The worst insult you can give a professional athlete is to call them soft. And the stereotype out there is that gay is soft.
Interpretation
Calling a professional athlete 'soft' is a significant insult, equating weakness with being gay, which reveals societal biases.
In this quote, Jason Collins highlights the stigma surrounding both professional athletes and the LGBTQ+ community. He points out that to label an athlete as 'soft' is not just an insult to their strength and skill, but also reinforces the stereotype that being gay is synonymous with weakness. This reflects deeper societal prejudices and emphasizes the need for inclusivity and acceptance within both sports and society at large.
In practice
Use this quote in a speech about overcoming stereotypes in sports.
I would love to see an athlete live their life in an authentic way, not feel that they have to hide, not feel that they have to be afraid, or live with shame - all the other things that go with being a closeted athlete. No human being should have to walk that path. But there is that fear of stepping forward.
The first relative I came out to was my aunt Teri, a superior court judge in San Francisco. Her reaction surprised me. 'I've known you were gay for years,' she said. From that moment on I was comfortable in my own skin.
For many young people growing up in minority communities, there is a sense that their lives are disposable. As athletes, we have a platform to let those kids know that their lives are important. That their lives matter to us.
Some people insist they've never met a gay person. But Three Degrees of Jason Collins dictates that no NBA player can claim that anymore. Pro basketball is a family. And pretty much every family I know has a brother, sister or cousin who's gay. In the brotherhood of the NBA, I just happen to be the one who's out.
My dream was to play in the NBA and live my authentic life as a proud gay man at the same time. I was able to accomplish both of those goals because of the people who have supported me throughout my life.
I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport.
I condemn racism on all levels, whether personal or systemic.
I actually lost both my legs. I can walk because I got really good health care.
#BlackLivesMatter is about black pride and black power and standing up against a world that tries to annihilate us.
To gain a crown by fighting is great, to reject it divine.
Sir, it is not God who will assemble us on the battlefield, nor position our troops, nor place the cannon, and it is not God who will aim the musket.
I think that we all do heroic things, but hero is not a noun, it's a verb.
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