Jason Colls, first openly gay NBA player, reflects on legacy, life after basketball | PBS NewsHour

basketball gay player

After a 13-year reer the NBA, Jason Colls, the first openly gay profsnal basketball player, is retirg. Eighteen months ago Colls me out as gay through a first person article published Sports Illtrated. In the first le he wrote, “I am a 34-year old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.” He announced his plans to retire today, aga through first person, this time on The Players’ Tribune.

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

The gay athlet have broken through the noise to fd they n be accepted as gay athlet basketball. * basketball gay player *

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. The Lbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgenr (LGBT) muny remas a hot topic the Uned Stat.

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

Insir is highlightg out and proud athlet who intify as lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, queer, and more honor of pri month. * basketball gay player *

The LGBT movement emerged as early as the 1870s, but homosexual rights groups didn't appear until after World War II September 1945. 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. 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, FIRST OPENLY GAY ATHLETE TO PLAY NBA, MAK U.S. SPORTS HISTORY

There have only been two openly gay NBA players. Jason Colls beme the first active player to e out 2013. John Amaechi me out 2007 after he retired. * basketball gay player *

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.

THE ONLY 3 OUT, GAY NBA PLAYERS IN HISTORY

NBA 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. * basketball gay player *

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.

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.

JASON COLLS SAYS HE'S GAY

Humphri is the latt gay athlete who’s thrived sce publicly g out. * basketball gay player *

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. 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.

CHARL BARKLEY FENDS LGBTQIA+ MUNY, BUD LIGHT EXPLETIVE-FILLED RANT: ‘IF YOU’RE GAY, GOD BLS YOU’

Atralian basketball player Isaac Humphri beme the first openly gay player Natnal Basketball League. Humphri had a brief stt the NBA and the G-League 2018-2019. * basketball gay player *

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.

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. Melbourne Uned basketball player Isaac Humphri is the only active openly gay player a top-tier men's basketball league.

He publicly shared he is gay a vio published Wednday morng Atralian time, and he jos former NBA player Jason Colls -- who announced his sexualy 2013 -- as the only players a top-tier basketball league to announce they are gay the midst of their playg reer. And the ma reason behd me beg so low and beg that pot is bee I was very much stgglg wh my sexualy and g to terms wh the fact that I'm gay. Colls announced he is gay April 2013, shortly after the NBA season end, and he beme the first openly gay player to appear a top-tier basketball league Febary 2014 as a member of the Nets.

GAY PRO BASKETBALL PLAYER ISAAC HUMPHRI IS RETURNG TO HIS OLD TEAM

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. "I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playg a major Amerin team sport.

In 2021, Las Vegas Rairs fensive leman Carl Nassib beme the first active NFL player to announce he is gay. Atralian A-League soccer star Josh Cavallo me out as gay an October vio posted to his social media, beg hailed as the first current male top-flight profsnal soccer player to publicly do so. "He ntued: "Growg up I always felt the need to hi myself, you know, bee I was ashamed, and ashamed I'll never be able to do what I love and be gay.

ATRALIAN NBL, FORMER KENTUCKY CENTER ISAAC HUMPHRI ANNOUNC HE’S GAY EMOTNAL TALK WH TEAMMAT

In a September terview wh USA Today, 25-year-old mor league baseball player beme the only active baseball profsnal to be out as gay!

Natnal Hockey League prospect Le Prokop me out as gay July, the first active player the league to e out.

"I am proud to publicly tell everyone that I am gay, " he wrote a heartfelt msage on social media. The 28-year-old Natnal Football League player and Rairs fensive leman ma history when he me out as gay on Instagram durg Pri Month, beg the first veteran NFL player to e out as gay while signed to a regular-season ntract.

GAY PRO BASKETBALL PLAYER MAR LEHMANN OUT

The Bachelor star and former football player (who was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted ee agent and was on the practice squad of the Oakland Rairs and the Philalphia Eagl) me out as gay April, sayg he had fally e to terms wh his sexualy and the "next step all of this was sort of lettg people know.

"He wanted everyone to know he was "still the same Colton everybody met on TV" and is "proud to be gay. Hiltz had prevly e out as gay while llege and has been a visible and affirmg prence for gay athlet the past.

JASON COLLS, FIRST OPENLY GAY NBA PLAYER, REFLECTS ON LEGACY, LIFE AFTER BASKETBALL

Corey Walsh, the 27-year-old pro BMX rir and Vans spokperson, said he isn't normally the type of person to "let people " on his personal life, but felt was important to e out as gay a March Instagram post bee "there are a lot of people still stgglg wh the same suatns" and he "jt wanted to let people know that they are not alone.

Champn long track speedskater Conor McDermott-Mostowy never hid beg gay om his fay, iends, and fellow athlet, but he also wasn't one to rate his locker wh rabow Pri flags eher. He ially feared negative stereotyp about gay male athlet but threw those ncerns asi after his two-tle performance at the U.

Insir is highlightg out and proud athlet honor of the annual celebratn of those who intify as lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, queer, and morn-day stars like USWNT pta Megan Rapoe and WNBA legend, Diana Trasi, are NBA player Jason Pl Colls, former NFL nng back David Kopay, and tennis in Billie Jean Kg were trailblazers their rpective sports. Longtime NFL offensive leman Ryan O'Callaghan me out as gay publicly 2017 via a story for Outsports and revealed that he had long planned to kill himself once his football reer was over. She's sce bee a vol gay rights advote and one of the most fluential voic at the tersectn of sports and social movements.

TOP 3 NBA PLAYERS WHO ARE GAY FEAT. JASON COLLS AND MORE

After g out 2013, Michael Sam was one of the first publicly gay players high-profile llege football history. Louis Rams 2014, makg him the first out gay man drafted to the NFL, although he never played a regular-season NFL game.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* BASKETBALL GAY PLAYER

Jason Colls first openly gay active player - ESPN .

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