First Openly Gay Professional Male Athlete In Major Sport

[Guest]

male

first pro athelete

major team sport

still playing

 

yes

 this is true

[Jase]

There is an entire world that exists outside of sports media.

 

I'm with hawk.  Just because a gay player has never publicly come out to the media doesn't mean that one hasn't already come out to one or more of his teammates.

 

In fact I find it highly doubtful that there has never been a player to come out to any of his teammates.

[Floppin]

They are in other parts of the world. Much worse then gay people are persecuted in america in this current society.

Also that is a fake account as already stated.

Homosexuality finds much more uniform persecution, worldwide, than Christianity. Don't let that persecution complex blind you to the facts. 

[King Taharqa]

I almost agree with Charles Barkley 100% on this issue. This is great for Jason and those that may be inspired by him. It definitely took courage so I applaud him for that. And gays have issues that need to be addressed so this is a great platform to do that.

 

On the flip side, its odd how one who speaks on issues of race or the plight of blacks is quickly told to shut up or labeled a "race baiter" or "immoral" in some form of fashion.

 

But if someone speaks on gay rights or comes out, everyone deems them heroic and dares you to speak against their agenda. This is why I think its a smack in the face to compare Jason to a Jackie Robinson or when people parallel the gay rights struggle with that of blacks. What Jason did stands on its own merits. And what gay people are going thru is different than blacks (although both groups have faced discrimination).

 

As Barkley said last night on TNT, if we want an honest discussion than we have to have an environment where people who dont understand or don't agree with the lifestyle can voice that opinion. Right now, everyone in the public eye is scared shitless too. We need to respect Jason's choice to live his life how he sees fit the same way we need to respect the people who don't agree or partake in it's choice.

 

In his own words "WE ALL PLAYED WITH AND AGAINST GAY PLAYERS. EVERY PLAYER ON THIS PANEL PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST GAY PLAYERS". So I agree with the sentiment that just because no one previously had come out doesnt mean this is the first KNOWN gay athlete in NBA circles. Its just that locker room culture keeps that insulated. John Ameachi another former NBA player "came out" a couple years back after he retired so again, this is not new news.

 

What will really create a convo is if an ACTIVE STAR player does this. Because truth be told, Jason is a scrub journeymen who is a free agent that probably wont play again (he's 34 and averaged 1 point last season). Most people never heard of him til this. But if some guy who is on TV all the time, sells a lot of jerseys, and is a MEGASTAR comes out it'll have an even deeper effect.

[rodeo]

It's my hope that one day a professional athlete will be able to come out as black.

[pstall]

Today I'm letting everyone here know that I am Croatian. Whew.

Finally got that off my chest.

[Jase]

Yugo, girl.

[g5jamz]

Funny comment I saw on an article about his fiance' and he breaking off the engagement in 2009.

 

She had no idea he was gay. And the rest of the world had no idea Collins is in the NBA.

 

[pstall]

:lol: