Rick Welts, president of the Phoenix Suns, has broken the silence surrounding gay players and execs within the National Basketball Association in hopes his revelation will inspire others to come out.
The news comes in wake of a private meeting Welts held last week with NBA commissioner David Stern. The meeting, originally held to discuss advances in Welts’ career, took a turn when Welts’ announced to Stern that he was in fact gay.
Welts’ timing was a well-placed welcome to defeat homophobia in sports considering anti-gay issues that have recently made public headlines. Just weeks ago, Kobe Bryant, basketball star to the L.A. Lakers, issued a makeshift public apology for an anti-gay outburst during a basketball game. And days later, Roger McDowell, pitching Coach for the Atlanta Braves, apologized for a similar outburst at a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants.
Welts’ explained to The New York Times that in tandem with his revelation, he hopes to “pierce the silence that envelops the subject of homosexuality in men’s team sports.”
“This is one of the last industries where the subject is off limits,” said Welts in a statement. “Nobody’s comfortable in engaging in a conversation.”
With a wealth of support behind him, Welts’ explained he hopes to mentor others within the NBA or any other sports organization as a support figure for those who are gay or coming out as gay.
