Jess Cagle
March 8, 2018
For Jason Collins—the retired NBA player who played for the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards—wearing the number 98 on his jersey for most of his 13-season career had special significance. Collins, who came out as gay in 2013 in a cover story for Sports Illustrated, says the number paid respects to Matthew Shepard, a gay man who was tortured and killed because of his sexuality in 1998.
“I remember being a sophomore in college when Matthew Shepherd was killed,” Collins, 39, says. “Every time I put on that jersey, it was just a silent acknowledgment to myself and to my friends and family — who knew why I was wearing that number — of being a proud gay black man playing in the NBA. Sort of hiding in plain sight.”
Collins adds that 1998 also coincides with the founding of The Trevor Project—an organization that provides crisis and suicide prevention to the LGBTQ community—which Collins has become involved in.
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PEOPLE and ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, along with GLSEN, the non-profit that fights to make schools safe for all kids, invited individuals from all walks of life to share real-life coming out stories. COMING OUT STORIES (produced by Ryan Buxton) can be seen at people.com/comingoutstories.
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