'My goal is to normalize' - Phoenix Suns basketball operatns executive announc he is gay - ESPN

Contents:

• 'MY GOAL IS TO NORMALIZE': PHOENIX SUNS BASKETBALL OPERATNS EXECUTIVE ANNOUNC HE IS GAY
• TOP PHOENIX SUNS BASKETBALL EXEC RYAN RCH OUT AS GAY
• PHOENIX SUNS PRINT RICK WELTS ANNOUNC HE'S GAY TO SPIRE YOUNG ATHLET SUFFERG SILENCE
• HEAD OF PHOENIX SUNS SAYS HE'S GAY
• RYAN RCH, AN OPENLY GAY NBA EXECUTIVE, EXPLAS WHAT HIS EXPERIENCE WAS LIKE G OUT TO ROBERT SARVER
• PHOENIX SUNS TAKE STANCE AGAST CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE, DEFEND GAY RIGHTS
• PHOENIX SUNS PRINT REVEALS THAT HE'S GAY
• SUNS BASKETBALL OPERATNS EXECUTIVE RYAN RCH ANNOUNC HE IS GAY
• WARRRS ADD FIRST OPENLY GAY EXEC TO FRONT OFFICE
• PHOENIX SUNS VICE PRINT RYAN RCH ANNOUNC HE IS GAY
• NBA PLAYER TORREY CRAIG SILENT ABOUT OLD TWEETS HATG ‘GAY DUS,’ LGHG ABOUT SHOOTG THEM
• PHOENIX SUNS’ CEO RICK WELTS — FIRST OPENLY GAY TOP SPORTS EXECUTIVE — RIGNS
• TORREY CRAIG OFFERS SCERE APOLOGY FOR ANTI-GAY TWEETS, TALKS ABOUT EMBRACG THE LGBTQ MUNY
• JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU

'MY GOAL IS TO NORMALIZE': PHOENIX SUNS BASKETBALL OPERATNS EXECUTIVE ANNOUNC HE IS GAY

Former ntributor and edor at NPRGay people have ma stris many sectors of Amerin profsnal life.

TOP PHOENIX SUNS BASKETBALL EXEC RYAN RCH OUT AS GAY

An openly gay man ns Apple, pris as the ernor of Colorado, and an open lbian ns a Fortune 500 pany. But the hight reach of men's basketball, gay people are almost 2011, 58-year-old Phoenix Suns CEO Rick Welts me out, beg the league's first openly gay executive.

He is the first openly gay person league history to work basketball operatns an NBA ont office. "Ultimately my goal is to normalize for people and out of the league the existence of gay men and women on the basketball si, " Rch says. After his sophomore year at Baylor Universy, he reached out to Bears ach Stt Drew to see if there was anythg he uld do to help the men's basketball team.

PHOENIX SUNS PRINT RICK WELTS ANNOUNC HE'S GAY TO SPIRE YOUNG ATHLET SUFFERG SILENCE

"I fally told myself, 'You need to stop nng away om the obv, and the obv is that you're gay, '" he says. 'When and how did you move om tryg to date women to nontg the realy you are gay? There was fort knowg that if the CEO of Apple, one of the most valuable pani the world, is gay, then why n't there be a gay basketball operatns executive the NBA whout repercsn?

If I had somebody e before me basketball ops I probably uld've renciled my inty long before I isn't there an openly gay active player the NBA? I thk people expect a far simpler answer than what gay men are able to accurately give when asked that qutn -- 's not necsarily as cut and dry as you might thk.

And he is performg his role as an openly gay man. Rch, 29, me out as gay this weekend an terview on wh staff wrer Kev Arnovz which he said his goal is “to normalize for people and out of the league the existence of gay men and women on the basketball si. Rch is a basketball junkie who ne years ago was a stunt manager for the Baylor men’s basketball team and now he serv as the Suns’ ont office chief of staff, makg him, Arnovzs words, “the first openly gay person league history to work basketball operatns an NBA ont office.

HEAD OF PHOENIX SUNS SAYS HE'S GAY

” In ntrast, longtime NBA executive Rick Welts, who me out as gay 2011, worked on the bs si. “I fally told myself, ‘You need to stop nng away om the obv, and the obv is that you’re gay, ’” he said. Rch is very thoughtful his answers, pecially on why gay players don’t e out.

If you wonr why took 40 years for the hight-rankg gay NBA exec to e out of the closet, look no further than Kobe Bryant or Tim wasn't easy for Rick Welts, print and CEO of the Phoenix Suns, former print of the L. Dodgers, the send-rankg NBA executive, -creator of the WNBA and NBA All-Star Weekend, to e, a sport where Kobe Bryant lled a referee a "faggot, " and where Tim Hardaway proclaimed, "I hate gay people. "Welts, handsome at 58, who got advice om longtime pal Bill Rsell before revealg his secret to the world, thks such moments of homophobia are anomali basketball.

RYAN RCH, AN OPENLY GAY NBA EXECUTIVE, EXPLAS WHAT HIS EXPERIENCE WAS LIKE G OUT TO ROBERT SARVER

"Gog out to anythg related to work, or g to gam was difficult, as was gog to predomantly gay tablishments. Phoenix is the untry's sixth largt cy, but has an odd gay culture. The gay muny has no geographic center.

Chigo Free Prs edor Bill Gubd started a trend when he purchased 2, 000 tickets for a Cubs game back 2001 and distributed them to gay baseball fans. Dubbed the “natn’s first gay day at the ballpark, ” Out at Wrigley is celebratg s 20th anniversary this year, and is one of 18 publicly announced Pri Nights on the MLB lendar this summer. On June 1, the NFL shield turned to rabow lors across social media, promptg some homophobic fans to lash out wh threats of boytts.

PHOENIX SUNS TAKE STANCE AGAST CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE, DEFEND GAY RIGHTS

As gay former offensive leman Ryan O’Callaghan recently told Outsports -founr Cyd Zeigler, every small signal of support is important. Head Of Phoenix Suns Says He's Gay Rick Welts, print and CEO of the Phoenix Suns, me out publicly this week.

The NBA executive is one of the most high-profile figur still active sports to clare that he is gay. Head Of Phoenix Suns Says He's Gay. And when I opened up, was om David and Diane Stern for $10, 000, which was an extraordary If an NBA player me to you and said, you know, I'm gay but I've been keepg unr wraps as bt I n.

PHOENIX SUNS PRINT REVEALS THAT HE'S GAY

Would really harm one's reer the executive ranks to e out as gay? M: Robert, thank Rick Welts, print and chief executive of the Phoenix Suns of the NBA, who has let be known that he is gay. Controversial Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver offered a supportive reactn when team executive Ryan Rch told him that he’s gay.

Durg an terview wh ESPN, Rch dited that he told Sarver a uple weeks ago that he’s gay, wh Sarver subsequently showg his full support. Rch’s reference to Welts relat to the former Suns CEO who me out as gay 2011 and beme the NBA’s first openly gay executive.

He’s the first openly gay person to work basketball operatns an NBA ont office. This year, the Suns aga took a stance on one of the most ntroversial and taboo issu profsnal sports: homosexualy.

SUNS BASKETBALL OPERATNS EXECUTIVE RYAN RCH ANNOUNC HE IS GAY

Jt weeks after Kobe Bryant was fed by the NBA for directg an anti-gay slur at a referee, ESPN reported that Rick Welts, print and CEO of the Suns, had announced that he is gay.

The same day, a PSA for the GLSEN (Gay, Lbian and Straight Edutn Network) featurg Suns players Grant Hill and Jared Dudley ran durg the Eastern Conference Fals. Kobe llected himself and ma the seemgly nsc cisn to ll out to referee Bennie Adams and shout an offensive homophobic slur. For Suns print and CEO Rick Welts, the importance of an ad that creat awarens on the issue of homosexualy is of paramount importance.

WARRRS ADD FIRST OPENLY GAY EXEC TO FRONT OFFICE

Now, by revealg his sexual orientatn, he hop to leave an even bigger mark by reachg out to the gay muny that may be timidated by the thoughts of a reer the sports world. "When to homophobia the sports world, 's e a long way, and I thk that people realizg that you need to rpect one another, " said Suns forward Jared Dudley.

When asked if he knew Welts was gay, Gentry said, "I had a feelg about .

NEW YORK - Phoenix Suns print and CEO Rick Welts revealed to the public that he is gay a story posted on The New York Tim' webse Sunday, sayg he wants to break down one of the last signifint social barriers sports. Welts' claratn is the latt velopment on a subject has gaed attentn the sports world recently, after Lakers star Kobe Bryant's e of a gay slur on the basketball urt and NHL player Sean Avery's public support of same-sex marriage. Kobe Bryant fed for gay slur.

PHOENIX SUNS VICE PRINT RYAN RCH ANNOUNC HE IS GAY

Sean Avery blasted for gay rights vio. Welts is one of the most proment figur active sports to openly clare that he is gay, although there has yet to be an active player the NBA, Major League Baseball or the NFL to make such a statement.

Also last month, Atlanta Brav ach Roger McDowell allegedly ma homophobic ments, c gtur and threatened a fan wh a bat before a game San Francis. Among the only people Welts opened up to were his parents and younger, only siblg, Nancy — although Stern said he had a feelg his iend was gay. "What I didn't say at the time was: I thk there's a good chance the world will fd this unremarkable, " Stern told the Tim, rellg their meetg which Welts revealed he was gay.

NBA PLAYER TORREY CRAIG SILENT ABOUT OLD TWEETS HATG ‘GAY DUS,’ LGHG ABOUT SHOOTG THEM

Acrdg to the newspaper, Nash was tipped off about what Welts wanted to discs and was surprised only bee he thought everyone already knew that Welts was gay. Phoenix Suns executive Ryan Rch announced he is gay an article published by, beg the first openly gay person NBA history to work basketball operatns a ont 29-year-old Rch is the team's vice print of strategy and evaluatn. "Ultimately my goal is to normalize for people and out of the league the existence of gay men and women on the basketball si, " Rch said to attend Baylor Universy and reached out to men's basketball ach Stt Drew to quire about helpg out.

"Rch, who said he dated women and veloped relatnships durg the panmic, was asked why he thought why there isn't an openly gay active player the NBA. He announced May that he was gay, beg the first senr sports executive to do so. Welts left a posn as print and chief executive of the Phoenix Suns earlier this month for personal reasons, four months after he beme the first senr sports executive to openly acknowledge he was gay.

He announced May that he was gay. The first openly gay person NBA history to work basketball operatnsRyan RchESJ. CDTBack 2011, Phoenix Suns CEO Rick Welts beme the first openly gay executive the NBA.

PHOENIX SUNS’ CEO RICK WELTS — FIRST OPENLY GAY TOP SPORTS EXECUTIVE — RIGNS

Followg his announcement, Rch beme the first openly gay person the league's history to work basketball operatns at an NBA ont office. "Ultimately my goal is to normalise for people and out of the league the existence of gay men and women basketball, " Rch told PHOTO"I fally told myself, 'You need to stop nng away om the obv, and the obv is that you're gay.

Torrey Craig of the Phoenix Suns has been publicly silent about his tweets om a ago sayg “I hate gay dus” and retweetg a post about gay men needg “a bullet” their head. The tweets got attentn when a young gay fan of the NBA searched through the Twter feeds of dozens of current NBA players, fdg that at least 40 of them had shared msag that would rate anywhere between a one and a one ln on the John Rocker sle of homophobia. “If someone talks about puttg a bullet someone’s head, that’s beyond ‘I hate gay people, ’” high school basketball ach Anthony Nimo, who is gay, said.

TORREY CRAIG OFFERS SCERE APOLOGY FOR ANTI-GAY TWEETS, TALKS ABOUT EMBRACG THE LGBTQ MUNY

There were also dozens of other tweets by Craig wh var referenc to “gay, ” “no homo” and other problematic msag. The NBA and players unn have been silent, spe NBAPA Print CJ McCollum tweetg “no homo” bee, of urse, beg associated wh gay people is jt the worst.

Until he speaks publicly about the tweets and updat fans on his thoughts about the LGBTQ muny, Craig may be seen by some as the face of homophobia the NBA. His partner has jot ctody of two children Sacramento, which would have ma a move to Phoenix to jo Welts difficult if not admted there is a nnectn between this cisn and the fallout of his announcement the 2010-11 regular season, Los Angel Lakers star Kobe Bryant was fed $100, 000 for shoutg homophobic slurs durg a game. The surprise and disgt om the basketball muny me as a shock to John Amaechi, a former NBA player who me out after his retirement and has been an advote for gay jog the Suns 2002, Welts worked as print of Fox Sports Enterpris.

JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU

Welts explaed that he wants to pierce the silence that envelops the subject of homosexualy men’s team sports. He wants to be a mentor to gay people who harbor doubts about a sports reer, whether on the urt or the ont office.

Welts, who stands now as a te rary, a man promently employed profsnal men’s team sports, willg to clare his homosexualy. Welts awkward or even surprisg; he had long known that his iend was gay, but never felt that he had license to broach the subject. What ltle he knew of gay culture was stereotypil, and unappealg, he relled.