Despite signs in other parts of the world, the week of March 3 was one for celebration, acceptance and victory for the LGBT community here in the states. Three men, two in sports and one in politics, showed that changes in the American LGBT landscape are coming fast and furious.
Jason Collins, the 35-year-old center for the Brooklyn Nets, signed his second ten-day contract and is now widely expected to play for the team for the rest of the season. His team number, 98, in honor of Matthew Shepard who was brutally murdered in 1998, has gone on to become the number one selling jersey at the NBAStore.com. Moreover, the NBA announced that it was donating all of his jersey sales to the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network and the Matthew Shepard Foundation. The 13-year veteran has appeared in 718 games, averaging 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds in 20.7 minutes.
In other sports news, Matt Dooley, a senior at Notre Dame and star tennis player, has come out. “Saying gay for the first time was extremely tough, almost choking, because you know your life will never be the same. That was the hardest part, to move forward from there,” the 22-year-old senior said Thursday. “For me at least, every part of my being was like, ‘No, no you’re not.’ But I talk about growing. You learn to accept what you can’t change, and this is something I can’t change.” The feedback, he added has been “overwhelmingly positive.” His coach, Coach Ryan Sachire said it’s been business as usual with the team. “The guys have said, ‘OK, it’s part of Matt, it’s who he is, that’s great. We love him. He’s still a great teammate of ours and we’re going to move forward as a team and not think about it,'” he said.
In Santa Fe, N.M., Javier Gonzales went on to trounce his two competitors for mayor and became the first openly gay mayor of this northern New Mexican town of almost 70,000 people. “I stand before you humble … I am ready to accept the responsibility and honor of being your mayor,” said Gonzales, as cheers of “Javier” filled the crowded ballroom at the Hotel Santa Fe on Tuesday, election night. Interestingly, another of the candidates, Patti Bushee, is an openly lesbian elected official and contributed to another first for New Mexico: two members of the LGBT community competing against each other for an elected position.
