Two athlet recently g out has highlighted the arth of openly gay players the world of U.S. men's profsnal sports, often dubbed "the last closet" for s lack of LGBTQ reprentatn.
Contents:
- 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
- JASON COLLS RETURNS TO NETS AS FIRST OPENLY GAY NBA PLAYER
- HERE ARE THE 6 GAY MEN WHO HAVE BEEN OUT PUBLICLY WHILE PETG PRO BASKETBALL
- NBA, NETS, ACH AND PLAYERS HAVE ALL BOTCHED THE RPONSE TO KEV DURANT’S ANTI-GAY MENTS
- ATHLET WHO ARE GAY
- THE ONLY 3 OUT, GAY NBA PLAYERS IN HISTORY
- JASON COLLS SIGNS TO BROOKLYN NETS, BE FIRST OPENLY GAY NBA PLAYER
- JASON COLLS, FIRST OPENLY GAY N.B.A. PLAYER, SIGNS WH NETS AND APPEARS GAME
- JASON COLLS SAYS HE'S GAY
- WHY THERE ARE FEW OPENLY GAY ATHLET IN MEN'S PROFSNAL SPORTS
- NBA RUMORS: JAM HARN TRA TALKS, JOEL EMBIID, PJ TUCKER, RUDY GAY, LAKERS, WARRRS, BUCKS, MORE
JASON COLLS ME OUT 10 YEARS AGO, HERG A PERD OF CREASG GAY VISIBILY MEN’S SPORTS
Jason Colls beme the first openly gay male athlete to play any of the four largt profsnal sports the U.S. He joed the Brooklyn Nets what many are llg a historic moment. * gay nets player *
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. 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.
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.
JASON COLLS, FIRST OPENLY GAY ATHLETE TO PLAY NBA, MAK U.S. SPORTS HISTORY
The gay athlet have broken through the noise to fd they n be accepted as gay athlet basketball. * gay nets player *
Jason Colls Returns To Nets As First Openly Gay NBA Player Jason Colls beme the first openly gay male athlete to play any of the four largt profsnal sports the U. ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: Last night, the NBA's Jason Colls beme the first openly gay man to play any of this untry's four major profsnal sports.
But you'd have a hard time nvcg spectators of that at GYM, a sports bar Wt Hollywood, a few BURTON: As a gay black male too, I thk 's Anwar Burton is an attorney It's very important that people, you know, n realize that you n be gay and you n be mascule at the same time.
Wh Colls' but, the NBA Ziegler is the edor and -founr of, a webse dited to verg LGBT ZIEGLER: Jt last year, I had a member of the media bet me that what we saw last night was lerally That an openly gay player uld not exist a profsnal sports locker room or arena. The LGBT movement emerged as early as the 1870s, but homosexual rights groups didn't appear until after World War II September 1945. Homophobia is somethg that shouldn't have a place sports bee LGBT folks n be fans, media members, employe and executiv too.
JASON COLLS RETURNS TO NETS AS FIRST OPENLY GAY NBA PLAYER
Kev Durant ed the most graphic anti-gay language I’ve ever heard om a pro athlete. The NBA rponse? Crickets. * gay nets player *
" 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. 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.
HERE ARE THE 6 GAY MEN WHO HAVE BEEN OUT PUBLICLY WHILE PETG PRO BASKETBALL
Thanks to the proment athlet who are gay, the sports world is beg more and more acceptg of homosexual players. Whether the famo Olympians, ... * gay nets player *
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.
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.
NBA, NETS, ACH AND PLAYERS HAVE ALL BOTCHED THE RPONSE TO KEV DURANT’S ANTI-GAY MENTS
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. * gay nets player *
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.
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. 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. 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!
ATHLET WHO ARE GAY
Carl Nassib this week beme the first active NFL player to e out as gay. And wh his announcement, the Las Vegas Rairs fensive end jos a small group of openly gay men profsnal sports. * gay nets player *
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.
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. 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.
THE ONLY 3 OUT, GAY NBA PLAYERS IN HISTORY
Jason Colls has bee the first openly gay Amerin athlete on an active roster any major sport today, after signg a 10-day ntract wh the Brooklyn Nets. "The cisn to sign Jason was a basketball cisn," Billy Kg, Nets GM, said the statement. * gay nets player *
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. Collectively they have all also dropped the ball rpondg to graphic homophobic ments by Brooklyn Nets superstar Kev Durant.
So how did almost every sgle one of them rpond to Kev Durant — one of the league’s biggt stars and a future Hall of Famer — g lerally the most graphic homophobic language I’ve ever seen om a profsnal athlete? While wearg shirts lobbyg for social jtice and g their platforms to ph for equaly and acceptance, when me to one of their own last week — aga, g the most graphic homophobic language I’ve ever heard om any profsnal athlete ever — NBA players closed ranks and stayed quiet. Durant’s anti-gay actns were multiple, repeated, and n’t be said enough: signed by Durant to be graphic and to elic a negative rponse.
Whether the cricket-rponse is the league downplayg homophobia or givg a future Hall of Famer a pass, we should get answers. In 2015, missner Adam Silver’s rponse after fg and spendg Rajon Rondo 2015 for g a gay slur towards an official explaed the power of losg playg time. “In a time where social jtice is at the foreont, pecially the NBA, here you have a suatn where one of the bt players the history of the NBA is g very clear homophobic language to try to hurt somebody.
JASON COLLS SIGNS TO BROOKLYN NETS, BE FIRST OPENLY GAY NBA PLAYER
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. * gay nets player *
Nimo went further and explaed why this episo — a private nversatn laced wh homophobia — is exactly the opportuny for more nversatn, not somethg to try to ignore:. He graphilly scribed sex between two men and repeatedly ed homophobia as a bludgeon to beat down his alleged enemy, actor Michael Rapaport.
JASON COLLS, FIRST OPENLY GAY N.B.A. PLAYER, SIGNS WH NETS AND APPEARS GAME
Jason Colls ma history as an openly gay NBA player. This is the story of how his 2014 Nets stt rocked sports' social dynamic. * gay nets player *
This is about the fear that ris those players, llege players, and for the thoands of gay high school and youth basketball players who jt watched an NBA star e some of the most homophobic language I’ve ever seen om an athlete, and then watched the league look the other way. But gosh, what a missed opportuny to send a msage to players and fans about the importance of stoppg homophobic language and the impact has on people.
JASON COLLS SAYS HE'S GAY
Insir is highlightg out and proud athlet who intify as lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, queer, and more honor of pri month. * gay nets player *
She has been a relatnship wh Atralian soccer player Sarah Walsh for three 38Natnaly: Uned Stat of AmeriBirthplace: Reddg, CaliforniaTeams: Chigo Red StarsTennis great Billie Jean Kg beme the first proment female profsnal athlete to e out as gay back 79Natnaly: Uned Stat of AmeriBirthplace: Long Beach, California, USAOlympic diver Greg Louganis is openly gay.
He married his partner Johnny Chaillo 63Natnaly: Uned Stat of AmeriBirthplace: El Cajon, California, Uned Stat of AmeriWNBA player Sheryl Swoop announced that she was gay 2005. Age: 52Natnaly: Uned Stat of AmeriBirthplace: Brownfield, Texas, Uned Stat of AmeriTeams: Hoton Comets, Uned Stat women's natnal basketball team, Texas Tech Lady Rairs basketballNBA player Jason Colls me out as gay an terview wh Sports Illtrated magaze 2013.
His announcement provoked mixed reactns om his fellow players and the 44Natnaly: Uned Stat of AmeriBirthplace: Northridge, Los Angel, CaliforniaTeams: Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, Washgton Wizards, Memphis Grizzli, Brooklyn NetsAmerin soccer player Abby Wambach is openly gay. One ESPN mentator, Chris Brosard, exprsed both his admiratn for Colls’ bravery and his belief that Colls uld not be both gay and christian.
WHY THERE ARE FEW OPENLY GAY ATHLET IN MEN'S PROFSNAL SPORTS
Tennis great Marta Navratilova, who had somewhat unbelievably e out 1981, praised Colls and exprsed her hope that this would help end homophobia team sports and lead to more players g out.
The difference reactn between Ameachi’s and Colls’ statements is a sign of the growth acceptance of gay people between 2007 and 2013. Lebron Jam said “Wh teammat you have to be tstworthy, and if you’re gay and you’re not admtg that you are, then you are not tstworthy”. While the percentage of people who are gay vari wh different measur, there is no reputable measure sayg the number is zero.
NBA RUMORS: JAM HARN TRA TALKS, JOEL EMBIID, PJ TUCKER, RUDY GAY, LAKERS, WARRRS, BUCKS, MORE
Former NBA center Jason Colls, who me out 2013 and beme the first openly gay athlete any of the four major US sports leagu, wrote that he was “very proud” of Nassib. Jason Colls has bee the first openly gay Amerin athlete on an active roster any major sport today, after signg a 10-day ntract wh the Brooklyn Nets.
Uniform for the first time sce last sprg, when he announced that he was signg reprents a signifint step toward transformg North Amerin profsnal sports to a more welg environment for gay athlet. — the ntent’s other three tradnal major sports leagu — have never had a publicly gay very act of Colls’s sug up and steppg onto the urt — he entered the game to warm applse the send quarter — reprented a tone the effort to change a sports culture that some feel has lagged far behd society at large acceptance of gay people. ”“Today Jason Colls tore open the last remag closet Ameri, ” said Brian Ellner, a foundg member of Athlete Ally, a nonprof that rais awarens about homophobia sports.