Former, Washington Wizards center forward, Jason Collins has come out of the closet in the new issue of Sports Illustrated magazine. In the mag, Jason reveals why he chose to speak on his “sexuality” now oppose to years prior along with a message to other “closeted men” in or out of the sports industry. ” The “free agent” is the first active male openly gay athlete in American professional team sports”- says Dallas news.
Collins tells Sports Illustrated:
“I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay! The recent Boston Marathon bombing reinforced the notion that I shouldn’t wait for the circumstances of my coming out to be perfect. Things can change in an instant, so why not live truthfully? No one wants to live in fear. I’ve always been scared of saying the wrong thing. I don’t sleep well. I never have.
But each time I tell another person, I feel stronger and sleep a little more soundly. It takes an enormous amount of energy to guard such a big secret. I’ve endured years of misery and gone to enormous lengths to live a lie.
I was certain that my world would fall apart if anyone knew. And yet when I acknowledged my sexuality I felt whole for the first time. I still had the same sense of humor, I still had the same mannerisms and my friends still had my back.”
On Why Collins Chose To Come 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.”
Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban told TMZ that he would be honored to a “gay player” on his team- so Collins could very well be picked up in for the upcoming season later this fall. Here’s what Cuban said:
“I’ve been saying the same thing for years. There will be somebody who comes out. It’ll be a great moment for sports. I would be honored if he was on my team,” Cuban said. “I think things have changed, significantly, in that the players would accept him. All professional sports have had their homophobic missteps along the way, it’s a new era, a new generation and the player would be accepted. I think we are starting, at least on the edges, break down those barriers. This shouldn’t be a big deal.”
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