"And I'm Gay"

Homosexuality has always been something that was shunned, especially in sports. Jason Collins is an NBA player. He plays as a center for the Washington Wizards (was traded mid-season from the Boston Celtics). He stands at 7 feet even. And for over a decade, he was silent about his sexuality. Collins said that he wanted to keep his sexual preference a secret because he was terrified of what teammates, opponents, fans, and the world would think of him. But his mind state changed after the Boston Marathon bombings. "[The bombings] 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," says Collins. He continued to say that he "endured years of misery and [has] gone to enormous lengths to live a lie." Jason Collins is crowned as the first active player in a major league sport to come out as gay. He wrote an article posted Monday on the Sports Illustrated website that started with "I'm a 34-year old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay." Collins was surprised of the praise, approval, and support that he received after coming out. He was congratulated by teammates, a new sponsor, and Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Jason Collins plans to continue playing for the NBA, and marching at Boston's Gay Pride Parade on June 8th.
I think that having a prominent basketball star publicly announcing that he's gay will allow others to feel comfortable and open about their own homosexuality. For further reading on this subject, please read Jason Collins Breaks Barriers.