North Ameri's four biggt pro sports leagu have had only 2 openly gay active players | CNN

Contents:

• PHOENIX SUNS' RYAN RCH FIRST OPENLY GAY PERSON NBA TEAM'S BASKETBALL OPERATNS
• GAY NBA TEAM PRINT RICK WELTS JT MARRIED HIS LONGTIME BOYIEND
• HERE ARE THE 6 GAY MEN WHO HAVE BEEN OUT PUBLICLY WHILE PETG PRO BASKETBALL
• BILL KENNEDY OUT AS SEND ACTIVE OPENLY GAY NBA OFFICIAL
• THE ONLY 3 OUT, GAY NBA PLAYERS IN HISTORY
• NBA PLAYER JASON COLLS OUT AS GAY
• OPENLY GAY NBA EXECUTIVE RICK WELTS WED HIS LONGTIME PARTNER TODD GAGE
• REFEREE BILL KENNEDY, FOLLOWG SLUR BY RAJON RONDO, ANNOUNC HE'S GAY
• TOP 3 NBA PLAYERS WHO ARE GAY FEAT. JASON COLLS AND MORE
• RUDY GAY: GRIZ DIDN'T GIVE ME CHANCE
• JASON COLLS WEIGHS ON CARL NASSIB’S CISN TO ANNOUNCE HE IS GAY
• NORTH AMERI’S FOUR BIGGT PRO SPORTS LEAGU HAVE BEEN AROUND A BED 398 YEARS. THEY’VE HAD TWO OPENLY GAY ACTIVE PLAYERS
• RUMOR: LAKERS, WARRRS AMONG POTENTIAL RUDY GAY SUORS EE AGENCY
• NBA RUMORS: JAM HARN TRA TALKS, JOEL EMBIID, PJ TUCKER, RUDY GAY, LAKERS, WARRRS, BUCKS, MORE

PHOENIX SUNS' RYAN RCH FIRST OPENLY GAY PERSON NBA TEAM'S BASKETBALL OPERATNS

An openly gay print of an NBA team stands ntrast to what has been the norm men's major league sports the U. 11, 2020, 11:27 PM UTCThe print of the Goln State Warrrs has wed his longtime Welts and Todd Gage were married by San Francis Mayor London Breed her office on Friday, Welts announced on and Gage have been together ne years, Welts said his, who me out as gay 2011, has been an stmental part of the Warrrs' succs over the last ne years, helpg the team appear five straight NBA Fals, w three openly gay print of an NBA team stands ntrast to what has been the norm men's major league sports the U.

In 2018, Coll Mart, a soccer player for Mnota Uned announced on Twter that he was gay, which ma him the only openly gay male player North Amerin sports leagu.

Ryan Rch of the Phoenix Suns is the first openly gay person NBA history to work a team's basketball operatns, ESPN reported article tails how Rch, the Suns' vice print of basketball strategy and evaluatn, me out to General Manager Jam Jon, who is nsired a mentor of his, this past wter and then later to the team staff. "Ultimately my goal is to normalize for people and out the league the existence of gay men and women on the basketball si, " Rch said the article. In 2011, Rick Welts, who was the Suns' print and CEO at the time, me out as gay.

GAY NBA TEAM PRINT RICK WELTS JT MARRIED HIS LONGTIME BOYIEND

He was then nsired the first man a proment posn men's sports to e out as gay. In an article wrten by the New York Tim, Welts said he had a goal to mentor other gay people lookg to pursue a reer sports.

Women’s natnal soccer team pta Megan Rapoe and WNBA star Sue Bird wh Goln State Warrrs' Shaw via Getty ImagSce then, Welts has led the Warrrs to three champnship ws and five NBA fals number of openly LGBTQ sports officials clus Erik Braverman, who me out as gay 2015 and serv as the senr vice print of marketg, munitns and broadstg for the Los Angel Dodgers. When John Amaechi me out publicly 2007, he was ahead of his time, sharg that he’s gay and a former profsnal basketball player.

Sce Colls showed the world you uld be a gay man profsnal basketball, there has been a trickle of gay athlet to follow, most recently former NBA player and current Atralian pro basketball player Isaac Humphri. Here are the gay men who have blazed a trail on basketball urts around the world. S., the Natnal Basketball Associatn (NBA) has partnered wh the Natnal Gay & Lbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), a Washgton, D.

HERE ARE THE 6 GAY MEN WHO HAVE BEEN OUT PUBLICLY WHILE PETG PRO BASKETBALL

Longtime NBA referee Bill Kennedy revealed to Yahoo Sports Sunday night that he is gay, makg him the send openly gay active NBA official after Vlet Palmer's announcement 2014. He's also the third active openly gay official pro sports along wh MLB umpire Dale Stt. "I am proud to be an NBA referee and I am proud to be a gay man, " Kennedy told Yahoo Sports on Sunday night.

Source: NBA referee Bill Kennedy reveals he is gay; Rajon Rondo ma alleged homosexual slur to him - Yahoo Sports. OutSports spoke wh an openly gay high school ach for his reactn, which summed up the announcement well:.

BILL KENNEDY OUT AS SEND ACTIVE OPENLY GAY NBA OFFICIAL

"I thk any time someone n be out at the top of their profsn 's a w, " out gay high school basketball ach Anthony Nimo told Outsports. Source: NBA referee Bill Kennedy out as gay after Rajon Rondo lled him gay slurs - Outsports.

Yahoo Sports reveals that Rondo's one-game spensn was the rult of a tira that clud the Kgs guard's e of homophobic slurs towards Kennedy. Adam Silver said 2014 that he felt the league "fell behd" on the issue, even wh Jason Colls' announcement several years ago that he was an active gay NBA player.

While there may be closeted gay nba players, there have only been three openly gay players. Jason CollsCareerComg OutJon AmaechiCareer Comg Out Isaac HumphriCareerComg OutAre There Closeted Gay NBA Players?

THE ONLY 3 OUT, GAY NBA PLAYERS IN HISTORY

One ESPN mentator, Chris Brosard, exprsed both his admiratn for Colls’ bravery and his belief that Colls uld not be both gay and christian. Tennis great Marta Navratilova, who had somewhat unbelievably e out 1981, praised Colls and exprsed her hope that this would help end homophobia team sports and lead to more players g out. As of the wrg of this article, Colls is the last gay NBA player to e out.

Colls beme the first, and still only, active gay NBA player when he signed wh the Broolyn Nets Febary of 2014.

John Amaechi was the first gay NBA player to e out, but he did so after he had retired om the league. The difference reactn between Ameachi’s and Colls’ statements is a sign of the growth acceptance of gay people between 2007 and 2013. Barkley said he was sure he had played both wh and agast gay players and should not be viewed as a big al.

NBA PLAYER JASON COLLS OUT AS GAY

Lebron Jam said “Wh teammat you have to be tstworthy, and if you’re gay and you’re not admtg that you are, then you are not tstworthy”.

OPENLY GAY NBA EXECUTIVE RICK WELTS WED HIS LONGTIME PARTNER TODD GAGE

Others were crass wh Shavlik Randolph sayg “As long as you don’t brg your gayns on me I’m fe”. The strongt reactn me om Tim Hardaway who said: “Well, you know, I hate gay people, so I let be known.

REFEREE BILL KENNEDY, FOLLOWG SLUR BY RAJON RONDO, ANNOUNC HE'S GAY

He actually went to unselg and beme the 1st person to sign his name to a 2013 petn to legalize gay marriage Florida.

Isaac Humphri beme the only openly gay player a top tier men’s league after g out 2022.

At UK he had limed succs, averagg jt 3 pots and 3 rebounds per game his sophomore season. On November 16, 2022 Isaac Humphri beme the third former NBA player to e out as gay.

TOP 3 NBA PLAYERS WHO ARE GAY FEAT. JASON COLLS AND MORE

Humprhi is the only male player a top tier league the world who is currently playg and openly gay. While the percentage of people who are gay vari wh different measur, there is no reputable measure sayg the number is zero. But zero is the number of openly gay players the NBA sce Jason Colls retirement 2013.

RUDY GAY: GRIZ DIDN'T GIVE ME CHANCE

6% intify as gay (or trans), seems sanely unlikely that there are no gay NBA players.

In a recent terview, Jason Colls acknowledg that is likely many gay players are aaid.

JASON COLLS WEIGHS ON CARL NASSIB’S CISN TO ANNOUNCE HE IS GAY

Until they do, Jason Colls will be the only active NBA player to e out as a gay man.

Jason Colls me out 2013 and went on to play the next season beg the first and only openly gay active player NBA history. Image ptn, Jason Colls has been undated wh msag of supportUS basketball player Jason Colls has e out as gay, the first active male athlete a major Amerin profsnal team sport to do clared his sexualy an article for Sports Illtrated, announcg: "I'm a 34-year-old NBA center.

"Print Barack Obama, NBA star Kobe Bryant and sportswear pany Nike were among those exprsg public NBA player John Amaechi me out 2007, but had already Monday, Mr Obama, who last year announced his support for gay marriage, lled Colls to tell him he was imprsed wh his urage and offer his support, the Whe Hoe said. 'Learship mantle'Former Print Bill Clton lled the move "an important moment for profsnal sports and the history of the LGBT muny" dghter, Chelsea, who knew Colls when they were both stunts at California's Stanford Universy, tweeted: "Very proud of my iend Jason Colls for havg the strength and urage to be the first openly gay player the NBA. "The reactn was not entirely welg: An analyst for sports broadster ESPN, Chris Brosard, said on Monday he did not believe that "you n live an openly homosexual liftyle" and be a Christian.

NORTH AMERI’S FOUR BIGGT PRO SPORTS LEAGU HAVE BEEN AROUND A BED 398 YEARS. THEY’VE HAD TWO OPENLY GAY ACTIVE PLAYERS

Symbolic shirt numberIn the Sports Illtrated article, Colls, who has most recently played for the Washgton Wizards and the Boston Celtics, said: "I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playg a major Amerin team sport. " Colls said he cid he should go public after his former roommate at Stanford Universy, Congrsman Joe Kennedy, scn of the Kennedy polil dynasty, marched a Boston gay pri basketball player at Stanford, Colls peted the natnal llegiate champnship tournament, reachg the fourth round.

Colls explaed that 2012 he changed his uniform number to 98 - a number wh signifince for the gay muny the US - as a gture of 1998, Matthew Shepard, a gay stunt at the Universy of Wyomg, was btally killed what has been ced as one of the most notor anti-gay hate crim the US.

The Lbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgenr (LGBT) muny remas a hot topic the Uned Stat. The LGBT movement emerged as early as the 1870s, but homosexual rights groups didn't appear until after World War II September 1945. To add onto the topic of the Warrrs, print Rick Welts me out as gay an terview wh the New York Tim 2011.

RUMOR: LAKERS, WARRRS AMONG POTENTIAL RUDY GAY SUORS EE AGENCY

Homophobia is somethg that shouldn't have a place sports bee LGBT folks n be fans, media members, employe and executiv too. " We, as a untry, need to une and not jt bee of the tragic gay nightclub shootg Orlando, Florida, that occurred last summer. We have a thg gog on now — people discrimatg agast homosexualy this untry.

His fay reportedly had mixed emotns towards the announcement, but he still changed the game, beg the first Divisn I men's basketball player to e out as gay and play gam. He also received praise om Colls and former NFL fensive end Michael Sam, who beme the first openly gay football player. Denver Nuggets power forward Kenh Faried has been a gay rights supporter for a long time.

In 2011, mors surfaced, claimg that Selby was gay after an alleged email to another man was leaked. When then-Phoenix Suns print and CEO Rick Welts me out as gay May 2011, former NBA pot guard Steve Nash pledged his support favor of the LGBT muny. Nash said the vio, "A growg number of profsnal athlet are speakg out support of gay and lbian upl gettg married, I'm proud to be one of them.

NBA RUMORS: JAM HARN TRA TALKS, JOEL EMBIID, PJ TUCKER, RUDY GAY, LAKERS, WARRRS, BUCKS, MORE

Asi om his open support for gay rights, he also ns the Steve Nash Foundatn, which helps children who are affected by poverty, illns, abe or neglect, and creat opportuny for tn, play, and empowerment, Phoenix, Arizona, and Brish Columbia, Canada. 98 to honor the murr of the late Universy of Wyomg stunt Matthew Shepard, who was gay.

He told Good Day LA, "I thk gay marriage, same-sex marriage is them go through what we go through. In his hman year at Villanova, he first me out as gay to his teammate and roommate Mike Villa before nfsg to his parents three months later.

Amaechi was the first former NBAer to publicly e out as gay after retirg om the league. Sce then, he has been regard as one of the world's most high-profile gay athlet. Prevly, Amaechi talked about gays the NBA an terview wh Stland on Sunday.