Pistons’ Reggie Bullock to become first active NBA player to march at NYC Pride
By Micah Wimmer
A personal tragedy has helped the Pistons Reggie Bullock become an advocate for LGBTQ rights and initiatives.
The NBA has been an active participant in the NYC Pride March for the past two years, with commissioner Adam Silver marching both years, and will be making their third consecutive appearance this Sunday. Joining the March this year, for the first time, will be an active player — Reggie Bullock of the Detroit Pistons, who will be riding on the NBA’s float along with his five-year old son. Bullock has a personal connection to LGBTQ issues — nearly four years ago, on July 16, 2014, Bullock’s sister, Mia Henderson, a transgender woman, was fatally stabbed in Baltimore, making her one of many trans persons murdered in recent years.
His appearance at the March is not Bullock’s first foray into activism as he has partnered with GLAAD in the hopes of raising awareness for transgender issues. Additionally, for the Pistons, he hosted an LGBTQ Pride Night last season, and also, in March, was on a transgender visibility awareness panel in New York.
Bullock keeps his sister’s memory alive not only through his activism as he has also has a tattoo of her on his left leg, in addition to writing “RIP Mia Henderson” on his sneakers before he takes the floor each night.
The death of Mia Henderson is not a rarity as trans persons face violence at highly disproportionate rates to the rest of the population. Already, in 2018, there have been 12 transgender persons who have been murdered, following a 2017 in which a record 28 deaths “due to fatal violence” were recorded. According to the Human Rights Campaign, while the specifics of each killing differ, “it is clear that fatal violence disproportionately affects transgender women of color, and that the intersections of racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia conspire to deprive them of employment, housing, healthcare, and other necessities, barriers that make them vulnerable.”
Hopefully, actions such as Reggie Bullock’s marching next week, will raise awareness of the plight of trans persons worldwide, working to build acceptance of all those who are non binary or have chosen a different gender identity than the one they were given at birth. Perhaps some NBA fans who have never considered these issues before will be inspired to reflect and change their previously unexamined attitudes in light of Bullock’s activism. As Bullock told the Chicago Tribune, “It’s something that hit close to home, so that made me want to stand up for it. It’s going to be tough to try to persuade other straight men to dig deep and try to accept people. But I’m up for the challenge.”
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The NBA still has a long way to go with regards to issues of gender and sexuality — as pretty much every sector of society does — but it is encouraging to see the league take charge in the often toxically masculine world of sports in order to work for change, allowing a space for socially conscious players to speak up. The violence against transgender persons across our country is a national shame and disgrace, a hateful tragedy that needs to end immediately, and every step taken to make it end is worth commending.