John Amaechi at the Human Rights Campaign Gala in New York City on Feb. 10 (left). Pic by Doug Meszler________
John Amaechi did what no one else in the 'out' gay world has ever done: play in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . His three-team, five-year career ( 1996-2003 ) included stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz and Orlando Magic. He was on the court alongside Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and so many other household names, earning almost $10 million as a pro.
Amaechi scored the first basket in Miami's AmericanAirlines Arena, and the first NBA points in the new millennium on Jan. 2, 2000.
What he did last week was as ground-breaking, though on a much different platform. Amaechi, about four years after his last NBA dunk, announced he was gay. His autobiography, Man In The Middle, reveals his true life, chronicles his NBA career and addresses the travails of being a closeted professional athlete.
'It's amazing. This will do a lot for the LGBT community, especially the younger generation,' said Esera Tuaolo, a former National Football League ( NFL ) player who, in 2002, announced—like Amaechi—that he was gay after retiring from pro sports.
'John's coming out will help break down stereotypes and definitely is another step for us, proving that there are gay athletes living in the closet,' Tuaolo said. 'Hopefully, by John coming out, it will help the professional organizations realize that we really need to look at this and create a safe environment, so that maybe an athlete could come out while he's still playing. Hopefully, John's coming out is another step forward for acceptance.'
The fraternity of gay professional athletes from any of the four major sports ( baseball, football, basketball and hockey ) is indeed very small. Athletes such as Billy Bean, David Kopay and Glenn Burke all announced their homosexuality after retiring.
The fraternity of gay professional athletes from the big four sports who made the announcement while still active is, well, non-existent.
'I hope that the closeted athletes understand that they'd have full support from the LGBT community, and others too,' Tuaolo said. 'As athletes living in the male-dominant, high-testosterone, homophobic arena … losing everything that you worked so hard for is a huge fear. That's endorsements and even your job. If there was a safe environment, I think we would have an athlete come out while still active. But athletes need to feel safe, and that safety needs to start at the top; that's [ with ] league commissioners, team owners and head coaches. I think all leagues need to add LGBT issues into their already-established diversity programs.'
Amaechi's book, published by ESPN Books, was released Feb. 14. His first interview since coming out appeared on ESPN Outside The Lines.
'Young athletes who are in the closet are going through some rough times; many are contemplating suicide,' Tuaolo said. 'John's announcement definitely gives them some hope that they can do it, that they can make it through. I can tell athletes about my story, about other gay professionals, such as David Kopay, Billy Bean and Martina Navratilova, but it's still very hard for them considering how difficult and hostile their environment is toward homosexuality. So, hopefully, John's announcement will help educate the straight players [ and ] show them that there are gay athletes.'
Bean, who came out in 1999 after playing seven seasons of major league baseball, said his first reaction to Amaechi's announcement was that he was 'happy.' But, Bean added, Amaechi also is 'an example of why gay athletes are not ready to come out while active.'
Bean said that he doesn't see any current players stepping out of the closet. 'The careers are getting shorter; the money is great; there's a lot of pressure,' he said. 'It's harder now to stay on teams; the locker rooms are so extreme. And that's a little frustrating, because I want it to be a perfect world.'
Tuaolo said that if we lived in a society that was a little more accepting, then maybe more athletes could be honest about their sexuality. 'Do you think, if I had come out in college, that I would have been drafted into the NFL? No,' he said. 'It's hard enough to get into the NFL or the NBA, or any pro league; it's twice as hard for a gay athlete to get there.
'But, by talking about the issues and educating people we're definitely taking baby steps forward. Times definitely are changing, albeit very slowly. We still need to do a lot more.'
Ted Cappas, one of Chicago's best openly gay basketball players, said Amaechi's announcement certainly 'can't hurt and I'm very happy for him.'
But the bigger story will be when an active pro announces he's gay, Cappas agreed.
'That takes real courage,' said Cappas, 35, who was raised in suburban Chicago and now lives in the city. He is a former MVP of the Windy City Athletic Association's basketball league and a three-time league champion.
'Hopefully, we'll someday get to the point where it doesn't matter that someone's teammate is gay. Hopefully, we'll get to the point where it just doesn't matter.'
The openly gay current pro athlete won't exist for a while, Cappas guessed—probably 10 years. But that certainly doesn't diminish Amaechi's announcement or the steps it will make, albeit small, for the LGBT community.
'I think it's fantastic that John had enough guts and courage to announce [ his sexuality ] ; that's really a cool thing. But, I think it's about time professional athletes step up and announce [ their sexuality ] while still active. That would truly be an amazing announcement,' said Brad Virata of Los Angeles, who is gay and who appeared on CBS-TV's Survivor in 2006.
Added Marcia Hill, president of the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association ( CMSA ) : 'I am glad [ Amaechi ] is stepping forward. I just think it is ironic that he played at Penn State, the same school with the problems with Rene Portland, the women's basketball coach who just settled a lawsuit last week with a former player [ over sexually insensitive comments ] . Eventually more people will come out, but again it is the comfort level of the individual.'
Amaechi's announcement has received overwhelming support from the LGBT community. However, he is not expected to speak with the LGBT media until the end of the month.
Andy Rogers, 44, is a local graphic designer who runs his own company on the North Side. He plays for Blackwolves, of the Chicago Gay Hockey Association ( CGHA ) Blackwolves, and several straight teams as well.
'I think [ Amaechi's announcement ] is great. It would be greater if more athletes and professionals would reveal themselves as well, especially active professionals,' Rogers said. 'The sooner the ground is broken by respected, practicing athletes, the sooner the local small-town gay athlete won't be forced—by peer pressure, threats or violence—to give up the sports they love.
The Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) is one of several LGBT organizations to quickly back Amaechi. The Washington, D.C.-based group announced that Amaechi will serve as a national spokesperson for its Coming Out Project, a program designed to help LGBT people come out and live openly.
'John is making history, becoming the first NBA player to ever come out and talk about his life and experiences as an athlete and a gay man,' said HRC President Joe Solmonese. 'In sharing his story, our great hope is that John will pave the way for more GLBT and straight athletes to openly support fairness and respect on and off the playing field.'
As spokesperson for HRC's Coming Out Project, Amaechi will promote the importance of being out and living openly and honestly. The HRC Coming Out Project has featured other national spokespeople, including Candace Gingrich, Betty DeGeneres, Chastity Bono and Star Trek's George Takei. In a related item, Amaechi will be a featured speaker at HRC's 11th Annual Philadelphia Gala Dinner on Feb. 17.
The National Black Justice Coalition, which is America's only Black LGBT civil rights organization, praised Amaechi's announcement, and is including Amaechi in its month-long Black history series honoring highly accomplished African-American LGBT and same-gender-loving individuals.
Cyd Zeigler, co-owner of OutSports.com, broke the Amaechi story within the LGBT community, although he's known about Amaechi's sexuality for months. The two actually spoke last year while Amaechi was planning to come out.
Zeigler said that Amaechi's book is the story of 'a great human being who happened to play basketball and who happens to be gay.'
'I think the two biggest factors that can help continue to move sports forward are athletes coming out of the closet and, second, straight athletes being positive about those athletes coming out of the closet,' Zeigler said, 'and this story has both of those.
Zeigler has been quoted extensively within the mainstream media, and said that many of those same mainstream media members speculated that an active pro athlete from the big-four sports will come out this year.
'I have no doubt that there are gay athletes at every level of excellence, from benchwarmers to all-stars,' Zeigler said. 'It'd be easier for the superstar athletes to come out while active. If, for instance, Peyton Manning [ of the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts ] came out of the closet, there is no chance that Indianapolis would let Peyton go. On the flip side, no one has more endorsement deals than Peyton, so no one has more to lose than Peyton.'
