Jason Colls first openly gay active player - ESPN

Contents:

• HERE ARE THE 6 GAY MEN WHO HAVE BEEN OUT PUBLICLY WHILE PETG PRO BASKETBALL
• DWIGHT HOWARD SUED BY MAN CLAIMG NBA STAR FORCED HIM TO HAVE GAY THREOME
• JASON COLLS ME OUT 10 YEARS AGO, HERG A PERD OF CREASG GAY VISIBILY MEN’S SPORTS
• JASON COLLS, FIRST OPENLY GAY ATHLETE TO PLAY NBA, MAK U.S. SPORTS HISTORY
• CANDICE WIGGS SAYS 98 PERCENT OF WNBA IS GAY, CLAIMS SHE WAS BULLIED FOR BEG STRAIGHT
• JASON COLLS SAYS HE'S GAY
• DENNIS RODMAN ACC THE NBA OF MAKG A PLAYER QU BEE HE WAS GAY: "THEY MA HIM RETIRE"

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

When John Amaechi me out publicly 2007, he was ahead of his time, sharg that he’s gay and a former profsnal basketball player. Sce Colls showed the world you uld be a gay man profsnal basketball, there has been a trickle of gay athlet to follow, most recently former NBA player and current Atralian pro basketball player Isaac Humphri.

Here are the gay men who have blazed a trail on basketball urts around the world. In one msage, Howard explas that he’s not gay, he’s “j alil nasty sometim. Harper and Howard, who has never intified as gay or bisexual, met on social media and arranged to have sex.

Now I want you to know I’m not gay or anythg. 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.

DWIGHT HOWARD SUED BY MAN CLAIMG NBA STAR FORCED HIM TO HAVE GAY THREOME

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.

I love the homosexual people. God bls the gay people. 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.

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

He also received praise om Colls and former NFL fensive end Michael Sam, who beme the first openly gay football player. Denver Nuggets power forward Kenh Faried has been a gay rights supporter for a long time. In 2011, mors surfaced, claimg that Selby was gay after an alleged email to another man was leaked.

Selby later nied those claims, sayg “Bh, I am jt cur, not gay. When then-Phoenix Suns print and CEO Rick Welts me out as gay May 2011, former NBA pot guard Steve Nash pledged his support favor of the LGBT muny.

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

Nash said the vio, "A growg number of profsnal athlet are speakg out support of gay and lbian upl gettg married, I'm proud to be one of them. Asi om his open support for gay rights, he also ns the Steve Nash Foundatn, which helps children who are affected by poverty, illns, abe or neglect, and creat opportuny for tn, play, and empowerment, Phoenix, Arizona, and Brish Columbia, Canada.

After the 2012-13 NBA season me to an end, Colls me out as gay. 98 to honor the murr of the late Universy of Wyomg stunt Matthew Shepard, who was gay. He told Good Day LA, "I thk gay marriage, same-sex marriage is them go through what we go through.

CANDICE WIGGS SAYS 98 PERCENT OF WNBA IS GAY, CLAIMS SHE WAS BULLIED FOR BEG STRAIGHT

In his hman year at Villanova, he first me out as gay to his teammate and roommate Mike Villa before nfsg to his parents three months later. Amaechi was the first former NBAer to publicly e out as gay after retirg om the league. Sce then, he has been regard as one of the world's most high-profile gay athlet.

Prevly, Amaechi talked about gays the NBA an terview wh Stland on Sunday. There's hardly any Hispanic players, no Asian-Amerins, so that there's no openly gay players is no real surprise. Last year, the NBA moved s 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte, North Carola, due to the state's law that lims anti-discrimatn protectns for lbian, gay and transgenr people.

Sce Jim Buzski and I started Outsports 1999, we’d talked about an active gay player the Big Four — MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL — g out publicly.

JASON COLLS SAYS HE'S GAY

A young, gay Black athlete om the Midwt was an important summ attene that year. They each happened to be gay. Yet was that private moment wh that young gay Black athlete that my rpect multiplied.

Colls has seen the effects of beg out the sport firsthand, talkg repeatedly about one of his former teammat who ed anti-gay slurs the locker room eventually beg a supporter. When athlet e out the locker room, the “sual homophobia” of locker-room talk often subsis.

DENNIS RODMAN ACC THE NBA OF MAKG A PLAYER QU BEE HE WAS GAY: "THEY MA HIM RETIRE"

Few gay pro athlet have e out men’s sports the last 7 years. In 10 years, Colls remas the only active NBA player to e out publicly (Bill Kennedy is an active gay NBA referee who is out; player John Amaechi me out after retirg).

When Rogers me out MLS, Michael Sam me out the NFL and Colls me out, I was nvced this was the begng of a seri of gay and bi athlet who would e out publicly men’s pro sports. Sce those three gay pro athlet me out the urse of a year, only two active athlet big-time Amerin men’s pro sports have e out publicly while on a team: Coll Mart MLS and Carl Nassib the NFL.

On Febary 23, 2014, Brooklyn Nets center Jason Colls be the first openly gay athlete to play a game the Uned Stat’ four major profsnal leagu. The 35-year-old journeyman plays 10 srels mut, rerdg two rebounds and five fouls the Nets’ 108-102 victory over the Los Angel May 2013, Colls revealed he is gay a first-person say  Sports Illtrated. And I'm gay, " he wrote.