Head Of Phoenix Suns Says He's Gay : NPR

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.

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.

TOP PHOENIX SUNS BASKETBALL EXEC RYAN RCH OUT AS GAY

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.

HEAD OF PHOENIX SUNS SAYS HE'S GAY

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. ” In ntrast, longtime NBA executive Rick Welts, who me out as gay 2011, worked on the bs si.

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

“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.

PHOENIX SUNS TAKE STANCE AGAST CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE, DEFEND GAY RIGHTS

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.

PHOENIX SUNS PRINT REVEALS THAT HE'S GAY

"Gog out to anythg related to work, or g to gam was difficult, as was gog to predomantly gay tablishments.

SUNS BASKETBALL OPERATNS EXECUTIVE RYAN RCH ANNOUNC HE IS GAY

Phoenix is the untry's sixth largt cy, but has an odd gay culture.

WARRRS ADD FIRST OPENLY GAY EXEC TO FRONT OFFICE

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. 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.

PHOENIX SUNS VICE PRINT RYAN RCH ANNOUNC HE IS GAY

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. 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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

For Suns print and CEO Rick Welts, the importance of an ad that creat awarens on the issue of homosexualy is of paramount importance. 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.

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

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. Sean Avery blasted for gay rights vio.