Candice Wiggins, who played in the WNBA for eight years, claims that 98% of the W is gay. https://t.co/6VgZT32dkC pic.twitter.com/6W3RAm3C9J
— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) February 21, 2017
Former WNBA player Candice Wiggins first made a name for herself as a player at Stanford University. Then she transitioned to the league where she played for eight years. But Wiggins retired from professional basketball last year.
And in a recent interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune, she explained that she was bullied because of her sexual orientation.
“Me being heterosexual and straight, and being vocal in my identity as a straight woman was huge. I would say 98 percent of the women in the WNBA are gay women. It was a conformist type of place. There was a whole different set of rules they could apply.”
She said the competitive environment made for a lot of negative behavior, like players fighting for crumbs.
“People were deliberately trying to hurt me all of the time. I had never been called the B-word so many times in my life than I was in my rookie season. I’d never been thrown to the ground so much. The message was: ‘We want you to know we don’t like you.'”
She continued, “It comes to a point where you get compared so much to the men, you come to mire the men. So many people think you have to look like a man, play like a man to get respect. I was the opposite. I was proud to be a woman, and it didn’t fit well in that culture.”
Still, she said she had no ill will to anyone in the league and would not discourage other women from entering.
“I want you to understand this. There are no enemies in my life. Everyone is forgiven. At the end of the day, it made me stronger. If I had not had this experience, I wouldn’t be as tough as I am. I try to be really sensitive.I’m not trying to crush anyone’s dreams or aspirations, or the dreams of the WNBA. I want things to be great, but at the same time it’s important for me to be honest in my reflections.”
This story is interesting. Lesbians in the WNBA is certainly nothing to write home about. But lesbians bullying straight women is new to me. Several WNBA players have stepped forward claiming that they never experienced or witnessed the behavior Wiggins described. DeLisha Milton-Jones told ESPN, “The WNBA has allowed many of us to live a dream. I pray that Candice does find peace with her life and is able to move forward without devaluing or diminishing what’s been priceless to so many others in the league.”
Another player said, “It’s important that we establish what it means to have the right to speak out, but also what it means to be accountable for what you say. Because what Candice is saying includes stereotypes and damaging words to an entire group.”
Not saying it doesn’t happen and we’ve all seen the effects of mob mentality. Still, Wiggins’ mention that she was vocal about her straight identity gave me pause. And the “proud to be a woman” remark is completely offensive. It insinuates that sexuality automatically speaks to the pride you take in stereotypical gender roles.
When you’re in the majority, is there really any need to be vocal about your identity? Your identity is the norm. It’s the way Black folk feel when White folk talk about White pride. It’s often used to oppressively. The whole world affirms your identity, often at the expense of the other. Going into alternative spaces and throwing your privilege around might not sit well with people who don’t benefit from that privilege in the mainstream world.
Veronica Wells is the culture editor at MadameNoire.com. She is also the author of “Bettah Days.” You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter @VDubShrug.
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