A lot of digital ink has been spilled over the matter of openly gay players in professional sports. While most of the entertainment industry has moved forward on the matter of LGBT visibility, the world of sports has remained pretty straight. Apparently, the art of putting balls in specific areas is hallowed ground.
But all that has changed, as basketball player Jason Collins has signed a deal with the Brooklyn Nets, becoming the first openly gay player not only in the NBA, but in any major American sports league.
According to ESPN, “The Nets moved quickly to make the historic signing of the 35-year-old free agent center to have another big body available against the Lakers. Brooklyn had been contemplating signing Collins for the past week and the need for Collins became greater after the Nets dealt rebounding specialist Reggie Evans to the Sacramento Kings last week.”
Yes, amazingly, someone in the NBA sat down and said, “You know what? This person is fully capable of putting a ball in a specific area, and his sexuality doesn’t impede that process in any way. He’s hard working, easy to get along with, and a team player. Let’s sign him!”
So yes, while the world of putting balls into specific areas has been a predominantly hetero sorta thing, they’re slowly coming to the realization that gay men are also perfectly capable of putting balls into specific areas. It took them forever, let’s be real about that, but at least they’re learning. Someday, perhaps all straight people will come to realize that a person’s sexuality doesn’t affect their ability to put balls into specific areas, and oh what a glorious day that will be!
But seriously, good for him! It’s about time!
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