"I'm a 34-year-old NBA centre. I'm Black. And I'm gay," wrote Jason Collins in a 2013 edition of Sports Illustrated, becoming the first athlete in any of the four main professional sports leagues to publicly come out. "I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport," Collins continued. "But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, 'I'm different.' If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand."
Reflecting on his journey in 2018 with People, Collins said he'd tell his teenage self, "Everything's going to be OK." Collins said he "lived with a lot of stress, uncertainty, and a lot of anger," growing up. "Just know that it's going to be OK."
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