Jason Collins Officially Becomes 1st Openly Gay NBA Player

The New York Times is reporting that Jason Collins, who last year came out as the first openly gay player to be competing in a major American professional sport, will become the first openly gay player in the NBA by joining the Brooklyn Nets for a 10-day contract. Collins had been playing for the Washington Wizards but when he came out the season for the team was over and he was technically not on any NBA team's roster. With his signing with the Nets, he will likely become the first openly gay player to compete in an official NBA game very soon, perhaps as soon as tonight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles (where Collins lives).

LOS ANGELES — Jason Collins, a 35-year-old N.B.A. center who announced last year that he was gay, has signed a 10-day contract Sunday to join the roster of the Nets. 

The signing is a significant step in transforming American professional sports into a welcoming environment for gay athletes. No N.B.A. game has ever taken place with an openly gay player on the floor. The N.F.L., Major League Baseball and the N.H.L. — which round out the continent’s four traditional major sports leagues — have also never had an publicly gay participant. 

The very act of Collins’s suiting up and stepping onto the court, then, would represent a milestone in the effort to change a sports culture that some feel has lagged far behind society at large in acceptance of gay people. Collins was expected be in uniform when the Nets played the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night at the Staples Center.

Congratulations to Jason (and the Nets) for breaking this lavender barrier!

Today is National Coming Out Day!

Today is National Coming Out Day, which has been celebrated since 1988, on the first anniversary of the 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. HRC has put together a lovely video that highlights the many celebrities who have come out over the last 25 years, including one I have characterized as the most memorable to me, Ellen Degeneres. It also includes a diverse list of celebrities who are now out of the closet such as George Takei, Jason Collins, Jason Lambert, Wanda Sykes, Chaz Bono and Ricky Martin.

Oprah Interview With Jason Collins Sunday 730pm EDT

Jason Collins, the newly out gay basketball player, his twin brother Jarron Collins, and their parents will be interviewed on Oprah's Next Chapter this Sunday on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) at 730pm EDT.

Here's a short promo blurb about the show (which is expanded to 90 minutes):

Collins, his twin brother Jarron and several other members of their family will discuss his decision to come out as the first openly gay active male athlete in one of the four major American professional sports. The wide-ranging conversation touches on issues like the global response to Collins' announcement and his hope that coming out will increase dialogue about tolerance and equality for homosexuals in (among other places) the African American community.

It should be great. I'll be in the air at the time but will try to watch it (after I see the new Game of Thrones Episode 6 "The Climb")!

Queer Quote: Andy Roddick Joint Athlete Ally

Other sports stars have been responding to Jason Collins groundbreaking announcement yesterday as the first gay male athlete in American professional team sports. American tennis players Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish have joined the organization Athlete Ally, whose mission is to "encourage athletes, coaches, parents, fans and other members of the sports community to respect all individuals involved in sports"


Quoth Andy:

Yesterday was an incredible day for athletes everywhere. Jason Collin’s courage and leadership in coming out reminds me of how important it is for an athlete to be able to be true to him or herself. As an Athlete Ally, I want to support every athlete to feel comfortable and confident being themselves and to make sure that all people - players and fans alike – are welcome and included in tennis.

Other tennis stars like Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King also tweeted their support yesterday.

hat/tip to Joe.My.God

Jason Collins on cover of Spors Illustrated

Jason Collins, "the first openly gay athlete in a major American team sport" is on the cover of the latest Sports Illustrated. Reactions so far have generally been quite positive, with even President Barack Obama calling Collins to offer his support.

Jason Collins Becomes First Out Gay NBA Player

Jason Collins is the first current male member of a U.S. professional
sport franchise to come out of the closet as openly gay

The veil has been lifted! Jason Collins, a 34-year-old player on the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics has become the first major league athlete to come out as a gay man. Collins is quoted in the May6, 2013 edition of Sports Illustrated magazine as saying: "I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm Black. I'm gay." And he's from Los Angeles!

I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay.

I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, "I'm different." If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand.

My journey of self-discovery and self-acknowledgement began in my hometown of Los Angeles and has taken me through two state high school championships, the NCAA Final Four and the Elite Eight, and nine playoffs in 12 NBA seasons.

I've played for six pro teams and have appeared in two NBA Finals. Ever heard of a parlor game called Three Degrees of Jason Collins? If you're in the league, and I haven't been your teammate, I surely have been one of your teammates' teammates. Or one of your teammates' teammates' teammates.

Now I'm a free agent, literally and figuratively. I've reached that enviable state in life in which I can do pretty much what I want. And what I want is to continue to play basketball. I still love the game, and I still have something to offer. My coaches and teammates recognize that. At the same time, I want to be genuine and authentic and truthful.

What's pretty wild is that Collins is the second professional basketball player to come out in as many weeks. Last week, Brittney Griner came out as a lesbian when she was the #1 draft pick for the WNBA and the world shrugged because gender stereotypes suggest that female professional athletes are likely to be gay anyway.

Congratulations to Jason Collins! It will be fascinating to see what the reaction will be in the NBA and the rest of professional sports. The interaction of race and sexuality should make this story particularly interesting.