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May 18, 2013
Openly gay NBA star John Amaechi says homophobia in sport is ‘death by 1,000 cuts’

The first former NBA player to come out publicly thinks sports leaders should be held more accountable for homophobia in sport

John Amaechi, the first former NBA player to ever come out, had some good and bad things to say about being gay in professional sport.

In an interview with UK-based online radio station Gaydio, Amaechi first gave his opinion on the importance of International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO), a global day of awareness of anti-gay hate.

May 11, 2013
Long before NBA's Jason Collins came out, there was baseball's Glenn Burke

Billie Jean King calls the 'honest and forthright' Burke the real gay male pioneer of US pro team sports

Tennis legend Billie Jean King is mighty proud that NBA player Jason Collins had the courage to come out as gay less than two weeks ago (29 April).

But King, who came out as a lesbian towards the end of her career, wants people to remember a baseball player by the name of Glenn Burke who was openly gay to his teammates, coaches and team owners in the late 70s and early 80s - and suffered badly for it.

Burke played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland A's but retired from the major leagues at the age of 27 after just four seasons.

May 10, 2013
Collins coming out shouldn’t outshine other black gay heroes

NBA star Jason Collins announcing he is gay is significant but the media frenzy has detracted from the achievements of other LGBT black heroes

The news that NBA star Jason Collins has come out as gay generated a frenzy of headlines, reports and comments that is still continuing.

I want to understand the excitement. But there are still questions I have as an openly black gay man living in Europe. These questions were put into perspective when I had a conversation with a white gay friend of mine.

May 9, 2013
Women’s football captain: being gay shouldn’t be an issue in sports

Women’s football can set an example that being gay should not be an issue in sports, says Casey Stoney

Casey Stoney said that recent coming out by leading sportsmen is encouraging but more work against homophobia needs to be done and lessons can be learnt from women’s football.

The England and Lincoln Ladies captain told the BBC that ‘things are moving in the right direction regarding homophobia in sport’ following the coming out of NBA basketball star Jason Collins and Leeds footballer, Robbie Rogers.

May 8, 2013
Retired NBA star Charles Barkley says he 'of course' played with gay players

'It’s an insult to gay people to think that they’re trying to pick up on their teammates'

Retired NBA star Charles Barkley said Tuesday (7 May) that he played alongside  at least three or four gay teammates during his career and that it was 'no big deal.'

'Of course I did. Everybody did. Everybody played with a gay teammate,' Barkley said on The Dan Patrick Show.

May 8, 2013
Retired NBA star Charles Barkley says he 'of course' played with gay players

'It’s an insult to gay people to think that they’re trying to pick up on their teammates'

Retired NBA star Charles Barkley said Tuesday (7 May) that he played alongside  at least three or four gay teammates during his career and that it was 'no big deal.'

'Of course I did. Everybody did. Everybody played with a gay teammate,' Barkley said on The Dan Patrick Show.

May 7, 2013
Facebook hate page: ‘Nazis were right’ about gays

Heterosexual Awareness Month page says gay men’s mouths smell of ‘poo poo’ and implies NBA player Jason Collins will give people who tackle him a sex infection

Facebook is investigating a hate page where organizers oppose gay marriage and one supporter says the Nazis were right to put gays in concentration camps.

The Heterosexual Awareness Month (HAM) group was ‘established in June 2012 by heteros, for heteros’ and aims to hold a month-long ‘observance of straight people and our growing struggle’ each July.

May 7, 2013
NBA legend Magic Johnson talks gay topics with Jay Leno

He hopes Jason Collins lands on a team and is proud of his own gay son

NBA legend Magic Johnson appeared on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno Monday (6 May) to promote his new Aspire TV network but there were some gay topics to discuss first.

Leno asked the retired Los Angeles Lakers star to weigh in on the coming out of Jason Collins last week. Collins is the first openly gay NBA player in history.

‘It’s great now that he’s out,’ Johnson said. ‘He can be free and just be himself. We in the NBA, we all support him. I’m happy for him because he seems now happy.'

May 7, 2013
NBA legend Magic Johnson talks gay topics with Jay Leno

He hopes Jason Collins lands on a team and is proud of his own gay son

NBA legend Magic Johnson appeared on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno Monday (6 May) to promote his new Aspire TV network but there were some gay topics to discuss first.

Leno asked the retired Los Angeles Lakers star to weigh in on the coming out of Jason Collins last week. Collins is the first openly gay NBA player in history.

‘It’s great now that he’s out,’ Johnson said. ‘He can be free and just be himself. We in the NBA, we all support him. I’m happy for him because he seems now happy.'

May 5, 2013
Saturday Night Live mocks Fox News for its coverage of out basketball player Jason Collins

Saturday Night Live  makes fun of Fox & Friend's coverage of the NBA's Jason Collins coming out

The US comedy show Saturday Night Live  opened its episode last night (4 May) with a well placed skit on how Fox & Friends dealt with NBA player Jason Collins coming out as gay.

May 4, 2013
Gay NBA player Jason Collins and his family sit down for interview with Oprah Winfrey

Parents said they were surprised when son came out to them last summer

Sports Illustrated may have landed Jason Collins for his coming out story but it is Oprah Winfrey who managed to get his family together for a joint interview.

Winfrey's chat with the first openly gay active player in NBA history, his parents, twin brother, sister-in-law and aunt for Oprah's Next Chapter which will air Sunday (5 May) on the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Winfrey asked parents Paul and Portia Collins if when their son came out to them last summer if there was 'a releasing of the dream ... of who he would be walking down the aisle with.'

May 3, 2013
Gay soccer player Robbie Rogers could be planning a return to his sport

Retired after coming out but has been practicing with Los Angeles Galaxy

Robbie Rogers, a former midfielder for the US national team who retired after coming out as gay in February, may be planning a return to the sport.

Rogers, 25, has been training with the Major League Soccer team Los Angeles Galaxy this week - the same week in which the NBA's Jason Collins also came out as gay.

If Rogers, who most recently played in England for Leeds United, resumes his professional playing career, he will be the first openly gay male player in the US to do so.

May 3, 2013
Westboro Baptist Church anti-gay protest ruined by shirtless photo bomber

As counter-protest, guy strips down, drapes self in US flag, and drops into centerfold pose

This was surely not the photo op members of the Westboro Baptist Church had in mind.

The notoriously anti-gay group, famous for their 'God Hates Fags' signs, showed up in Oklahoma City this week to protest at Game 5 of the NBA Quarterfinals where the city's team The Thunder faced the Houston Rockets.

Their protest stemmed from the coming out on Monday (29 April) of NBA player Jason Collins who most recently played for the Washington Wizards.

May 3, 2013
Westboro Baptist Church anti-gay protest ruined by shirtless photo bomber

As counter-protest, guy strips down, drapes self in US flag, and drops into centerfold pose

This was surely not the photo op members of the Westboro Baptist Church had in mind.

The notoriously anti-gay group, famous for their 'God Hates Fags' signs, showed up in Oklahoma City this week to protest at Game 5 of the NBA Quarterfinals where the city's team The Thunder faced the Houston Rockets.

Their protest stemmed from the coming out on Monday (29 April) of NBA player Jason Collins who most recently played for the Washington Wizards.

May 2, 2013
Jason Collins: the great black hope

Now NBA giant Jason Collins has come out as gay, Reverend Irene Monroe looks at what it will mean for sports fans and gay African Americans

The professional sports world has been waiting for a Jason Collins moment – a gay athlete currently playing in a major league to come out publicly. What you may not know is that the subtext is that it was hoped the moment would star an African American male.

The African American community, let alone the sports world, desperately needed an openly gay, current, male, professional player.

May 2, 2013
NBA's Jason Collins says Martina Navratilova was his role model for coming out as gay

Tennis legend came out as a lesbian 33 years ago while at the peak of her career

Since no other male professional athlete in the US had come out during their playing careers, NBA player Jason Collins had to look back at a female superstar who did it 33 years ago.

That is Martina Navratilova who in 1981 came out publicly at the age of 23. She had two Wimbledon singles crown to her credit at the time and would go on to win 16 more grand slam singles titles as an openly gay athlete.

May 2, 2013
Orlando Cruz on Jason Collins: ‘Coming out as gay doesn’t make you less of a man’

First openly gay active boxer has sounded off on the first openly gay active basketball player, saying 'we are making history'

May 2, 2013
Sales of #98 jerseys have surged since NBA's Jason Collins came out as gay

Collins wore number in tribute to Matthew Shepard whose family is deeply moved by gesture

The Washington Wizards' online store is enjoying a surge in sales of jerseys with Jason Collins' number 98 since the NBA player came out publicly as a gay man this week.

Team spokesman Scott Hall did not say how many jerseys have been sold but he did tell ABC News that '100 percent' of them have bore Collins’ name and number on the back.

May 1, 2013
Church cancels speech by former NFL player because of his support of NBA's gay player Jason Collins

LeRoy Butler was scheduled for anti-bullying presentation at Wisconsin church

Retired NFL player LeRoy Butler decision to send a tweet of support to now openly-gay NBA player Jason Collins has cost him an $8,500 speaking gig at a Wisconsin church.

Butler, who played safety for the Green Bay Packers, does not name the church but he took to Twitter today to share the fallout from the tweet to which simply read: 'Congrats to Jason Collins.'

Apparently some parents saw the tweet and complained to the church.

April 30, 2013
Freshly out himself, retired soccer pro Robbie Rogers reacts to NBA's Jason Collins coming out as gay

'I was happy that our society gave him such a positive response'

It turns out that Robbie Rogers, a former midfielder for the US national team who most recently played in England, was a bit of a warm-up act for the NBA's Jason Collins.

Collins came out publicly as a gay man on Monday (29 April) in a Sports Illustrated cover story and will be interviewed on ABC's Good Morning America Tuesday.

April 30, 2013
From Kobe Bryant to Andy Roddick, pro athletes going public as straight allies to gays

Coming out of NBA's Jason Collins has opened floodgate of support

Shortly after NBA player Jason Collins came out publicly as a gay man on Monday (29 April), one of basketball's biggest superstars, Kobe Bryant, took to Twitter to express his support.

'Proud of you,' Bryant wrote of Collins to his nearly 2.5 million followers.

He added: 'Don't suffocate who you are because of the ignorance of others.'

April 30, 2013
From Kobe Bryant to Andy Roddick, pro athletes going public as straight allies to gays

Coming out of NBA's Jason Collins has opened floodgate of support

Shortly after NBA player Jason Collins came out publicly as a gay man on Monday (29 April), one of basketball's biggest superstars, Kobe Bryant, took to Twitter to express his support.

'Proud of you,' Bryant wrote of Collins to his nearly 2.5 million followers.

He added: 'Don't suffocate who you are because of the ignorance of others.'

April 30, 2013
Gay NBA player Jason Collins tweets thanks for outpouring of support

'I knew that I was choosing the road less traveled but I'm not walking it alone'

After a day during which he made history, openly gay NBA player Jason Collins is giving thanks for the outpouring of support from fans, some fellow players and even President Obama.

'All the support I have received today is truly inspirational,' Collins wrote in a tweet late Monday (29 April). 'I knew that I was choosing the road less traveled but I'm not walking it alone.'

April 30, 2013
Gay NBA player Jason Collins tweets thanks for outpouring of support

'I knew that I was choosing the road less traveled but I'm not walking it alone'

After a day during which he made history, openly gay NBA player Jason Collins is giving thanks for the outpouring of support from fans, some fellow players and even President Obama.

'All the support I have received today is truly inspirational,' Collins wrote in a tweet late Monday (29 April). 'I knew that I was choosing the road less traveled but I'm not walking it alone.'

April 30, 2013
President Obama tells NBA's gay player Jason Collins he 'couldn't be prouder' of him

'To see a role model like that who is unafraid, I think this is a great thing'

President Barack Obama said at the end of a White House press conference today that he 'couldn't be prouder' of NBA player Jason Collins for coming out publicly this week as a gay man.

'I had a chance to talk to him yesterday, he seems like a terrific young man,' Obama told reporters. 'I told him I couldn't be prouder.'

Collins, 34, became the first openly gay male athlete in one of the four major US team sports - basketball, football, baseball and hockey - to come out during his playing career.