As Derrick Gordon recalls, this was a big deal at the time, a “bombshell.” In April 2014, as a junior on the University of Massachusetts basketball team, the Plainfield native told the world he was gay.
In doing so, Gordon became the first openly gay Division I men's basketball player.
Ten years later, there was no next time.
“I'm staying. Looking back now, I'm shocked that I'm the only one,” Gordon said from her home in Los Angeles last week. “I think people don't want to be in that position. They look at it as if it's a risk, but it's not. It's not a risk at all. Even if it wasn't the NBA. Even I proved that you can still continue to play professional basketball.
quite a journey
Gordon continued to perform well on the court. As a graduate student, he transferred to Seton Hall and helped the Pirates win the 2016 Big East Tournament as the sixth man and undisputed locker room leader.
“That was a special time,” he said.
He then played professional baseball in Cyprus and Germany.
“It was a lot of fun. It's great to play in Europe,” he said. “You get your own apartment, you get your own car, you don't have to pay anything while you're there. And the fans really care. Every game is as intense as March Madness. It’s a match.”
He was initially hesitant about moving to Europe.
“Don't get me wrong, it was a culture shock when I went to Cyprus (an island in the eastern Mediterranean),” he said. “I had to get used to the food and lifestyle over there. But it was a great opportunity.”
It was there that he realized that “it doesn't matter what your sexual orientation is.” If you can play, you can play. That's one of the things I like about him in Europe. they don't care. Don't get me wrong, I would never go to Russia. I will never go to Serbia. It's just for my safety. ”
Meanwhile, back in America, no one followed Gordon's lead. Looking back, it's hard to understand given the momentum that was building. Two months before Gordon, Missouri football star Michael Sam came into the world. The previous year, NBA player Jason Collins did the same.
“We're getting there, but we still have a long way to go,” Gordon said. “In my world, in my eyes, that's normal. I've been out for a while, but I'll always remain my authentic self no matter where I am. But for me, especially in NCAA men's sports, We still have a lot of work to do in college basketball, college football, college baseball, etc.”
The view of leading experts on the subject is that the situation is complicated.
Eye-opening discoveries from research
Sociologist Eric Anderson may be the world's foremost expert on gays in sports. The 56-year-old California native and professor at Britain's Winchester University has written numerous books on sexuality and gender, including his autobiography, Trailblazing: America's First Openly Gay High School Coach.
In Anderson's view, “American society has made great strides, and this is especially true for young people,” he says. Because for them, “homophobia is no longer an acceptable belief system.'' This doesn't just apply to sports, with a new, largest-ever study of LGBT athletes in North America showing that “homophobia is no longer an acceptable belief system.'' It shows that they can be friendly. Of course, this is because teammates are friends and try to support each other.”
Regarding the lack of a successor to Gordon at the highest level of men's college basketball, Anderson said, “Some people might leave, but they just haven't officially left.'' This generation has less need to broadcast their outings. For kids these days, that's not a big deal. ”
He added: “Most people mistakenly believe that if 2.8% of the population is gay, that means 2.8% of baseball (or basketball) players must also be gay.” Ta.
It's not that simple, he said.
“Gay men are attracted to music, art, and theater at a higher rate than their share of the population (also 2.8%),” Anderson said, adding that by contrast, gay men are far more attracted to team sports. He added that there is a low possibility that It's a barometer of “freedom of choice” rather than homophobia.
“We need to celebrate the fact that gay men can continue playing the sport they love,” Anderson said. “Same goes for straight men. That's the American way: freedom.”
“It’s okay to be yourself.”
Gordon, 32, recently captured Seton Hall's National Invitational Tournament title from his home in Los Angeles. “They were supposed to be in the NCAA Tournament, but they won the NIT, so they could take something from that,” he said. And he says he's kept in touch with former Pirates head coach Kevin Willard and some of his old teammates.
Gordon, who lives with his partner Scott Bachman, also has a career in acting, and is hoping to keep the door open for him to work on the hardwood overseas. Last month, he and Bachmann attended the 35th International Film Festival.th The GLAAD Media Awards are held annually in Beverly Hills (GLAAD calls itself “the world's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer media advocacy organization”). Gordon, who is active on social media, posted photos from the event.
Gordon will be there for the next Division I men's basketball player, just like Jason Collins was there for him.
“I'm going to continue to do what I'm doing, which is letting people know that it's okay to be yourself,” he said. “Things have slowly changed over the past few years, but we still have a long way to go. That's why I want to continue to show people that it's okay to be who you are. I want to inspire people.”
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and college basketball since 2003. He is an Associated Press top 25 pollster. To contact him, jcarino@gannettnj.com.