Former NBA player Jason Collins asks allies of LGBTQ+ community to use their voices and be visible in support, and never force someone to come out

As part of its efforts to honor LGBTQ+ Pride Month, my employer brought retired NBA player Jason Collins into our Silicon Valley headquarters last Wednesday to participate in a “fireside chat” with the staff.

Jason was introduced to us as “the first male active player in any of the four major American professional sports leagues to come out publicly as gay.”

Wearing a Nike-branded black short-sleeved sports shirt, gray slacks, and Nike rainbow-colored athletic shoes, Jason sat comfortably in a large room before a receptive and attentive audience of 100+ people—with many more online watching an internal streaming broadcast.

Over the course of an hour, Jason smiled and laughed frequently in between patiently and thoughtfully answering some difficult questions. He detailed his journey of coming out after spending most of his charmed but often-painful life as a closeted athlete.

Twin towers

Jason and his twin brother Jarron Collins (who is married to his college sweetheart and the father of three children), both stand close to 7 feet tall and played on 10 different NBA teams, though never together on the…