Crews 
Almost exactly a year after the coming out of Jason Collins, UMass guard Derrick Gordon has followed in his footsteps and become the first openly gay player in Division I men’s basketball, after coming out to the world on Wednesday (April 9). Gordon made the announcement in interviews with ESPN and Outsport.
The 22-year-old shooting guard came out to his family, coaches and teammates in the span of just a few days at the beginning of April. That’s when he also decided to publicly acknowledge his sexuality.
“I just didn’t want to hide anymore, in any way,” Gordon told ESPN. “I didn’t want to have to lie or sneak. I’ve been waiting and watching for the last few months, wondering when a Division I player would come out, and finally I just said, ‘Why not me?’”
Gordon said he felt more confident to come out after seeing an NBA team sign Jason Collins, who became the league’s first openly gay player when he joined the Brooklyn Nets this season.
Gordon recently came out to his teammates. He said they told him: “We’re going to support you no matter what.”
Check out one of his coming out interviews below.
