A group called Equal Marriage Florida is launching a petition to get same-sex marriage constitutionally recognized by the state of Florida in 2014. The petition needs at least 680,000 signatures for the measure to make the ballot. And the group has already lined up a high-profile first signer: former Miami Heat star Tim Hardaway.
This is a big deal for one reason: Hardaway used to be one of the most vocally homophobic professional athletes in the country.
“I hate gay people, so let it be known,” Hardaway said in a radio interview in 2007. “I don’t like gay people and I don’t like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. It should not be in the world or in the United States.”
The comments caused a firestorm at the time, with Hardaway being blacklisted from many league-sanctioned events. Since then, he has made a genuine effort to reevaluate his views. “I opened my eyes and went to counseling,” he told the El Paso Times in 2011. Since then, he has been an active participant in the gay-rights movement, becoming involved in with the Trevor Project and offering support to Jason Collins after he became the first active NBA player to come out in April.
Now, he’s going to help kick off a campaign to legalize same-sex marriage in Florida, the state where he played many of his best years as a member of the Heat from 1996 to 2001.
Many times, athletes and celebrities apologizing for controversial comments come off as cynical, insincere PR moves. Hardaway’s transformation from an outspoken homophobe to a high-profile LGBT-rights supporter appears to be the real deal.
No comments:
Post a Comment