LGBT

Michael Sam is "an instant hero in the gay and lesbian community" ... so says the brother of NFL commish Roger Goodell, who's also openly gay.

TMZ Sports spoke to Michael Goodell ... who says "it's about time" a top NFL prospect was brave enough to be open about his sexuality.

In fact, Michael compares Sam to Jackie Robinson -- saying because of the defensive end's courage, homosexuality in the NFL "won't be an issue in 10 to 20 years."

Michael -- who's very close with his brother -- says he hasn't spoken to Roger about Michael Sam yet ... but says he knows, "Roger is fine with this. He's a good businessman and he's been around this issue his whole life."

Well, Michael Sam ... here's what you're up against.

Former NFL coach-turned-ESPN analyst Herm Edwards went on the air last night and declared that Sam's sexual orientation is considered "baggage" and coaches will have to decide if they want it in their locker rooms.

"He's a player that has issues," Edwards said referring to Sam's sexual orientation ... "Off the field issues."

He continued, "The thing you talk about in your organization with the G.M. and obivously the owner is, 'Can we handle this guy?' Can we handle the media that's gonna come along with this situation?"

The first openly gay NFL draft prospect is already getting major support from an NFL owner -- NY Giants honcho Steve Tisch, who tells TMZ Sports he "hopes" teams don't let Michael Sam's sexual orientation dissuade them from drafting such a stellar athlete.

The University of Missouri defensive end -- who was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year -- just completed his senior season and is very likely to be taken in the upcoming NFL Draft.

While Tisch wouldn't reveal if Sam is on his team's draft board, he did tell us ... "Michael Sam is a gifted athlete and a courageous man."

Missouri Tigers superstar Michael Sam -- one of the best college football players in the country -- has revealed he's gay ... and the timing comes just months before he will enter the NFL Draft.

Sam -- the SEC Defensive Player of the Year -- made the announcement publicly on Sunday ... saying, "I am an openly, proud gay man."

If (and when) he's drafted, Sam will be the first openly gay man on an NFL roster in the history of the league.

"I understand how big this is. It's a big deal. No one has done this before. And it's kind of a nervous process, but I know what I want to be ... I want to be a football player in the NFL."

24-year-old Sam said he already confided in a few friends ... and realized people knew while he was at the Senior Bowl. Sam says he dated another male athlete at Missouri, but not a member of the football team.

Sam says he finally came out to his teammates last year ... and they couldn't have been more supportive.

Magic Johnson's son EJ is BLOWING UP as a reality star on "Rich Kids of Beverly Hills" ... and the NBA legend tells TMZ Sports he couldn't be PROUDER!!!

In fact, Magic says he thinks the shameless E! reality show will springboard EJ into a TV superstar -- and predicts it won't be long before the kid has his own show.

Magic really couldn't be a more supportive parent -- especially after the way he had EJ's back when his son revealed he's gay.

There's more .. Magic also talks about recently buying the L.A. Sparks and also takes another shot at the Lakers. Check out the clip.

The guys at Google appear to have just flipped the bird at the Russians for their anti-gay laws ... posting a rainbow Olympics search bar to their homepage.

The art work popped up on the site minutes ago ... and the message sure seems loud and proud ... Google supports gay rights at Sochi.

As you know -- the Russians are enforcing a strict "no gays allowed" policy in their country ... which includes everyone traveling there for the Games this winter.

"Duck Dynasty" star Willie Robertson was less than 20 feet away from Jason Collins during the State of the Union, and Jason says he might have reached across the aisle to him ... if not for all the camera-whoring Congressmen.

Jason -- the first NBA player to come out -- was First Lady Michelle Obama's guest in D.C. ... and says, "They were moving [Robertson] from one Republican to another Republican" all night.

And Jason says the seemingly impossible -- the guy whose family patriarch said gays are gonna burn in Hell meeting America's new gay icon -- could have happened if not for all the photos and glad-handing Robertson had to do.

"We passed each other in the hall, and that was about it."

So, how did Jason see a conversation between himself and Willie going down?

Gloria Gaynor requested no shirtless men be in her line of sight during her performance at a gay bar Thursday night ... but not because she's homophobic -- her people say the singer is just deeply religious.

The "I Will Survive" singer took a trip to the Abbey in West Hollywood -- a gay mecca -- and performed her new song ... but the gig was delayed when Gaynor insisted managers remove all go-go dancers from the room.

The place is known for it's scantily clad men in speedos ... but Gloria's people say the 64-year-old diva was just protecting her image -- and it had nothing to do with the strong possibility the men were gay.

In fact, the rep says Gloria is an equal opportunity offender ... and makes an effort to never take pics with shirtless men OR provocatively dressed women.

Check out the picture at the Abbey. You could make the argument it's kinda religious ....

"The Bachelor" star Juan Pablo Galavis is not a hateful, homophobic butcher of the English language ... he's a sensitive, caring man who just can't express himself very well ... says a woman who just got booted off the show.

Chantel Forrest -- a black account manager -- tells TMZ she got to know Galavis well during her time on the show and says he would NEVER offend anyone because they're gay or a different color.

Galavis -- who's Venezuelan but born in the US of A -- told an interviewer gay people are more "pervert" than others ... then asserted the ol' language barrier defense.

Chantel says Galavis shouldn't be bashed for bad grammar.

"I was not offended by his comments at all," she tells TMZ. "They wouldn't have changed my opinion of him. I wouldn't change anything."

Former bachelorette Victoria Lima -- who was booted from "The Bachelor" last week -- tells TMZ, Juan Pablo's anti-gay comments are a HUGE turn-off ... so sleeping with him is out of the question.

Victoria tells us, "If I could do it again, I probably wouldn't go on the show with him being the Bachelor."

Victoria says if Juan Pablo asked her to sleep with him now ... she'd turn him down, and not just for the anti-gay comments. She says he's coming off as kind of a jerk on the show -- a real turn-off.

As we reported, Juan Pablo told a reporter ... he doesn't believe there should be a gay "Bachelor" because gays are perverted influences on children. He later apologized, saying he was quoted out of context ... and his English was bad.

Victoria's NOT on board ... calling the comments "thoughtless and inconsiderate."

She adds, "We should all have the same opportunities when it comes to finding love. Why shouldn't we have a gay bachelor? This is the 21st century, people."

Elton John is HUGE in Russia ... so gay people should feel totally welcome at the Olympics -- this according to President Vladimir Putin, who's trying like Hell to prove his country doesn't hate homosexuals.

Putin reiterated Russia would not discriminate against gay and lesbian athletes or visitors during the upcoming Sochi Olympics while speaking with the foreign press Sunday morning.

Putin used Elton as an example, calling him an "outstanding person (and) musician" -- and adding, "Millions of our people sincerely love him despite his orientation."

For what it's worth ... Elton spoke out against the country's "gay propaganda law" last month during a concert in Moscow saying, "In my opinion, it is inhumane and isolating."

Can you feel the love tonight?

One Direction singer Liam Payne went off via Twitter Saturday night after U.K. journalists blasted him for daring to say he likes "Duck Dynasty" ... and now, Liam's threatening to ditch social media.

Liam tweeted "D.D." star Willie Robertson ... saying he's a big fan and respects the show's family values. Some U.K. media outlets labelled it homophobic -- and Liam got pissed.

Liam tweeted after, "Being a fan of someones show and the way they still hold a family together doesn't mean i am ok with all they say."

However, Liam began melting down after fans also went on the attack. He unloaded a barrage of tweets, bashing the UK media and proclaiming he was "sick of this all" ... and would come back to Twitter once "the freedom of speech law is back."

Do they have that in the U.K.?

"The Bachelor"' star Juan Pablo Galavis apparently believes gays are more perverted than the average bear ... because he thinks putting a gay equivalent of him on the show would poison the mind's of children.

Juan Pablo raised some waxed eyebrows when he spoke to The TV Page saying "I don't think it is a good example for kids" ... and then said gay people are "more pervert in a sense."

Juan Pablo's gag reflex apparently isn't that good ... because he thinks the show would be too hard to watch if the star were gay.

So, we gotta ask ...

12:55 PM PT -- Warner Horizon Television and the show's executive producers just released a statement saying, "Juan Pablo’s comments were careless, thoughtless and insensitive, and in no way reflect the views of the network, the show’s producers or studio."

2:25 PM PT -- Juan Pablo posted an apology on his Facebook page saying his words were "taken out of context" (even though TV Page released the audio with the story) ... and he has nothing but respect for gay people.

TMZ has obtained some pretty explosive internal emails and texts between BET execs, who candidly admit they ordered a transgender host to change his clothes during its big awards pre-show because he looked like a chick.

B. Scott is suing the network, claiming he was ordered to 86 his flowing blue tunic, black pants, hair, makeup and heels because they wanted him to look more like a man, even though they knew he was a transgender person.

During last year's BET Awards pre-show ... Scott appeared in his garb in the first segment but claims he was then ordered to change his clothes and remove his makeup ... he obliged but was never put back on the air.

BET Music Programming Prez Stephen Hill wrote a pointed email before the show ... "I don't want 'looking like a woman B Scott.' I want tempered B Scott."
Network VP Rhonda Cowan offered help, "I can speak to him about being less 'womanly.'"

BET had a potential public relations disaster on its hands ... because B. Scott went ballistic after being told to change clothes. BET producer Stephanie Hodges wrote an email shortly after the broadcast, confessing, "He got upset and said he was going to blow this s**t up and call GLAAD."

BET has said it "embraces global diversity" and regrets unintentionally offending anyone in the LGBT community.

But we got an email showing the network was far more cunning. It's from BET honcho Monique Ware:

"The spin should be he was late for a live show and subsequently replaced and it would have been awkward in a live show to have the person assuming his role removed and him inserted." It seems she's saying it would be weird for him to come back on the air as a man.

Ware goes on ... "Unless we can make public the reason we didn't want him dressed the way he normally does, I would stay away from suits, suit selections, etc."

In the various email and text exchanges ... BET execs say Scott had been drinking, was unruly, had shown up late, and was wearing garments that were not pre-approved.

We reached out to BET ... so far no word back.

Jane Lynch has settled her divorce case ... TMZ has learned ... and we're told it was really civilized.

TMZ broke the story ... Jane's wife, psychologist Dr. Lara Embry -- repped by attorney Susan Wiesner -- wanted a pound of flesh -- as in $93K a month in spousal support.

Jane and Lara were married in 2010, but it was not to last ... Jane -- who's repped by disso-queen Laura Wasser -- filed for divorce in July, citing "irreconcilable differences."

Sources close to the former couple tell TMZ ... Lara didn't get close to the $93K she wanted, but did get something. We're told Jane got the house ... which is only fair since she paid for it.

Now that the case is settled ... we're told Jane and Lara are on "very civilized" terms ... even spending time with each other over the holidays.

If divorce can have a happy ending ... this is it.

Evander Holyfield's rant against homosexuality pissed off the former "Big Brother" star who once cornered the market on homophobic comments -- Aaryn Gries ... who tells us the boxer is an idiot.

Gries may have called a gay guy "queer" -- and true enough she mocked African Americans and Asians -- but Aaryn says her comments pale in comparison to what Evander said on "Celebrity BB" ... claiming homosexuality is like a physical handicap which can be cured by a doctor.

Aaryn says, "I know I said mean things, but at least I'm not ignorant enough to think that homosexuality is treatable. Seeing homosexuality as a sickness is outdated."