Jason Collins NBA centre Jason Collins has shattered the thick glass ceiling in major American sports, coming out with the statement “I'm a 34-year-old NBA centre. I'm black. And I'm gay.” The veteran player, currently a free agent, is the first current player from any of the four major US men's professional sports leagues to publicly reveal he is gay. He did so in a first-person account published in Sports Illustrated, saying he had gradually become frustrated with having to keep silent on gay issues. The Boston Marathon bombings this month had convinced him not to wait any more. “I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, ‘I'm different,’” he says. “If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand.” Collins says when he was younger he dated women. “I even got engaged. I thought I had to live a certain way. I thought I needed to marry a woman and raise kids with her. I kept telling myself the sky was red, but I always knew it was blue. “I realized I needed to go public when Joe Kennedy, my old roommate at Stanford and now a Massachusetts congressman, told me he had just marched in Boston's 2012 Gay Pride Parade. I'm seldom jealous of others, but hearing what Joe had done filled me with envy. I was proud of him for participating but angry that as a closeted gay man I couldn't even cheer my straight friend on as a spectator. If I'd been questioned, I would have concocted half truths. What a shame to have to lie at a celebration of pride. I want to do the right thing and not hide anymore. I want to march for tolerance, acceptance and understanding. I want to take a stand and say, ‘Me, too.’” NBA commissioner David Stern has quickly stated he is proud of Collins. “Jason has been a widely respected player and teammate throughout his career and we are proud he has assumed the leadership mantle on this very important issue.”
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 30th April 2013 - 8:52am