SF Tennis Freak

The word ‘hero’ is overused these days.  But I can find no better word to describe Jason Collins after his decision to publicly come out as a gay man in the NBA.

The story of Jason’s coming out hit the airwaves with the release of this Sports Illustrated excerpt:

I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.

I didn’t set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. 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.

Jason Collins (Sports Illustrated, May 6, 2013)

Many praised Jason as a pioneer, though I’m sure that probably wasn’t his intent. After all, the media glare that comes along with being a pioneer is usually not very positive, especially with respect to issues such as sexual orientation.  One need only look at Ellen Degeneres to see what’s in store for Jason.

Ellen had a high-profile coming out with lots of initial support, followed by intense media coverage and the public spectacle of her failed romance with Anne Heche.  It took a while, but Ellen finally found sustained success both professionally and personally.

Even if Jason’s coming out qualifies as a trailblazing moment, does it also warrant giving Jason the label of ‘hero’?  In the aftermath, there’s been a ton of discussion about Collins’ status as a hero, with many detractors blanching at Jason being labeled as such for simply coming out as a gay man.  Conservative columnist Ben Shapiro of Breitbart.com tweeted this to his followers:

So Jason Collins is a hero because he’s gay? Our standard for heroism has dropped quite a bit since Normandy.

Ben has previously used the word ‘hero’ in tweets about conservative columnist Mark Levin, Adam Carolla, and Tea Party extremist Ted Cruz. It’s hard to get up in arms about comments like his when these guys are his definition of a hero.

But I must admit that I also struggled with the use of the word ‘hero’.  We live in a country where anyone who does the right thing is described as being a hero. I don’t want to get into a discussion about what it means when helping someone in distress is “heroic”, but I will say that the word ‘hero’ is used so often that it’s become trite.

I’d like to think that heroic actions meet a higher standard of qualification. It’s heroic when someone does the right thing in a situation when doing so defies logic, and puts them at risk of harm/injury.  But if that’s my working definition, then Jason’s coming out qualifies on all fronts.

At 34, there was no need for him to come out.  He wasn’t being blackmailed, and he didn’t come out with the expectation of a huge payday. Jason came out because he wanted to be happy.  So without any outside factors forcing his hand, and no expectation of financial gain, his decision to come out definitely defies logic.

Additionally, in light of derogatory comments that fellow athletes have made about gays in the locker room (like Chris Culliver of the 49’ers, and retired NBA player Tim Hardaway), Jason’s decision to come out does seem to put him at risk with teammates. And not surprisingly, his announcement has also put him at risk due to death threats.

Given my earlier definition of ‘hero’, Jason’s coming out is very significant. One might even argue that it deserves a place in the rarefied air previously occupied by other pioneering athletes like Jackie Robinson, Althea Gibson, or Shirley Muldowney.

If Jason doesn’t meet my higher standard in order to qualify as a hero, I’m in need of serious course correction for what does.  Sorry Jason. It took a little bit for me to get there, but I did.  And like Michelle Obama, I’ve got your back.

So proud of you, Jason Collins! This is a huge step forward for our country. We’ve got your back! -mo

— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) April 29, 2013