On April 31, after the close of the NBA season, Jason Collins courageously stood in front of the world to announce that he is gay and proud of it.
NBA center Jason Collins, a 34-year-old free agent who has played with the Washington Wizards and the Boston Celtics, told Sports Illustrated: “I didn’t set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I’m happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn’t the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, ‘I’m different.’ If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I’m raising my hand.”
“When I was younger, I dated women,” he continued. “I even got engaged. I thought I had to live a certain way. I thought I needed to marry a woman and raise kids with her. I kept telling myself the sky was red, but I always knew it was blue.”
Collins continued: “I’ve endured years of misery and gone to enormous lengths to live a lie. I was certain that my world would fall apart if anyone knew. And yet when I acknowledged my sexuality I felt whole for the first time. I still had the same sense of humor, I still had the same mannerisms and my friends still had my back.”
Collins’ eloquent words speak for themselves, and speak to the real day-to-day oppression that millions of LGBT and queer-identified people suffer in a society where they are denigrated and attacked, and denied basic civil liberties. He deserves full support and solidarity at this time.
Why now?
As the LGBT movement continues to move forward with great momentum, more and more people are seeing through, and rejecting, the traditional dominant homophobic trend in class society that for centuries has persecuted and denigrated LGBT people and denied them fundamental human rights.
At this time, it is also important not to forget that individuals such as tennis superstar Martina Navratilova came out over 30 years ago, in a much more difficult period. Also, other prominent women, and men, have acknowledged their sexual orientation publicly over the years, at great risk to their lives.
This particular disclosure, though, is yet another timely blow against bigotry. It comes as the movement, born at the time of the Stonewall Rebellion in 1969, when LGBT people took history into their own hands and began a fight-back movement that has led to a historic mass recognition of the validity of LGBT people and their lives.
In response, groups such as the homophobic Boy Scouts and right-wing “think” tanks will be forced to take notice of the courageous coming out of Jason Collins. Millions of sports fans will have to think about what just happened and how it affects the over-reaching macho culture enforced by the media and their corporate sponsors regarding professional, amateur, college and high school sports programs.
Only a few years ago, liberal Democrats fearfully avoided the issue. Typically weak and spineless, they stood by while the bigots ruled the day. Millions were swayed by a non-stop flow of homophobia and bigotry from the religious hierarchy and the right wing, all serving the purpose of the ruling capitalists to keep workers divided and captive of reactionary propaganda. The mass struggle for equality has undeniably changed all that.
The street-based militant LGBT movement has grown by the millions and changed the conversation forever.
Since Jason Collins’ brave act, other professional athletes and the sports establishment have come to his side in strong support. NBA commissioner David Stern applauded him, and President Obama sent him his congratulations. On the other side, others have shown their lack of intelligence on the issue and made stupid and homophobic generalizations about gay men.
In reality, the kudos for Collins’ stand represents another milestone in the culture war over basic rights for LGBT people, especially concerning the issue of marriage rights for same-sex couples, and will be yet another important step in the battle for equality.
It would be wrong, however, to conclude that the battle is over, which is what many recently converted liberals are saying in the media and online in their blogs. LGBT civil rights are still being denied. Homophobia is deeply rooted in class politics, and this positive turn could change in relation to the ups and downs of the capitalist economy, where racism, sexism and homophobia are constantly with us to serve the interests of the wealthy class by keeping workers disunited.
As the closely watched determinations of the U.S. Supreme Court approach, bold and brave actions by prominent individuals such as Jason Collins help validate the yearnings for justice and equality by millions of people affected by violence and discrimination against anyone for their sexual orientation or gender identification. Without a strong and vocal movement, however, even their voices will go unheard.
