Derrick Gordon, who last year became
the first openly gay athlete to play in Division I men's basketball,
says coming out helped him focus on his game.
In coming out, Gordon told ESPN that
his “lie” had isolated him from his teammates.
“For my whole life, I've been living
my life as a lie,” he said, adding that he came out so that
“athletes never feel like they have to hide. You can be true to
yourself and play the sport that you love.”
Fast forward to today and Gordon says
coming out has changed his life for the better.
“All last season, that was something
I was always thinking about,” Gordon told the AP. “It was always
in the back of my mind. This year, everybody knows. So everywhere
we went I didn't have to worry about it. It was like what you see is
what you get. I am who I am.”
“It just made me forget about that
and just concentrate on my game.”
“Anywhere we went, everything was
positive,” Gordon added. “I didn't hear anything negative. No
one came up to me.”
In April, Gordon will be an ambassador
at the Miami Gay Pride Parade.