Jason Colls first openly gay active player - ESPN

Contents:

• MAGIC JOHNSON ON LEARNG TO ACCEPT HIS GAY SON: 'HE CHANGED ME'
• MAGIC JOHNSON OPENS UP ABOUT LEARNG TO ACCEPT HIS GAY SON
• MAGIC JOHNSON SAYS HE SUPPORTS GAY SON EJ 'A LN PERCENT': 'THIS IS REALLY WONRFUL FOR HIM'
• MAGIC JOHNSON: I LOVE MY ‘AMAZG’ GAY SON AND SUPPORT HIM NO MATTER WHAT
• DWYANE WA GIV POWERFUL SPEECH ON PARENTG GAY SON
• HERE ARE THE 6 GAY MEN WHO HAVE BEEN OUT PUBLICLY WHILE PETG PRO BASKETBALL
• A GAY NBA FAN FOUND 78 HOMOPHOBIC TWEETS BY 40 PLAYERS ON 23 TEAMS
• JASON COLLS SAYS HE'S GAY
• JASON COLLS, FIRST OPENLY GAY ATHLETE TO PLAY NBA, MAK U.S. SPORTS HISTORY
• FORMER NBA, KENTUCKY PLAYER ISAAC HUMPHRI OUT AS ONLY ACTIVE GAY PLAYER TOP-TIER MEN'S BASKETBALL
• JASON COLLS ME OUT 10 YEARS AGO, HERG A PERD OF CREASG GAY VISIBILY MEN’S SPORTS

MAGIC JOHNSON ON LEARNG TO ACCEPT HIS GAY SON: 'HE CHANGED ME'

“Very European, ” says EJ Johnson, the son of Magic Johnson, as he rells when he me out as gay to his father. And when his son EJ me out publicly as gay more than 20 years later, the Johnson fay add another meangul layer of visibily to their public EJ’s journey to fdg acceptance wh his fay wasn’t easy. News alum said a jot terview wh his father for Variety, ahead of the April 22 release of They Call Me Magic, an Apple TV Pl doceri about the former NBA player’s life and, who voic the character Michael Colls on The Proud Fay: Lour and Prour reboot, said that he had e out as gay to his iends before openg up to his parents.

MAGIC JOHNSON OPENS UP ABOUT LEARNG TO ACCEPT HIS GAY SON

Sports legend and AIDS activist Magic Johnson is beg herald by many for supportg his 20-year-old son, EJ, who is openly inic basketball star, 53, gave a lengthy terview to tailg the nversatn he had wh his son at "a young age" about beg gay and the stggl EJ has faced sce.

"We've known for a long time that my son EJ was gay, " Johnson explaed.

MAGIC JOHNSON SAYS HE SUPPORTS GAY SON EJ 'A LN PERCENT': 'THIS IS REALLY WONRFUL FOR HIM'

"Johnson, a longtime ally of the lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr muny, explaed that his son's experience remd him of the plight of several young men he's enuntered through his "Magic" Johnson wh his son EJ (left); his wife, Cookie Johnson; and their dghter Elisa Johnson. Magic Johnson, a longtime ally of the gay muny, said he is not ncerned how others might view his son. You might rell Rosevelt Colv is a lebacker and a two-time Super Bowl champn for the XXXVIII and XXXIX gam, but did you know his son Xavier is openly gay?

He and his gay DJ son, Joshua, have posed for the NOH8 mpaign and showed their support towards same-sex marriage and equaly for all. Ian also publicly me out as gay after years of nyg his sexualy. There has been a lot of talk about gay baseball prospect David Denson, but did you know he's not the only athlete his fay?

MAGIC JOHNSON: I LOVE MY ‘AMAZG’ GAY SON AND SUPPORT HIM NO MATTER WHAT

In 2015, David beme the first active mor league player to publicly e out as gay. Wae has built up a followg of dited fans and has bee a highly rpected public figure the world of dance spe of his sexual orientatn (gay).

In addn, he publicly me out as gay 2012 and mentned the talyst behd his cisn was the suici ath of three gay iends. Basketball legend Magic Johnson has opened up about his son g out as gay.

DWYANE WA GIV POWERFUL SPEECH ON PARENTG GAY SON

The sportg legend spoke ndidly wh host Ellen DeGener about his 24-year-old son, EJ Johnson, who is openly gay and currently stars on the realy show Rich Kids of Beverly Hills. His announcement helped dispel the myth that HIV is a ‘gay disease’. “[I want to be] the voice for young gay people who need someone to be on TV or wherever else to talk to them and talk about all kds of issu that all of face and not jt homosexual issu but all kds of issu… I fely want to set a really good example.

There has been long-held speculatn that people the black muny are on average more homophobic than other mographics.

HERE ARE THE 6 GAY MEN WHO HAVE BEEN OUT PUBLICLY WHILE PETG PRO BASKETBALL

TJ Graham, Wi receiver, New York JetsGraham talked about his acceptance not jt of potential gay teammat, but of gay iends and s.

Ahman Green, Runng back, Green Bay PackersGreen had never talked publicly about havg a lbian sister and a gay brother until he chatted wh me at an NFLPA event 2012.

A GAY NBA FAN FOUND 78 HOMOPHOBIC TWEETS BY 40 PLAYERS ON 23 TEAMS

DeAndre Hopks, Wi receiver, Hoton TexansHopks talked about his lbian sister wh Outsports a uple years ago, revealg one of his bt iends was the ex-boyiend of Calv Kle and that he would wele a gay teammate. Michael Irv, Hall of Fame wi receiver, Dallas CowboysWhen Irv graced the ver of Out magaze 2011, he did so to show support for the gay muny and to talk for the first time about his love for his late gay brother, Vghn.

Jevon Kearse, fensive end, Tennsee Tans & Philalphia Eagl"The Freak, " as he was known, shared his love of his gay for the first time on the same day Green talked about his siblgs.

JASON COLLS SAYS HE'S GAY

Karl Malone, forward, Utah JazzMalone talked supportively about his gay brother--law when Jason Colls me out. Isiah Thomas, Hall of Fame guard, Detro PistonsThomas appeared a NOH8 mpaign photo wh his gay son, Zeke, who was the official DJ of the 2014 NBA All-Star game.

Johnson: 'I n only be myself'Associated PrsApr 16, 2013, 09:44 AM ETLOS ANGELES -- The 20-year-old son of basketball great Magic Johnson is surprised by the public tert his beg gay, somethg that he revealed to his supportive fay several years Johnson III, known as E. J., says he feels like he's g out of the closet a send time and that he's "revelg" the experience -- even though news of his sexual orientatn broke publicly sooner than he had an terview posted Tuday on the talk show "Gwissu, " Johnson said that he didn't feel vlated after TMZ recently revealed that he's gay. Johnson said he'd like to be "the voice for young gay people who need someone to be on TV or wherever else to talk to them and talk about all kds of issu that all of face and not jt homosexual issu but all kds of issu.

[lghs]Did any of the iends you were worried about turn out to be gay themselv?

JASON COLLS, FIRST OPENLY GAY ATHLETE TO PLAY NBA, MAK U.S. SPORTS HISTORY

I had gay iends growg up, but I didn't let them all the way.

I had a manager who told me I uld never be a big DJ and be openly gay. At one of party queen Sanne Bartsch's many bash, Bartsch blurted to a microphone: "I learned everythg om a book lled The Joy of Gay Sex. " I heard not a peep of argument om anyone for joy of gay sgg filled the room whenJoey Arias, Raven O, andSherry Ve performed the annual rnn of talent om the oteric '90s baret Bar d'O, which always managed to be rnchy and elevated at the same time.

" But Hoffman was around people who adore the stuff when she was recently booked to perform a gay European cise, where she had to avert her ey om the multifar sexpas on every ck. They mt have thought she was Kathy Del R & Michael Mto at the GLAM Awards (Photo urty of HeyMrJason/Jason Rso)WE LIVE FOR THE APPLAUSE, 'PLAUSEAnd now, please don your sperm goggl, grab your Dramame, and get on board for a three-hour gay awards cise to hog heaven.

FORMER NBA, KENTUCKY PLAYER ISAAC HUMPHRI OUT AS ONLY ACTIVE GAY PLAYER TOP-TIER MEN'S BASKETBALL

(Boyiend & Past Affairs)Well, Zeke openly accepts that his actual sexualy is gay like Chris Appleton. The Lbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgenr (LGBT) muny remas a hot topic the Uned Stat. The LGBT movement emerged as early as the 1870s, but homosexual rights groups didn't appear until after World War II September 1945.

JASON COLLS ME OUT 10 YEARS AGO, HERG A PERD OF CREASG GAY VISIBILY MEN’S SPORTS

To add onto the topic of the Warrrs, print Rick Welts me out as gay an terview wh the New York Tim 2011.

Homophobia is somethg that shouldn't have a place sports bee LGBT folks n be fans, media members, employe and executiv too. " We, as a untry, need to une and not jt bee of the tragic gay nightclub shootg Orlando, Florida, that occurred last summer.

We have a thg gog on now — people discrimatg agast homosexualy this untry. His fay reportedly had mixed emotns towards the announcement, but he still changed the game, beg the first Divisn I men's basketball player to e out as gay and play gam.