98

Jason Collins admitted that he struggled for years for self acceptance.   When he joined the Celtics this year, he began wearing “98” as a “small gesture of solidarity” with the gay community.  Collins noted that the year 1998 has a double significance. It marks not only the year of Matthew Shepherd’s cruel death but also the founding of the Trevor Project, the leading national organization providing crisis intervention to LGBTQ youth, who account for 30% of adolescent suicides.  To understand the significance of Jason Collins’s revelation, we must walk in the shoes of those countless children who have experienced humiliation, ostracization, bullying, and torture for their perceived sexuality.  Sports have bred homophobia for generations. We all know the demeaning jeers and slurs that are embedded in the culture of youth as well as professional sports.   Defensive lineman, Esera Tusalo, explained after he came out, “It [sport] is a place for gladiators and gladiators aren’t supposed to be gay.” He lived in terror and nearly committed suicide for fear that his sexual identity would be revealed.   Jason Collins suffered in lonely silence long enough. 

By coming out he claimed his full personhood and as his aspirations to love faithfully and to start a family.  He also invited those of us who coach young people to embrace the full significance of “98” and to build a sports culture that goes beyond tolerance to acceptance and compassion.