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AE: Including Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig?
GC: I don't think he's serious about it. His statement on MLB.com was good, but his actions were weak. [Guillen received a fine and was ordered to attend sensitivity training.] If you want Guillen to understand this is serious then the punishment has to be something that hurts. And that would be a suspension. And the only reason Selig fined him and gave him sensitivity training in the first place was because I wrote about it.

As an example of how serious baseball doesn't take this, on the same day Guillen got fined for calling Mariotti a fag, he was suspended for having a player hit [with a ball] during a game. All these words from MLB about how bad Guillen's homophobic words are, but then it's so much worse to hit a player.

AE: But isn't hitting another player with the ball serious?
GC: It happens thousands of times. It's part of the self-policing that goes on in the game. Players know how to handle that sort of stuff amongst themselves. I don't understand why Ozzie got suspended for this and not for insulting gay people.

AE: In a recent interview, John Rocker [the former Atlanta Brave who insulted gays and other minorities] says that the sensitivity training is a complete sham. He says his was a farce that lasted fifteen minutes and in it he talked about the weather. He also says his $20,000 fine was reduced to $500. What's your reaction to that?
GC: It was an independent arbiter who reduced the fine to $500. And Rocker never even paid that. It doesn't surprise me at all. Baseball doesn't take this seriously. Only taking issue now because there is outrage.

AE: Back in 2004 Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz reportedly compared gay marriage to bestiality. Eddie Perez also reportedly made anti-gay comments. Is baseball more homophobic than other sports?
GC: I don't think baseball is more homophobic than football. I don't know. I think in sports in general you find more homophobia.

AE: What made you speak up about this? It's not like sports columnists routinely write about homophobia they witness.
GC: I'm not sure. I don't have any thing in my background that would particularly make me aware. I'm a middle of the road kind of guy. If I had to say, I'd say I'm a Republican. I've only voted for one Democrat for president. All I can say about why I did this is that what Guillen said is the wrong thing to say. I wrote the right thing. That's what I'm supposed to do. It's my job.

AE: Was what Ozzie said really that unusual to hear around baseball?
GC: I haven't heard it that much, but I know it's a common thing.

AE: It's something kids hear everyday in classrooms.
GC: But those are kids who don't know better. We're talking about adults in the professional world.

AE: People seem to think athletes and, I guess, managers should get a special pass on things like this when most people know they couldn't go to work and call someone a fag. And I bet Guillen would have got in a lot more trouble for a racial slur.
GC: This whole thing is ironic because the White Sox are so diverse compared to other teams. All these different cultures have come together to make a fantastic team. And Guillen is a fantastic manager.

AE: As a gay man, I have to say I appreciate your speaking up about this.
GC: I don't deserve any credit. Like I said, I'm just doing what I'm supposed to.

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