Gay basketball player nba

Collins, who came out in an essay written for Sports Illustrated in , tied the knot with Hollywood producer Brunson Green over Memorial Day weekend in a ceremony in Austin, Tex. 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.

See our ethics statement. The US has been increasingly accepting of LGBT folks, although the trajectory has been rockier for transgender individuals. Further, these leagues share a common denominator of maintaining ideals of masculinity that are often viewed as orthogonal to being LGBT. LGBT men are stereotypically considered weak, in contrast to the strength required to play sports.

For years, the NBA and other major leagues were slow to embrace openly gay players, but things are changing. Today, more athletes are stepping up, living their truth, and making basketball a more inclusive space. The courage of these players is shifting the culture and inspiring future generations. His courage paved the way for others, and since retiring, he has continued to advocate for equality.

We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. After playing basketball with his twin brother, Jarron, in high school and at Stanford University, Collins developed into a capable NBA defender for multiple teams. On April 29, , he became the first active male athlete in the four major North American professional sports to proclaim his homosexuality. They won a pair of California State championships together.