Jason Collins is the first active male athlete in one of the four major North American sports to announce he is gay. When you see it in writing or say it aloud, it doesn’t seem like a big deal. Remember though, none of the thousands of baseball, basketball, football, or hockey players had ever come out before. It’s a big deal.

That is not to undermine the other gay athletes who have paved the way. Collins acknowledged as much in his thoughtful essay in Sports Illustrated this week. Collins, since he is still in the league, has taken it a step further. Others will follow his lead. A gay friend told me she applauds Collins’ courage but looks forward to the day when an athlete coming out is not a news item at all.

Those questioning Collins’ motives are, at best, overly cynical. This is not a publicity stunt, nor is it a carefully crafted plan to extend his basketball career. If no NBA team wants him next season, he won’t sue the league for discrimination. He says he doesn’t even plan to write a book. Why did Collins come out now, near the tail end of his career? How is that a fair question? Straight people never have to think about when to come out as straight. As an invisible minority, Collins could have gone his whole life without publicly revealing his sexual orientation.
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