Why can’t it just be. Why can’t he just be. This is, the unfortunate narrative Jason Collins, among many others, have found themselves in. They are not normal.
Jason Collins revealed through this tremendous piece on Sports Illustrated that he was (pause for dramatic effect) GAY.
This has obviously made its way all around the globe, a shocking revelations – scandalous, outrageous, incredible. And it is; Jason Collins made an incredible decision for his life and possibly a game-changing moment for the NBA.
“I am Jason Collins, I am black and I am gay” he told SI.com, blunt and bold, the veteran center got straight (pun intended) to the point. The current costless-agent might not be the center of any team, but he became the center of attention when SI revealed Collins’ sexual orientation.
Had Collins lived in an open and acceptant society, he wouldn’t have been the first to come out (in the NBA). His piece on SI is very telling – showing the nuances of the society in which we live in, where men are made to believe that homosexuality isn’t “the way to be”.
The immediate impact from the news was hair-raising. Within an hour people all over the world were tweeting support to his twitter (@jasoncollins34) including players like Steve Nash, Baron Davis, and Kenneth Faried. Not all the responses however, were positive, with Chris Broussard – an ESPN senior writer – who in a special edition of Outside The Lines was heavily critical of Collins’ sexual orientation.
“Personally, I don’t believe that you can live an openly homosexual lifestyle or an openly, like premarital sex between heterosexuals. If you’re openly living that type of lifestyle, then the Bible says you know them by their fruits. It says that, you know, that’s a sin. If you’re openly living in unrepentant sin, whatever it may be, not just homosexuality, whatever it maybe, I believe that’s walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ. So I would not characterize that person as a Christian because I don’t think the bible would characterize them as a Christian.”
He also hinted on players being uncomfortable with having a gay teammate in the changing rooms, sharing intimate spaces. This issue has been raised before with Chris Culliver in the NFL and even NBA retired legend Larry Johnson also tweeted “I don't Jason Collins personally but he seems like a great guy. Me personally gay men in the locked room would make me uncomfortable .”
I have never understood the issue – Collins has been an NBA player for 14 years and has played over 800 games in both the regular season and the playoffs. There has never been an issue with him in the lockers, not with the Nets nor the Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Hawks, Celtics or Wizards. He is the same man he was when he played for those teams, why would he or the attitude his teammates have towards him change?
It seems absurd; he would be the exact same person but would be treated differently. Ostracized because unlike most men he is attracted by other men – our society is lead to believe that gay men are flamboyant and gay women are butch. This stereotype is similar if not worse than racial stereotypes as it is a problem oft-ignored and belittled. “It’s just homosexuality”.
Collins’ courage cannot be quantified, but if you really have to, this might be something to be proud of. The president of the United States personally congratulated Collins, saying he was “impressed with his courage”.
It is easy to get caught up in all the negativity surrounding the subject, from those who oppose it to the “Ooh, he’s gay” instinctive thoughts some may have, but if we were all to take just one minute and think about how a man, aged 34, can finally live his life without fear. He can walk out of his home without feigning a life that isn’t his; he can be himself and doesn’t have society’s eyes frowning upon him.
Jason Collins’ life starts today, it starts now that Jason Collins is finally himself. And that is something all the negative comments, all the mean spirited homophobic slurs can’t take away from him, because Collins has won not the battle, not the war but he’s won in life. His life. And now, maybe the life of many other men or women who’ve been forced into this “closet” that shouldn’t have ever been in existence.
Jason Collins is gay. And that’s good.
