This is the funniest thing I've read on 2p2

lol this should be good

How do you know how much courage it took?

If half of the top 20 british players are gay or bi, wouldn't it speak volumes that only Ben Grundy (who it's debatable is in the top 20 anymore) is out?

Again, how would you know what I or others go through on a day-by-day basis? Would you claim that being black, even in London, or Pakistani, or a dwarf, or something other than a straight middle-class male is 'easy'? Society has a perception, and people are treated differently, negatively, even in tolerant London. If you claim this isn't true, you are likely blind.

From where are you getting this assertion that the LGBT community thinks Jason is an attention whore? I find that very difficult to believe.

Grundy's gay? I didn't know that.

One day being gay is going to be so accepted that I'm going to have to come out as straight.

Exactly. He doesn't flaunt the fact, he goes about his happy life without broadcasting it.

He's the perfect example of why being gay just doesn't matter, it's normal. He has straight and gay friends, and his sexuality has no basis on how he is treated.

I don't get what Jason Somerville was expecting, a cookie? Because being who you are is just what you are supposed to do.

I'm a cynical jerk a lot of times, does that entitle me to something? Most people aren't cynical jerks like me.

How would I know? Because I personally know these people and their orientations. I think the right brained thinking and open-mindness required to believe you can win in gambling lead many LGBT people to poker. You don't need anything but your brain to compete. Men, women, disabled, and even children are on an equal playing field in poker. The cards and chips don't care who you are.

I didn't say it wasn't hard for you. You self admitted that it was your issue in your head. I was merely confirming that there is no issue of discrimination in London being one of the most progressive cities in the world.

I have one funny story of poker gays in London. One night was Brazilian girls night at Heaven (a huge multi-level LGBT club in SoHo) and a bunch of vic regs (mostly straight) decided to head there, including a very straight Mickey Wernick. Everyone got quickly that the Brazilian girls were actually trannys, but everyone was open minded enough to enjoy the festivities. There was more than one gay poker player unwittingly found out in their favorite haunt that night!

Anyway, Mickey Wernick was sipping his beer in the corner and was later adamant that no homosexual man would be interested in him...I had to point out that there is an entire fetish devoted to his kind. I think it was a good experience for him, he wasn't necessarily biased towards anyone, he just had no experience of what the LGBT world was. I think it is natural to be uncomfortable with things we don't know or understand.

Finally, I didn't say these people weren't out. Someone doesn't have to be an attention whore to be open and out with their sexuality.

I think you've lost sight of the fact that all the man's done is write a blog post. For various reasons he was in the closet, and in the blog he describes the very powerful act of breaking those shackles. Thus, as in many blogs, he's sharing a very relatable personal experience. He did not beg to be the flag bearer. So aim that critique at the OP or others in this thread.

Maybe from the people you don't seem to believe are out and happily living their lives?

This forum is going to be supportive of Somerville in general, it is a biased sample size. I don't think anyone is against him doing what he did, there isn't anything wrong with it, and it's good that a lot of people are reminded of reality...It's just that he's that type that wants attention, that's all. I think him and Negreanu are birds of a feather. I mean to say the first, and not even have it be corrected is ridiculous and sensationalist, and mildly insulting to those coming before him.

Attention whores are going to attention whore no matter what their orientation.

I agree with you partially, he hasn't said I'm not the first though. He can blog whatever he wants, but he's still looking for attention. This is coming from people who know him, I actually don't.

Ok pizdec, Jason did this for the attention. You win.

I wanna hear more about how pizdec apparently knows that "nearly half" of the "top 20 british poker players" are gay?

I see where pizdec is coming from with what Jason has done vs what Ben has done in terms of dealing with their sexuality. It's just differences in peoples backgrounds that forces them to come out in different ways and both are acceptable.

You know what I hate? How people use tweets and blogs to talk about stuff that's going on in their lives. I mean, seriously, WTF do these people want, a cookie? Why do people have to talk about things that are important to them? Then when I actually have to hear about things I don't like or care about when I, ya know, go out of my way to read their blogs or clearly identified threads on those, whaddaya call them? webboards? Don't they know how much of an attention whore that makes them?

In other news, I believe it's still 1991 and I just heard the word "attention whore" used by some cool kids so I wanted to use it as well.

He's coming out to a wider audience because a wider audience knows him; he's in the public eye. He wants to be the first to dispense information about himself because he's ready to fully embrace his lifestyle that has laid "dormant" or hidden beneath his outward portrayal, and rather than be randomly seen kissing some guy and be made a big scandal, he decided to tell people first.

Just imagine the reaction he'd get if he was kissing some guy in public before coming out and everyone would say "He's gay? Why didn't he tell people?" If he was openly gay from the get-go, it would be different. Yes, homosexuality has come miles in terms of acceptance in 2012, but that doesn't mean people lose the right to announce it just like they'd announce any other piece of information pertaining to themselves. People don't know things unless you tell them. I don't personally think Jason is making this into a greater deal than it really is either. He's not exaggerating the struggle, or trying to make a spectacle of himself, he's just telling people he's gay and what his life was like being a closeted homosexual; it's no different than Daniel Negreanu saying "I'm a vegan".

He's just a poker player who won a few tournaments. I don't see what this "wider audience" and "in the public eye" comes from. Most people won't have a clue who he is. If you showed them a pic of Phil Ivey they wouldn't know who it was so Jason's got no chance of being recognised by the public. I don't think Perez Hilton will be rushing to interview him.

Aint nothing wrong with being gay girlfriend,

He got bigger balls than Lederer and that other gay ballroom dancing moron Jesus.

Maybe not, but then again, maybe...

https://twitter.com/#!/PerezHilton/s...97557861335040

I assume brain chemistry has something to do with it, but I'm not sure exactly how it works.

I like your style. Lot's of red herrings for two paragraphs, then you get it in one fragment.

We should hang out or something.

Epic thread pwnage, nice 1.

lol....was just trying to chuck something out there for the yanks (but I don't see an interview like I said.) I was really thinking of Hello/Ok/Heat magazines and didn't know the american equivalent. Show anyone in the street a pic of Jason and i'd bet good money the majority won't have a clue who he is.

That's not even a response to what I said. Are you going to back up this absurd claim or what?

I answered your question. I stated a fact, and you asked if I knew how they are LGBT. I didn't know the answer to that as I am not a scientist.

Statistically, it is interesting to those of us who enjoy psychology. Lots of professions have concentrations of a certain type of person for whatever reason. e.g. being Samoan makes you 40x more likely to be an NFL player than any other race.

Why are so many Jewish people historically involved in jewellery and accounting? Why are so many female athletes compared to the general population lesbians?

It's going to be the same thing in poker. I wouldn't say as a whole 50% of elite poker players are LGBT, there just happens to be a concentration of them in the UK and Ireland. As a whole, and this is just a guess, I would say it's probably double the normal rate, but nothing like what you would find in the fashion world or in acting.

You didn't state a fact, you made a claim. There's not a single other person that seems to confirm this flamingly pink UK/I poker scene you allude to, which was your main reason for asserting that Jason's experience is so thoroughly uninteresting?

how can you say he did this for attention when it's on his personal weblog that people choose to read? also lol at 50% of top 20 british players being gay, false

Yeah it's just an absurd number to throw out there and shows that you don't really know what you're talking about, and that you're not in touch with the LGBT community. Who the hell are you anyway?

*racks brain*

Devilfish... Neil Channing... that bloke from Eastenders... Catman.... Sammy 'Any Two'... um....

Just because someone turns you down doesn't mean they're straight rupert