Jason Colls, first openly gay athlete to play NBA, mak U.S. sports history

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'
• JASON COLLS SAYS HE'S GAY
• JASON COLLS, FIRST OPENLY GAY ATHLETE TO PLAY NBA, MAK U.S. SPORTS HISTORY
• JASON COLLS WEIGHS ON CARL NASSIB’S CISN TO ANNOUNCE HE IS GAY

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. I’m gay, but I didn’t want to tell my parents.

MAGIC JOHNSON OPENS UP ABOUT LEARNG TO ACCEPT HIS GAY SON

“I had to look myself the mirror and say, ‘What if your son home and tells you he’s gay? 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. ”Gay dads?

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

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. "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.

JASON COLLS SAYS HE'S GAY

A 6’6, 245-pound sophomore guard, Harper Jr. Washgton is a 6’3 sophomore guard at Oh State who has bee one of the team’s most pendable players, averagg 11.

Jason Colls says he's news servicApr 29, 2013, 11:46 AM ETNBA center Jason Colls on Monday announced that he's gay a story for Sports Illtrated, beg the first active player one of the four major Amerin profsnal team sports to announce that he is gay.

"I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playg a major Amerin team sport. Me personally gay men the locked room would make me unfortable. As Amerins grow more acceptg of gay rights and same-sex marriage.

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

Last year, durg his re-electn mpaign, Print Barack Obama announced his support for gay after Colls disclosed his sexualy, Obama reached out by phone, exprsg his support and tellg Colls he was imprsed by his urage, the Whe Hoe Print Bill Clton, whose dghter Chelsea attend Stanford wh Colls, also appld Colls' announcement. "Jason's announcement today is an important moment for profsnal sports and the history of the LGBT [lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr] muny, " he said a statement.

"He said the first relative he told he was gay was his nt Teri, who is a superr urt judge San Francis. He said she told him, "I've known you were gay for years, " which ma him "fortable my own sk.

"Colls said he realized he need to make his sexual orientatn public when his former roommate at Stanford, Massachetts ngrsman Joe Kennedy, who is straight, marched Boston's Gay Pri Para last Boston Marathon bombgs earlier this month then rerced to him "that I shouldn't wa for the circumstanc of my g out to be perfect. "When I told Joe a few weeks ago that I was gay, he was grateful that I tsted him.

JASON COLLS WEIGHS ON CARL NASSIB’S CISN TO ANNOUNCE HE IS GAY

Colls says he quietly ma a statement for gay rights even while keepg his sexual orientatn a secret. 98 wh the Celtics and Wizards -- 1998 was the year that Matthew Shepard, a gay llege stunt Wyomg, was killed, and the Trevor Project, a suici preventn anizatn, was found.

"When I was playg, I had never had nversatns around what meant to be gay. "Sayg 'I'm gay' sets a new standard of honty, openns and teamwork that will posively affect athlet and fans at every level of sports.