Los Angel Lakers' Kobe Bryant fed $100,000 for directg gay slur at ref - ESPN

Contents:

• KOBE BRYANT FED $100,000 OVER ANTI-GAY SLUR
• LAKERS’ KOBE BRYANT IS FED $100,000 BY NBA FOR ANTI-GAY SLUR TO REFEREE
• LOOKG BACK AT KOBE BRYANT'S ALTERTN WH REFEREE THAT PROMPTED A $100,000 FE AND WISPREAD CRICISM OM GAY-RIGHTS GROUPS
• KOBE BRYANT APOLOGIZ, FED $100K FOR GAY SLUR
• KOBE BRYANT FED $100,000 FOR GAY SLUR
• KOBE BRYANT FED $100,000 FOR GAY SLUR
• KOBE FED $100K FOR ANTI-GAY SLUR DURG LAKERS' GAME
• LOS ANGEL LAKERS' KOBE BRYANT FED $100,000 FOR ANTI-GAY SLUR
• NBA F KOBE BRYANT $100,000 FOR ANTI-GAY SLUR
• KOBE BRYANT FED $100,000 FOR GAY SLUR
• BRYANT ATH PROMPTS BRAZILIAN FOOTBALL MPAIGN AGAST GAY PREJUDICE
• KOBE BRYANT TAK ONE BIG LEAP FOR THE NBA ON GAY SLURS
• KOBE APOLOGIZ FOR ANTI-GAY SLUR
• 'REPREHENSIBLE': CBS NEWS PRINT NOUNC THREATS AGAST GAYLE KG FOR KOBE BRYANT MENTS

KOBE BRYANT FED $100,000 OVER ANTI-GAY SLUR

It was watchg his transformatn om the man who was fed $100, 000 for directg an anti-gay slur at referee Bennie Adams 2011 to an LGBTQ equaly unrstand how much Bryant’s self-examatn and ultimate change meant to me, know that there were only two players I sisted my son watch live: Allen Iverson and Kobe.

The fact that both men were attached to ugly, homophobic moments offers a glimpse to how difficult n be for some LGBTQ people to work a field which ritured masculy is nsired currency. Like many gay men, I love sports and refe to be chased out by simple-md men, pecially by those dus who n’t get women to like them but are nvced every gay man wants,, the pot is Kobe changed bee he did more than pay a fe and issue a clumsy, weak apology. He spoke wh me, he spoke wh LGBTQ anizatns and then, when he was fortable, he spoke out agast homophobia — not bee the NBA or sponsors ma him but bee, to quote the late John Lewis, “When you see somethg that is not right, not fair, not jt, you have to speak up.

LAKERS’ KOBE BRYANT IS FED $100,000 BY NBA FOR ANTI-GAY SLUR TO REFEREE

”I love sports and refe to be chased out by simplemd men, pecially by those dus who n’t get women to like them but are nvced every gay man wants them.

LOOKG BACK AT KOBE BRYANT'S ALTERTN WH REFEREE THAT PROMPTED A $100,000 FE AND WISPREAD CRICISM OM GAY-RIGHTS GROUPS

So, the real qutn for Major League Baseball, general, and the Ccnati Reds, specifilly, is why did someone who has been llg gam for more than 30 years feel fortable enough to drop an anti-gay slur a workplace environment 2020? There are openly gay executiv MLB — cludg my iends Erik Braverman, a senr vice print for the Dodgers, as well as oime Dodger Billy Bean, who is a special assistant to MLB Commissner Rob Maned. There may not be any openly gay male athlet playg the big four sports, but we’ve heard several g-out stori after players retired.

KOBE BRYANT APOLOGIZ, FED $100K FOR GAY SLUR

There was even an openly gay man nng for, Brennaman felt relaxed enough, wh earshot of technicians and other lleagu, to sually drop a reference to an unknown lole as “one of the fag pals of the world. Removg Brennaman won’t expunge homophobia om baseball any more than Jackie Robson’s first at-bat turned Ameri to a geo are all but sgle steps on the journey. Changg that is far more important than ddlg homophob, regardls of how long they’ve been allowed to fter.

Though Bryant’s origal apology was filled wh jtifitns — he said his homophobic language “should not be taken lerally” and was “out of tratn durg the heat of a game” — he went on to participate an anti-discrimatn public service vio for GLAAD and promised he “planned to do more. When Jason Colls publicly me out 2013 — beg the first active openly gay player NBA history — Bryant honored his word and did the right thg. Bryant’s public embrace of Colls was a watershed moment terms of the perceived acceptance of openly gay athlet the NBA.

Bryant admonished a fan on Twter for dog what he did 2011: tossg around homophobic sults. Jt lettg you know@PacSmoove @pookeo9 that g "your gay" as a way to put someone down a't ok!

KOBE BRYANT FED $100,000 FOR GAY SLUR

He ntued to cheer on openly gay athlet, too, fervently appldg the U.

On Sunday, openly gay soccer star Megan Rapoe tweeted her ndolenc to the Bryant fay.

"The words exprsed do not reflect my feelgs towards the gay and lbian muni, " Kobe Bryant said Wednday. STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: In pregame phone ll, Bryant apologiz to Human Rights Campaign printBryant ed an expletive and an anti-gay slur about a refereeThe NBA says, "Such a distasteful term should never be tolerated" (CNN) -- The Natnal Basketball Associatn fed Kobe Bryant of the Los Angel Lakers $100, 000 on Wednday for "offensive and excable" ments he ma durg Tuday night's game, the league said a statement. Bryant ed an expletive and an anti-gay slur directed at a referee after receivg a technil foul a game agast the San Anton Spurs.

KOBE BRYANT FED $100,000 FOR GAY SLUR

"The words exprsed do not reflect my feelgs towards the gay and lbian muni and were not meant to offend anyone. " The Gay and Lbian Alliance Agast Defamatn also issued a statement supportg the cisn.

"The NBA has sent a clear msage to sports fans everywhere that anti-gay slurs have no place the game, " said Jarrett Barrs, print of the anizatn.

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant was fed $100, 000 by the NBA on Wednday and cricized by numero gay-rights groups for directg an anti-gay slur at referee Bennie Adams durg a game Tuday agast San Anton. Bryant said he planned on talkg to the gay-rights groups and also wanted to “own up” to his ments. ” GLAAD applds NBA’s cisn to fe Kobe Bryant $100, 000 for anti-gay slur The Human Rights Campaign, a natnal lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr civil rights anizatn, lled a “disgrace” for Bryant to “e such horribly offensive and distasteful language, pecially when lns of people are watchg.

KOBE FED $100K FOR ANTI-GAY SLUR DURG LAKERS' GAME

” The Gay & Lbian Alliance Agast Defamatn, a lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr media advocy and anti-famatn anizatn, add an equally cril statement. “The words exprsed do NOT reflect my feelgs towards the gay and lbian muni and were NOT meant to offend anyone.

LOS ANGEL LAKERS' KOBE BRYANT FED $100,000 FOR ANTI-GAY SLUR

“I’m a big pro-gay-marriage person; I have a bunch of gay iends who I hope n get married some day, so I’m a ltle b sensive, ” Barkley said. In a 2011 game agast the San Anton Spurs, Kobe Bryant urted ntroversy when he uttered an anti-gay slur towards official Bennie Adams.

NBA F KOBE BRYANT $100,000 FOR ANTI-GAY SLUR

NBA Commissner David Stern fed Bryant $100, 000, a move that drew praise om gay rights groups. "I’m a big pro-gay-marriage person; I have a bunch of gay iends who I hope n get married some day, so I’m a ltle b sensive, ” Barkley said. Like Kobe Bryant, Anthony Edwards was fed for anti-gay ments on social media.

In 2011, Los Angel Lakers Shootg Guard, Kobe Bryant, bt known to fans and teammat as “Black Mamba;” ma a homophobic ment toward a referee to prott a ll that he did not agree wh.

Several LGBTQI anizatns, cludg GLAAD reached out to him after the fact and offered their servic to help Kobe and the greater profsnal basketball muny to learn about how such homophobic ments n impact LGBTQI people. He has been outspoken and lled out people the NBA, cludg fans, for g gay slurs. Jt lettg you know@PacSmoove @pookeo9 that g “your gay” as a way to put someone down a’t ok!

KOBE BRYANT FED $100,000 FOR GAY SLUR

And he was a public and outspoken advote for Jason Colls when he me out 2013 as the first openly gay NBA player. Bryant’s homophobic ment angered a lot of people the LGBTQI muny, many of whom were not imprsed wh his follow up actns to mend . Kobe says his outburst don't reflect how he really feels about gays and lbians.

Lakers' star and Lower Mern High School's most famo alum -- Kobe Bryant -- is apologizg for his homophobic slur durg last night's game. "The words exprsed do NOT reflect my feelg towards the gay and lbian muni and were NOT meant to offend anyone, " Kobe said a statement released by the Lakers Wednday.

(CBS/AP) LOS ANGELES - Kobe Bryant has apologized to a print of a gay rights anizatn after havg been fed $100, 000 by the NBA for g a rogatory anti-gay term tratn over a referee's ll.

BRYANT ATH PROMPTS BRAZILIAN FOOTBALL MPAIGN AGAST GAY PREJUDICE

The five-time NBA champn guard cursed and ed a homophobic slur when referee Bennie Adams lled a technil foul on him Tuday night the third quarter of Los Angel' w over the Spurs. Gay rights groups nmned Bryant's actns and mand a full apology after Bryant issued a statement explag his words me out of anger.

"The words exprsed do NOT reflect my feelgs towards the gay and lbian muni and were NOT meant to offend anyone.

The natn's largt lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr civil rights anizatn, Human Rights Campaign, issued the followg statement: "For better or worse, Kobe Bryant has created a teachable moment for the lns of fans -- many of them young -- who saw that outburst on the floor, " said HRC Print Joe Solmone a statement. "And the right thg to do now is to apologize and take rponsibily for suggtg that the worst thg you n do to someone is to scream out a gay slur. This kd of homophobic outburst has dangero nsequenc, even more so when om a celebry the natnal spotlight.

KOBE BRYANT TAK ONE BIG LEAP FOR THE NBA ON GAY SLURS

Bryant then leaned back and muttered a gay episo was ught on mera on TNT's natnal telest, promptg announcer Steve Kerr to say: "You might wanna take the meras off of him right now, for the children watchg om home. "As gay and lbian advocy groups started to cry foul Wednday afternoon, Bryant issued a statement. ET Sunday at Stapl 's actn drew praise om gay-rights anizatns that have mand a fuller apology om Bryant and the Lakers.

"We appld Commissner Stern and the NBA for not only fg Bryant but for regnizg that slurs and rogatory ments have no place on the basketball urt or society at large, " said Joe Solmone, print of Human Rights Campaign -- a lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr civil rights anizatn. "Bryant also told "Mason & Ireland" that he will try to be more volved wh gay and lbian issu by reachg out to groups to help.

Jarrett Barrs, print of the Gay & Lbian Alliance Agast Defamatn, saw an opportuny to put a spotlight on the unacceptable nature of anti-gay slurs.

KOBE APOLOGIZ FOR ANTI-GAY SLUR

LOS ANGELES (CBS/AP) — Kobe Bryant has been fed $100, 000 by the NBA for g a rogatory gay term tratn over a referee's ll. The words exprsed do NOT reflect my feelgs towards the gay and lbian muni and were NOT meant to offend anyone.

The Human Rights Campaign, which scrib self as the natn's largt lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr civil rights anizatn, cricized Bryant.

April 14, 2011— -- The more "gay iendly" NBA has fed star player Kobe Bryant of the playoffs-bound Los Angel Lakers $100, 000 for what lls "excable" homophobic language ed agast a referee. "The ment that I ma, even though was not meant as what 's perceived to be, is nohels wrong, " Bryant said on ESPN uttered the anti-gay slur, apparently directed to referee Bennie Adams, after he lled a technil foul on Bryant durg the third quarter of a Tuday night game agast the San Anton cint was ptured on ntroversy at a time when the NBA was already planng a public service announcement mpaign wh the Gay, Lbian and Straight Edutn Network (GLSEN) orr to prent the league as beg more "gay iendly.

'REPREHENSIBLE': CBS NEWS PRINT NOUNC THREATS AGAST GAYLE KG FOR KOBE BRYANT MENTS

"The announcement is set to air durg the NBA Fals and part of the GLSEN's "Thk Before You Speak" mpaign about anti-gay language.

"When to homophobia, nothg surpris me, " said ESPN's L. Granrson, an openly gay sports wrer.