." But I will always be, like, totally an 818 girl.
— Sharon “I Was Right about 2022” Kaplan 📰 (@shakaplan) September 8, 2015
We heard from locals all over SoCal via our Public Insight Network:
"People ask me sometimes where 213 is, and I proudly tell them Los Angeles. Even when I lived in LA, I felt like most of the 213 numbers I dialed were for businesses. I liked having a number that showed 213 was more than downtown office buildings; it was students and families, lifelong Angelenos and newcomers alike. To me, 213 is a part of LA that is not always glamorous and is often neglected, but it's resilient.”
—Joanna Lin
"I'm old enough to remember [the 213] area code applying to almost everyone I knew!
—John Pierce
You can weigh in on our Facebook page here.
KPCC's social media producer and 213-er joined host A Martinez with more. To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above.
'Anti-California' stickers popping up on Portland for sale signs
It seems some native Oregonians have an issue with THESE guys:
Yes, it's us! Some Californians are apparently outbidding Portlanders for homes there, so someone is posting so-called anti-California stickers on for sale signs. But as realtor Quinn Irvine explains, this may not be all California's fault.
Joining Take Two to discuss:
- Quinn Irvine, a real estate agent in Portland who found a sticker at one of his properties
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above