Earlier this year, Missouri Tigers defensive end Michael Sam made major waves in the sports world after coming out about his sexuality and on his way to becoming the first openly gay NFL player and now we have reached a new milestone.
UMass guard Derrick Gordon announced that he is a homosexual athlete, which makes him the first openly gay Division I basketball player.
“I just didn’t want to hide anymore, in any way,” 22-year-old Gordon said during an interview with ESPN. “I didn’t want to have to lie or sneak. I’ve been waiting and watching for the last few months, wondering when a Division I player would come out, and finally I just said, ‘Why not me?'”
UMass released a statement after learning the news.
“UMass is proud to have Derrick Gordon as a member of our athletic family and to honor his courage and openness as a gay student-athlete,” a university spokesman said, via TMZ.com.
“UMass is committed to creating a welcoming climate where every student-athlete, coach and staff member can be true to themselves as they pursue their athletic, academic and professional goals.”
It is great to see more athletes getting comfortable with who they are and not being afraid to open up about their sexuality, and hopefully it signals a change in the culture of sports as everyone becomes more accepting.