DERRICK GORDON: I DIDN'T GET A FAIR SHOT @ THE NBA BECAUSE I'M GAY

The professional sports world is still a tough place to make it if you’re a queer man, at least according to Derrick Gordon. 

Gordon, who broke boundaries in 2014 as the first openly gay player in the NCAA, told Asbury Park Press, “I didn’t get a fair shot to show what I could do” in the NBA, claiming that “it was without a doubt because of the fact that I’m gay.” He also revealed that he hadn’t received a single tryout with an NBA team. 

“Nobody was calling,” he said. “Even after I went to the (Las Vegas) combine in July, I still didn’t get any feedback.”

Gordon, who transferred to Seton Hall, became the first openly gay player toparticipate in the NCAA’S March Madness. He told the paper that will now pursue a career as a San Francisco firefighter.

Gordon previously spoke out about the way that his sexuality has affected his career, saying that he encountered “blatant homophobia” in his attempt to transfer schools.

Homophobia continues to be a major issue in the sports world at large and while some progress has been made on some levels, the search for an openly gay sports superstar continues.

Jason Collins became the NBA’s first openly gay player ― and the first openly gay male athlete in any of the four major professional sports ― when he came out of the closet in 2013, but he retired from basketball just 19 months later.

SOURCE: HUFFPOST QUEER VOICES

DERRICK GORDON BECOMES FIRST OPENLY GAY PLAYER IN NCAA TOURNAMENT

Derrick Gordon, 24, made history this weekend when his team, Seton Hall University, beat Villanova University, ensuring he will be the first out player invited to compete in the NCAA tournament this year, USA Today reported. 

Playing in the tournament has been a dream for Gordon, a guard who transferred from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, to Seton Hall, where he currently plays as a graduate student, according to the paper.

Gordon came out last year at UMass with the support of his coach and fans. He said he was tired of hiding who he was. "I just didn't want to hide anymore, in any way," Gordon told ESPN. "I didn't want to have to lie or sneak. I've been waiting and watching for the last few months, wondering when a Division I player would come out, and finally I just said, 'Why not me?'"

When he came out, his coach, Derek Kellog, was proud of the step Gordon took to become the first out player in the division. "What he did, coming out to the world, took tremendous courage," Kellog said in 2014. "He's saved lives."

Spectators believed that after Gordon came out, other players would follow, but that hasn't been the case thus far. Gordon did face some backlash when he came out. One of his games at UMasswas protested by five members of the Westboro Baptist Church, but 1,500 counter protestors showed up in support of Gordon, dwarfing the church's attempt. 

After Gordon came out, assistant coach Chris Burns of the Bryant University Bulldogs told the world he is a gay man, but Gordon remains the only out player, a fact that his current coach Kevin Willard finds incidental:

"For us, the fact that he’s gay is an old story. These kids know about Derrick, they’re on social media and are very informed. This generation of athletes are much more educated on the gay athlete. I think the attention is brought on by adults. We make it a bigger deal. Some of these kids can teach us a lesson on how to handle this type of stuff.”

SOURCE: THE ADVOCATE

DERRICK GORDON SAYS HE ENCOUNTERED 'BLATANT HOMOPHOBIA' IN HIS ATTEMPT TO TRANSFER SCHOOLS

The first openly gay Division I college basketball player is moving on and speaking out.

UMass guard Derrick Gordon announced Sunday that he's transferring to Seton Hall, but he told USA Today he encountered plenty of discrimination along the way in his inquiries to potential new schools.

"During the recruiting process, a number of schools didn't want me because I'm gay," Gordon said. "To me, that's blatant homophobia. At the end of the day, no coaches will ever admit that they don't want me because I'm gay and there's baggage that comes with the attention."

He added that the reaction of many programs caught him off guard and left him hurt. "I was starting to lose hope," he told the paper. "I felt like I was being treated like an outsider, like I didn't belong in the NCAA." Gordon didn't specify any universities.

Gordon came out in April 2014, saying he was inspired to do so by Jason Collins, the NBA's first openly gay player. But a recent survey found homophobia is still pervasive in the U.S., as well as in many other English-speaking countries.

Last season, as a guard for UMass, Gordon started all 32 games and averaged 9.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

Gordon told USA Today he had no issues with the way he was treated at UMass, calling the decision to transfer basketball-motivated. The Huffington Post reached out to Seton Hall, but the school said it couldn't comment until the transfer is official.

SOURCE: THE HUFFINGTON POST

DERRICK GORDON: COMING OUT GAY ALLOWED ME TO FOCUS ON GAME

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.

SOURCE: ON TOP MAG

DERRICK GORDON IS NOW THE FIRST OUT GAY PLAYER TO COMPETE IN A DIVISION 1 MEN'S BASKETBALL GAME

It was more than the start of a new season for Derrick Gordon.

Last night, 14 November, the University of Massachusetts shooting guard participated in his team's opening game, making him the first out gay player to compete in a Division 1 men's basketball.

This past April, Gordon came out in an ESPN interview.

'I went into it like a regular game,'  Gordon said after the game. 'I've been here before, but it was good to see the support I had.'

The Plainfield, New Jersey resident helped the Minutemen to victory against Siena College, with 17 points and nine rebounds.

According to ESPN, the crowd was supportive of the player. His name was chanted when he first went to the free-throw line. A group of students held up his jersey number - No. 2. Under that was the Nike phrase #BETRUE" in rainbow-colored letters.

Sitting behind the University of Massachusetts' bench was Gordon's parents and twin brother. Darryl Gordon was recently released from prison after serving five years for attempted murder.

'I held back the tears,' Gordon said to ESPN. 'I haven't seen my brother since he's been out. It was good to see my family sitting in that section -- it's something I've been dreaming about.'

SOURCE: GAY STAR NEWS

COLLEGE BASKETBALL PLAYER DERRICK GORDON ADVISES OTHER GAY ATHLETES NOT TO WAIT TO COME OUT

It's only been less than two weeks since Derrick Gordon became the first NCAA Division 1 basketball player to come out publicly as gay.

But he wants some company - quick.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst sophomore is advising other young gay athletes to follow his lead.

'Don’t wait because you’re scared,' he told SiriusXM Progress on Friday (18 March). 'Don’t wait until you’re 35 or 40-years-old and done playing the sport that you love. Because it’s stressful to live that way.'

'It’s going to make your life so much easier.'

As bold as he is feeling now, Gordon admitted he might not have come out at all had Jason Collins not returned to the NBA this spring and played so well for the Brooklyn Nets.

Collins came out last year when he was a free agent and was not picked up by a team until well into the current season.

'At the end of the day I do want to play in NBA,' Gordon said. 'So if it didn’t work out for Jason, I’d probably still be in the closet. He played a big impact.'

So did NFL prospect Michael Sam.

'Even though Michael Sam is in a different sport, seeing an athlete come out and be open about themselves, it gave me a lot of confidence, to be able to be myself, too, and not worry about what other people say,' Gordon said.

The young athlete reflected on the emotional price that he paid for being closeted.

'I cried most of the nights when I was in the closet just because it starts to take a toll on you just because you’re worried about how people are going to think about you and what they’re going to say about you,' he said.

SOURCE: GAY STAR NEWS