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Jason Collins, the NBA's first out gay player, has died of brain cancer at the age of 47.
In a 2013 essay he penned for Sports Illustrated, Collins wrote, "I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay. I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation."
That conversation about gay men in sports hasn't stopped since, and we owe Collins a great debt. It's a shame he didn't live longer to see more and more jocks come out. But at least he died knowing he set a ferocious pick on homophobia.
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