Magic Johnson on Learng to Accept His Gay Son EJ: 'He Changed Me' - Variety

Contents:

• MAGIC JOHNSON ON LEARNG TO ACCEPT HIS GAY SON: 'HE CHANGED ME'
• MAGIC JOHNSON SAYS HE SUPPORTS GAY SON EJ 'A LN PERCENT': 'THIS IS REALLY WONRFUL FOR HIM'
• MAGIC JOHNSON TALKS ABOUT G TO LOVE HIS GAY SON
• MAGIC JOHNSON SAYS SON EJ G OUT AS GAY 'CHANGED' HIM: 'HE WAS JT SO PROUD'
• MAGIC JOHNSON ON LEARNG TO ACCEPT HIS GAY SON EJ: ‘HE CHANGED ME’

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. 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.

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

"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.

MAGIC JOHNSON TALKS ABOUT G TO LOVE HIS GAY SON

Magic Johnson’s offered nothg but love and support when he was first publicly asked about his gay son. EJ says his parents were the last people to know he was gay.

At that pot, the vis was still monly viewed as a gay problem. “Along the way Magic enuntered the same sort of prejudice and discrimatn that many gay men had to al wh, but not once do I rell Magic nouncg the gay muny orr to ‘clear his name, ’” wrote gay Los Angel sportswrer LZ Granrson 2008. Dwyane Wa has spoken ndidly about the genr journey of his son Zn, 12, who ma the cisn to intify as female and now go by the name Dogg claims he "didn’t threaten" Gayle Kg while fendg Kobe Bryant durg angry rantThe basketball star, 38, opened up durg an terview wh Ellen DeGener about parentg Zaya, who he shar wh his ex-wife Shvghn explaed that he and his wife Gabrielle Unn, 47, are "proud alli" of the LGBTQ+ muny and tailed how the uple are tg themselv on the suatn.

“I had to look myself the mirror and say, ‘What if your son home and tells you he’s gay? Earv “EJ” Johnson, the son of basketball superstar Magic Johnson, is talkg about what was like to e out as gay to his famo father back , who starred on the E!

MAGIC JOHNSON SAYS SON EJ G OUT AS GAY 'CHANGED' HIM: 'HE WAS JT SO PROUD'

While EJ, who is also the son of Magic’s wife Cookie Johnson, said he was out to all of his iends, but that his parents were “the last people” he spoke to about Johnson, the son of basketball legend Magic Johnson, spoke about what was like g out as gay to his father. "The former NBA player, who beme an activist for HIV/AIDS rearch after he publicly announced his HIV posive stat 1991, spoke to The New York Tim  2020 about how he ially thought might be hard for EJ given the stigma around gay men and HIV.

“Very European, ” says EJ Johnson, the son of Magic Johnson, as he rells when he me out as gay to his father. "I had to look myself the mirror and say, 'What if your son home and tells you he's gay? “I had to look myself the mirror and say, ‘What if your son e home and tell you he’s gay?

Ultimately, Wa is mted to not only lovg his youngt son unndnally but speakg out agast homophobic ments aimed agast him. A 6’6, 245-pound sophomore guard, Harper Jr.

MAGIC JOHNSON ON LEARNG TO ACCEPT HIS GAY SON EJ: ‘HE CHANGED ME’

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