Bravo, John Amaechi

I was heartened to hear the news yesterday that former NBA player John Amaechi (right) is coming out as gay in his new book, Man in the Middle, to be released February 20. He is the first NBA player, current or former, ever to make such a revelation.

I always followed Amaechi since meeting him during his days with the Orlando Magic (1999-2001), at which time I lived in central Florida. His charm, erudite wit, and intelligence endeared him to the Magic fans, and while I never really have followed pro basketball, I always felt he was something more than "merely" a basketball player.

Tragically, being gay in certain segments of society remains an enormous and perhaps insurmountable stigma. Not being gay myself, I cannot say firsthand, but I have known many men and women who have struggled with this issue in their own lives, and I can only imagine how much of a challenge it must be to have to hide one's identity while existing in the testosterone-fueled lifestyle of a major professional athlete. John Amaechi is demonstrating tremendous personal courage that I hope will serve him well as the spotlight shines on him in a new and different way from this point forward.

UPDATE (2:14 pm 2/8/07): The Orlando Sentinel today has an article on the subject that provides a little more insight. Perhaps we aren't far from the day when an active player can come out and not be ostracized for it ...