NBA Player Jason Collins Comes Out

When Jason was a student at Stanford he became very good friends with Chelsea Clinton and the Clinton family. After he made his announcement today, Chelsea and her father former president Bill Clinton released statements.

I have known Jason Collins since he was Chelsea’s classmate and friend at Stanford. Jason’s announcement today is an important moment for professional sports and in the history of the LGBT community. It is also the straightforward statement of a good man who wants no more than what so many of us seek: to be able to be who we are; to do our work; to build families and to contribute to our communities. For so many members of the LGBT community, these simple goals remain elusive. I hope that everyone, particularly Jason’s colleagues in the NBA, the media and his many fans extend to him their support and the respect he has earned.

I am very proud of my friend Jason Collins for having the strength and courage to become the first openly gay athlete in the NBA. His decision marks an important moment for professional sports and for our country. I echo what my father said in his statement and similarly hope that everyone, particularly Jason’s colleagues in the NBA, the media and his many fans extend to him their support and the respect he has earned.

Oprah to NBA Player Jason Collins: “You Are a Pioneer”

The day NBA center Jason Collins sat down to tell his coming-out story to a reporter from Sports Illustrated, he read a quote from the daily prayer book his grandmother gave him. Watch as Oprah recites the quote and asks Jason how it felt to take off the mask he’d been wearing for so many years. Plus, find out how Jason’s liberation has affected him—emotionally and physically.