30 April, 2013

美国国家篮球协会的篮球运动员杰森•科林斯宣布自己是同性恋，成为第一个在美国主要的职业运动队中公开自己性取向的现役运动员。

身为自由球员的中锋杰森•科林斯在本星期《体育画报》杂志的封面文章上透露，自己是一个同性恋者。科林斯写道，他并不是想成为“美国主要的职业运动队中第一个公开的同性恋者”，但是他“非常高兴将就此展开对话”。

科林斯说，去年当他在斯坦福大学的朋友和室友、美国联邦众议员乔.肯尼迪参加波士顿同性恋自豪游行时，他才第一次意识到有必要公开他的性取向。但是这个月波士顿马拉松连环爆炸案最终说服他，他“不应该等到条件完全成熟再出柜”。

科林斯星期一得到全国各地的大力支持。美国国家篮球协会总裁大为•斯特恩说，国家篮球协会“为他能在这个非常重要问题上率先表态而感到骄傲”。奥巴马总统亲自打电话给科林斯表示支持。白宫发言人卡尼称，科林斯公开他的性取向是美国改变对同性恋态度的又一事例。

现年34岁的科林斯在过去的赛季中为波士顿凯尔特人队和华盛顿的巫师队效力；科林斯在他12年的职业生涯中，曾经在6支NBA球队中打过球。

Jason Collins ，a National Basketball Association player has become the first active player in a major professional U.S. team sport to reveal he is homosexual.

Free-agent center Jason Collins revealed he is gay in the cover article for this week's Sports Illustrated magazine.  He wrote he did not "set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport," but he is "happy to start the conversation."

Collins said he first realized he needed to reveal his sexuality last year when his friend and roommate at Stanford University, U.S. Representative Joe Kennedy, marched in Boston's Gay Pride parade.  But this month's twin bombings at the Boston Marathon finally convinced him that he "shouldn't wait for the circumstances of my coming out to be perfect."

Collins received an outpouring of support Monday from across the nation.  NBA Commissioner David Stern said the league was " proud he has assumed the leadership mantle on this very important issue." President Barack Obama personally called Collins to offer his support, and White House spokesman Jay Carney called the revelation another example of the change in attitude in the U.S. towards homosexuality. 
The 34-year-old Collins played the past season with the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards and has played for six NBA teams during his 12-year career.