Gay Slurs in Sports No Longer Acceptable

Major league baseball teams are taking a more forward step in ending homophobic taunts on the diamond.

In the latest in a string of similar incidents, the Oakland A's suspended pitcher Ian Krol indefinitely Sunday for posting an anti-gay slur on Twitter.

The tweet was later removed, but the San Francisco Chronicle reported it was "a derogatory comment that included a homophobic slur and offensive language."

Krol, a 20-year-old left-hander considered one of the A's leading pitching prospects in the lower levels, was also suspended during his senior year of high school in 2009 for an alcohol-related incident.

Earlier this season, the Atlanta Braves pitching coach. Roger McDowell, was suspended for having verbally demeaned homosexuals in slurs he uttered at a couple during a pre game warm up. Last week, the White Sox second baseman, Gordon Beckham, also found himself on the carpet, apologizing for using his cleats to carve out a message on the infield dirt jokingly calling an opposing team member 'gay'.

Last week, the Boston Red Sox announced they would do, as the World Champion San Francisco Giants have already done, an 'It Gets Better' video, to prevent bullying of gay youth. All these are progressive steps by professional sports teams to establish a higher awareness of homophobia in sports.

Also on Saturday, WWE wrestler CM Punk apologized after a YouTube video surfaced of him yelling a homophobic taunt at a fan in Australia. In the video, CM Punk, whose real name is Phillip Jack Brooks, is seen calling an audience member a "homo" in an angry altercation at a WWE Smackdown event, held on June 14.

In two more high-profile cases, the NBA fined Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant $100,000 in April for hurling an anti-gay slur at a referee, and little over a month later Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah was hit with a $50,000 fine for appearing to yell a similar comment at a fan.