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NBA Executive Reveals He’s Gay…And People Pretty Much Take It In Stride

Yesterday, The New York Times published a story on Phoenix Suns president Rick Welts. This, however, wasn’t an everyday sports executive profile – because what it was really about was Welts’ public admission of his homosexuality.

While Times reporter Dan Barry acknowledged that this would be “a so-what moment” in many fields, the pro sports business isn’t one of them – Welts described it as “one of the last industries where the subject [of homosexuality] is off limits.” We know that’s true for players, and the fact that it took Welts so long to come out – not to mention the surely countless others who haven’t yet taken the step Welts just did – proves beyond any doubt the machismo culture extends beyond the field of play.

But maybe it won’t always. Barry recounts Welts’ meeting with his friend, NBA commissioner David Stern, in which Welts revealed he was gay to Stern. Except it really wasn’t much of a reveal at all – Stern already knew, and according to Barry, “did not find the discussion with Mr. Welts awkward or even surprising.” He certainly didn’t have an issue with it. The Arizona Republic called Welts, and the Suns, “true leaders.” And Newsday’s Neil Best said:

Congrats to Suns president for coming out. Congrats to America for shrugging.

That the general public’s reaction to such an announcement could be perceived as nonchalant indicates that maybe the culture has changed enough that more outings like Welts’ are ready to happen. Then again, while Welts occupies a prominent position, he’s not a household name, which undoubtedly factored into the lack of buzz. If, say, a well-known general manager or active player came out, you’d see a much bigger firestorm.

But the reaction to Welts’ announcement, plus the reaction to CNN anchor Don Lemon revealing he’s gay, makes us think that were an extremely high-profile outing to happen in sports, a whole lot of the reaction would be positive. And it ought to be – it took a long time and a good deal of courage to do what Welts and Lemon did, and if it indeed inspires others to follow their lead, it’s courage from which others will directly benefit. Indeed, Welts and the Suns are leaders.

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