Courtesy of HuffPo:
"I never set out to be the first," Collins told Stephanopoulos during an interview that first aired during "Good Morning America" on Tuesday. "You're sort of waiting around for somebody else to, you know, raise their hand. I'm ready to raise my hand but, you know, you still look around like, 'OK, come on, guys.'"
"It's incredible. You're just trying to live an honest, genuine life and the next thing you know you have the president calling you," Collins said of the reaction that he has received. "He was incredibly supportive and he was proud of me, said this not only affected my life but others going forward."
"I know in my personal life I'm ready. And I think the country is ready for supporting an openly gay basketball player," Collins said during the interview.
Incredibly brave young man. This guy is going to be a hero to young LGBT kids everywhere!
I think what Jackie Robinson did for African Americans, this guy is going to do for gay kids in this country.
I read on Twitter the day he came out that now the countdown begins to see how long it takes before the last coach, uses the last gay epithet, for the last time, to insult one of his players.
Someday it may be as socially unacceptable to us the"F" word as it is these days to use the "N" word.
Looking forward to it.
For those who believe that females can be professional athletes too, Brittney Griner came out before Jason Collins.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/25/brittney-griner-nike-deal-_n_3157164.html
And Phil Jackson had "never run into one" in all his years of coaching! Ignoramus....
ReplyDeleteCountdown? Forget it; there will always be homophobes and there will always be abusive homophobes in every sector of business.
ReplyDeleteIn perhaps fifty years it may have evolved but it will still be a painful transition, and it will never totally disappear.
Yeah, but there were racist baseball and basketball owners too, who did not want to accept black players, and when they got their butts kicked, the relented. So good for Jason, and good for America. Someday we will judge people by their behavior and not by their skins nor sexual orientations. Someday!
DeleteHe will never play another NBA game.
ReplyDeleteHe is an unsigned free agent.
Cant imagine any NBA team
wants a gay in the locker room.
Anonymous4:49 PM
DeleteIs that what your Magic 8 Ball told ya troll bigot?
You demonstrate your utter ignorance with your statement. OBVIOUSLY, the NBA has had a 'gay' in the locker room, and there is NO question in my mind that he is NOT the only one. He's just the one that took a stand and spoke his peace. You watch, not ONLY will he be in huge demand, he will inspire many to be true to themselves on their personal journeys.
DeleteGina was kind to you troll, you should feel grateful that your asshole is still intact.
After a year of symbolic victories for the gay community and the movement being accepted on the mainstream radar more than ever before, the world was ready for the Collins announcement on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteBut what everyone is really waiting for now?
The same kind of declaration from someone who wears a helmet and shoulder pads on Sundays…
http://www.mediaite.com/online/collins%e2%80%99-coming-out-party-a-baby-step-only-an-openly-gay-nfl-player-can-be-a-game-changer/
I liked the part when he says he's just trying to live an authentic life, and the next think he knows, the President calls him. I liked Jason for doing this in the first place, but I admire him even more after watching this interview. George had the same thought I had, somewhere there's a gay kid interested in Sports who now has a role model, and the response was perfect. "It's about basketball"
ReplyDeleteI was "That channel" today, and a bunch of fat male clenched asshats and some bleached blonde bimbo were going on and on about how it's "open season" in the showers for straight men... it's the end of professional sports as we know it... Obama should NEVER have gotten involved... it's the end of the world.. don't drop the soap.
Makes me wonder how secure they are in their own sexuality if they think showering with a gay person makes them feel like they need a shower?
I'm looking forward to the day when the "F" word is permanently shelved, hopefully sooner than later.