NBA Player Comes Out Of The Closet

A Stanford University alumnus playing in the NBA today became the first active member of a major professional U.S. sports league to come out as
gay.

Jason Collins, 34, wrote a first-person account released this morning by Sports Illustrated about his decision to come out.

Collins graduated from Stanford in 2001 and has played for six NBA teams, including the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards this past season.

In the article, Collins wrote that the first family member he told about his sexual orientation was his aunt, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Teri Jackson.

"From that moment on I was comfortable in my own skin," he wrote. Collins' decision to come out was lauded by many on social media, including the Stanford men's basketball team, which posted on Twitter that Collins is "not only one of the best teammates and leaders, but most importantly, an even better person." Former San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty, who is openly gay and currently oversees the city's homeless programs, tweeted, "So proud of NBA player Jason Collins for coming out and his Aunt, SF Judge Teri Jackson, for her support!"

The decision was lauded by other NBA players, including former Golden State Warriors star Baron Davis and Los Angeles Lakers guards Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash.

Former President Bill Clinton also chimed in on Collins, releasing a statement calling Collins' announcement "an important moment for professional sports and in the history of the LGBT community." Clinton's daughter Chelsea was a classmate and friend of Collins' at Stanford, the president said.

The gay rights group Human Rights Committee also weighed in, saying Collins "has courageously shown the world that one's sexual orientation is no longer an impediment to achieving one's goals, even at the highest levels of professional sports."

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