NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn Supports NBA Player Jason Collins

New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is giving her support to NBA player Jason Collins' after he came out as gay.

Collins, who most recently played for the Washington Wizards, is the first active professional player in America to come out as gay. Christine Quinn, who is also openly gay, says that Collins' decision will help the LGBTQ community as a whole. Quinn notes that seeing a gay man stand up for who they are in a public, and traditionally uncommon, setting such as the sports world empowers both his teammates and individuals around the world who are still finding themselves. 

Collins is also getting support from the White House, who applauds his courage to stand up for himself. Former President Bill Clinton is also showing his respect for Collins and urges fans and others to respect him as well. The Former President has known the player for sometime, with Collins and Clinton's daughter Chelsea being friends in college.

Hudson Taylor, founder of Athlete Ally-- an organization that works to bridge the divide between sports and the LGBTQ community,says "at the end of the day the accomplishments of an athlete will always shine louder than an announcement about their sexual orientation, and there has been a tremendous amount of support from the league, from the players, from the fans."

Taylor hopes that support from "vocal allies" of LGBTQ issues will continue to grow, helping other gay members of the four North American profesisonal sports leagues--NBA, NBL, NHL, and NFL-- to come out and identify with their sexual orientation.