NFT: Jason Collins is teh ghey

[Planetman]

NTTAWWT

Why NBA center Jason Collins is coming out now

By Jason Collins with Franz Lidz

This story appears in the May 6, 2013, issue of Sports Illustrated.

I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay.

I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, "I'm different." If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand.

My journey of self-discovery and self-acknowledgement began in my hometown of Los Angeles and has taken me through two state high school championships, the NCAA Final Four and the Elite Eight, and nine playoffs in 12 NBA seasons.

I've played for six pro teams and have appeared in two NBA Finals. Ever heard of a parlor game called Three Degrees of Jason Collins? If you're in the league, and I haven't been your teammate, I surely have been one of your teammates' teammates. Or one of your teammates' teammates' teammates.

Now I'm a free agent, literally and figuratively. I've reached that enviable state in life in which I can do pretty much what I want. And what I want is to continue to play basketball. I still love the game, and I still have something to offer. My coaches and teammates recognize that. At the same time, I want to be genuine and authentic and truthful.

Why am I coming out now? Well, I started thinking about this in 2011 during the NBA player lockout. I'm a creature of routine. When the regular season ends I immediately dedicate myself to getting game ready for the opener of the next campaign in the fall. But the lockout wreaked havoc on my habits and forced me to confront who I really am and what I really want. With the season delayed, I trained and worked out. But I lacked the distraction that basketball had always provided.

The first relative I came out to was my aunt Teri, a superior court judge in San Francisco. Her reaction surprised me. "I've known you were gay for years," she said. From that moment on I was comfortable in my own skin. In her presence I ignored my censor button for the first time. She gave me support. The relief I felt was a sweet release. Imagine you're in the oven, baking. Some of us know and accept our sexuality right away and some need more time to cook. I should know -- I baked for 33 years.

When I was younger I 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."

[HMc]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Eventually you're going to be unable to legally oppose gays. It will happen eventually. It'll be treated as a "hate crime" and even your religious views will be trumped by Federal laws. Chris Broussard at ESPN is in danger of losing his job now.

[Carlota69]

Originally Posted by HMc

He's copping it because he's a category 10 moron and decided to publicise that fact without any real need to do so.

In order for this conversation to be over, and for this to be a non issue, someone had to do what's he's doing. Someone has to break the ice so to speak. For whatever reason, he decided to be that guy. Its not becasue hes a moron. It had to be done regardless of what you think.

Now hopefully in time, these kinds of discussions will be irrelevant.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by Carlota69

He isn't talking about what he does in his bedroom, he is talking about who he is as a man. It's everyone else talking about what he does in his bedroom.

Really? And just what do you think defines one as being gay?

[loochy]

Originally Posted by Carlota69

He isn't talking about what he does in his bedroom, he is talking about who he is as a man. It's everyone else talking about what he does in his bedroom.

well in this case, it seems that who he is as a man stems from what he does in his bedroom

[HMc]

Originally Posted by Carlota69

In order for this conversation to be over, and for this to be a non issue, someone had to do what's he's doing. Someone has to break the ice so to speak. For whatever reason, he decided to be that guy. Its not becasue hes a moron. It had to be done regardless of what you think.

Now hopefully in time, these kinds of discussions will be irrelevant.

I was referring to Wallace.

[loochy]

Originally Posted by Carlota69

In order for this conversation to be over, and for this to be a non issue, someone had to do what's he's doing. Someone has to break the ice so to speak. For whatever reason, he decided to be that guy. Its not becasue hes a moron. It had to be done regardless of what you think.

Now hopefully in time, these kinds of discussions will be irrelevant.

No, I think he was talking about the other guy that tweeted "hey how could you be gay when chicks are so hot?"

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

LOL, they have no interest in "peace". They want to force their agenda on people who frankly don't like it. Nobody cares if Collins is gay or not. But dammit, you WILL hear about it and you WILL accept it! If not? Then you're an awful evil person who should be executed or jailed. Even the NFL just issued a tolerance demand on their teams yesterday.


Soon they will be added in the protected class, i.e. affirmative action and quotas. You heard it here first. Remember me when Congress starts up the debate in about 10 years.

There's nothing "first" about this post.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by Carlota69

In order for this conversation to be over, and for this to be a non issue, someone had to do what's he's doing. Someone has to break the ice so to speak. For whatever reason, he decided to be that guy. Its not becasue hes a moron. It had to be done regardless of what you think.

Now hopefully in time, these kinds of discussions will be irrelevant.

No he didn't and no it didn't have to be this way and why does someone have to break the ice? It did not have to be done regardless of what you think.

Don't use the way that it went down to validate your opinion.

[Al Bundy]

Good for him, now it's time to move along. When is Tebow coming out?

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by HMc

With the small exception of large swathes of morons that, for the sake of this discussion, I shall call "Christians". Other than that oppressed minority, you're right. There are non-christians that have a problem with homosexuality also, I suppose I shouldn't leave them out.

You'd think people that believe a sky fairy answers their prayers (and often times the prayers of people they know from internet, if what goes on here is any indication) would be more open minded. Alas, it is not so.

Help celebrate an historic day for gay rights by taking a big, runny dump all over 80% of the population! Grab your brushes...the broader the better!

I'm a 34 year old white male. I am straight. I am married. I have two young children. I am upper middle class. I am a man of faith. I live in Kansas. I support equality of rights. There are others like me.

Guess what? Without people like me, gay rights never would come as far as it has, and it will never get where it needs to go. At this point, gay rights zealots are the biggest enemies of gay rights. Instead of celebrating all of the many factors at play which have made yesterday's events possible, they have chosen to further marginalize themselves.

There's a reason that, while I support the cause at the ballot box, I'm not going out of my way to gin up support. I'm simply not going to stand shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of hateful pricks.

[loochy]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

Good for him, now it's time to move along. When is Tebow coming out?

Sigh. Another attention whore is just what we need.

[loochy]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

Help celebrate an historic day for gay rights by taking a big, runny dump all over 80% of the population! Grab your brushes...the broader the better!

I'm a 34 year old white male. I am straight. I am married. I have two young children. I am upper middle class. I am a man of faith. I live in Kansas. I support equality of rights. There are others like me.

Guess what? Without people like me, gay rights never would come as far as it has, and it will never get where it needs to go. At this point, gay rights zealots are the biggest enemies of gay rights. Instead of celebrating all of the many factors at play which have made yesterday's events possible, they have chosen to further marginalize themselves.

There's a reason that, while I support the cause at the ballot box, I'm not going out of my way to gin up support. I'm simply not going to stand shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of hateful pricks.

Good for you for being a reasonable person.

[Al Bundy]

Originally Posted by loochy

Sigh. Another attention whore is just what we need.

Who? Tebow?

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by TEX

Really? And just what do you think defines one as being gay?

Are you only straight while you're having sex with a woman? Are you only a Christian while in church?

[loochy]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

Who? Tebow?

yes tebow