First openly gay player who is actively playing professional sports in North America? Could this be true?
Sometimes you forget after a few former players have come out of the closet, starting with John Amaechi, that no ‘active’ players have yet to do so. Sadly for our society, Wikipedia actually has a list.
Well 12 year veteran center Jason Collins has decided to be the first. He had this to say to Sports Illustrated:
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.
So why is Collins coming out now after 12 years in the league? Apparently it has everything to do with a combination of the pressure he has felt to stay in the closet, and the NBA lockout. That’s right, last season’s NBA lockout gave him plenty of time to stop and think:
Why am I coming out now? Well, I started thinking about this in 2011 during the NBA player lockout. I’m a creature of routine. When the regular season ends I immediately dedicate myself to getting game ready for the opener of the next campaign in the fall. But the lockout wreaked havoc on my habits and forced me to confront who I really am and what I really want. With the season delayed, I trained and worked out. But I lacked the distraction that basketball had always provided.
Collins goes on to talk about dating women, getting engaged (to a woman), and the thought of having kids as he grew up. But something deep down always told him he was masking something.
Many of you will remember the fact that Jason Collins is a twin, to Jarron Collins, who also played in the NBA. If anyone has questions about Jarron’s sexuality, Jason in the SI article goes on to talk about how he never really could relate to Jarron’s attraction to girls.
Jason Collins is currently a free agent this summer, and will likely be grabbing his fair share of headlines with this news before a signing takes place.
Good for you Jason, no one should have to live with a secret bottled up like that. Maybe he will end up a Trailblazer in more ways than one? (I know I know….corny…sigh.)
