Johnson’s marriage lasted longer than her jersey number. Johnson, No. 25 for the Tulsa Shock, and Griner, No. 42 for the Phoenix Mercury, annulled their married 28 days later. The statement comes a day after the couple revealed Johnson’s pregnancy on Instagram and weeks after they were both arrested for domestic abuse in Goodyear, Arizona.
Griner remarked on ESPN, “I shouldn’t have done it.” “It was a blunder.” Johnson’s spokeswoman told TMZ she “still loves Brittney.” The annulment is a bitter but unsurprising end to the highest-profile same-sex wedding in professional sports. The couple’s narrative also touches on an understudied public health issue in the LGBT community: domestic abuse in same-sex relationships between women. Domestic violence is prevalent among lesbians, but Johnson and Griner’s history of violence shocked many yearning for a storybook ending.
Johnson and Griner was a longshot. Griner came out as lesbian in 2013 after her first-round selection pick and became a role model for LGBT athletes, especially lesbian and bisexual women. Griner said in a 2013 NYT piece that many people have congratulated her for being herself. “It’s my job to encourage others,” she said.
She’s heterosexual, though. Or as straight as a wife can be. In NYT coverage of their wedding, Johnson described how their romance began despite opposing orientations. Johnson isn’t a lesbian. Brittney’s different. The Times article depicts an inexplicable professional relationship. Two collegiate basketball rivals flirted at a 2013 training camp in Las Vegas.
Griner shopped with Johnson and friends, helped her choose a clothing, and made sure she had “everything she wanted.” Johnson said she “wasn’t sure what was occurring, but that was OK.” When their WNBA schedules aligned in 2014, the couple’s courtship blossomed, leading to an August engagement. Johnson: “I’m still not attracted to women.” “I only like one person.”
The Advocate published “10 Mushy Moments with Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson” Autostraddle labelled their engagement one of the “most important celesbian moments of 2014” AfterEllen’s headline: “Ridiculously sweet.”
Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta exploded when the couple appeared. Johnson and Griner were a rare lesbian celebrity couple in pop culture. In April, the couple was arrested for arguing in their new house, ending media praise. According to police papers acquired by The Arizona Republic, Johnson assaulted Griner during a heated altercation; Griner replied by shoving her head. A minute-long fight erupted.
Griner’s hand was injured, while Johnson’s lip was cut. Both were suspended for seven games and required counselling. The incident shocked fans who had only seen the couple’s private life in gushing LGBT media coverage. Little is known about domestic violence in the LGBT community, but early research suggests that same-sex and opposite-sex couples experience similar rates of physical abuse.
A 1986 survey finds lesbians face less dating abuse than heterosexuals, but similar long-term abuse. A new meta-analysis published in Sexuality Research and Social Policy finds that lesbians experience 18% physical violence from a same-sex relationship over their lifetime. Domestic abuse involving same-sex women is frequent, but there is a worrisome culture of silence.
All same-sex partnerships are wrongly supposed to be immune to heterosexual power dynamics, and women are assumed to be peaceful and incapable of physical abuse. The problem of looking past cultural stereotypes is heightened by a specific law enforcement challenge that pertains to Johnson and Griner’s case.
Same-sex victims are “more likely to fight back than heterosexual women,” making it harder for police to trace the source of the conflict. CAP argues that police will call the brawl “mutual,” leaving “the history of power and control” unexplored. The language of mutuality makes it hard to determine Johnson and Griner’s connection beneath their public courtship.
One attorney told Sports Illustrated that Griner was the aggressor. Griner stuck to the official version when asked about domestic violence in her ESPN annulment interview. Everyone has seen the police report, she claimed. “It’s called ‘mutual combat,’ and it is.”
LGBT and celebrity media likewise dismissed the incident as a one-time mutual occurrence. Many sites reported on the dispute in April, but later postings on their May wedding and Johnson’s pregnancy announcement omitted domestic violence.
After Ellen greeted “the happy couple” well when they married, reading only the fluffiest parts of the People exclusive and ignoring the domestic violence episode that happened just two weeks prior. Mainstream publications, like the New York Times feature of their wedding, highlighted the couple’s troubled past, but LGBT groups were in denial.
One Autostraddle editor admits to ignoring the issue in her wedding news post: “I’m also assuming some of us experienced complex emotions, but for now I’m just trying to soak up the wedding pics and pretend everything is okay, amen.”
Pretending “nothing is ever wrong” is one reason same-sex female domestic violence is hard to discuss. CAP notes that many lesbians “cover their abuse out of fear that society will consider same-sex relationships as intrinsically dysfunctional,” despite the fact that same-sex and opposite-sex violence rates are comparable.
“Nothing is ever wrong” discourages same-sex couples from reporting abuse.
Griner aspired to be “a light that encourages others” before this, she said in The New York Times. This hope is gone. In a culture that idolises celebrity same-sex couples because of their rarity, Griner and Johnson’s complicated relationship can nonetheless shed light on one of the LGBT community’s most secret difficulties.
When She Finally Opened Up About Her Sexuality
This year, homosexuality in sports, particularly football, has been a contentious topic of controversy. Chris Culliver, cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers, stirred controversy in January when he claimed, “No, we don’t have any gay people on the team; if they’re here, they need to leave.” Other NFL players, like as Brendon Ayanbadejo and Chris Kluwe, have made it abundantly known that they stand on the opposite side of the issue.
Jim Mora, the head football coach at UCLA, was recently featured in the university’s “You Can Play” film, which promotes openly homosexual individuals to participate on Bruins sports teams. The NHL unveiled a new policy to support LGBT athletes earlier this month. These significant advances coincide with this interview with Griner, whose opinions are both straightforward and bold. Griner, possibly the most dominant player in the history of women’s collegiate basketball, is a role model for young women across the nation. Her every action is magnified and observed by millions.
It is evident that she is attempting to use this influence to inspire others. Griner’s message is energising, and her statements will give men and women across the globe and in all of sports the courage to be themselves. This year, homosexuality in sports, particularly football, has been a contentious topic of controversy.
Chris Culliver, cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers, stirred controversy in January when he claimed, “No, we don’t have any gay people on the team; if they’re here, they need to leave.” Other NFL players, like as Brendon Ayanbadejo and Chris Kluwe, have made it abundantly known that they stand on the opposite side of the issue. Jim Mora, the head football coach at UCLA, was recently featured in the university’s “You Can Play” film, which promotes openly homosexual individuals to participate on Bruins sports teams.
The NHL unveiled a new policy to support LGBT athletes earlier this month. This conversation with Griner, whose opinions are basic but daring, coincides with these momentous advances. Young women around the nation look up to Griner, probably the most dominant player in the history of women’s collegiate basketball. Her actions are magnified and viewed by millions.
It is evident that she is attempting to encourage others by means of her influence. Griner’s message is energising, and her remarks are likely to give men and women across the globe and in all of sports the confidence to be themselves.
