Today, Athlete Ally, in congruence with the NBA, announced the joining of Kenneth Faried to the organization. Kenneth Faried is currently the starting power forward for the Denver Nuggets. After a record breaking college career at Morehead State University in Kentucky, Faried was picked in the first round of the NBA draft and experienced a standout rookie year which earned him the nickname 'manimal' and saw him finish 3rd in the rookie of the year voting.
Faried initially gained LGBT attention in college when it he began speaking about the fact that he had grown up for much of his life with two mothers. Kenneth Faried again grabbed media attention this year when he spoke out after the passing of a bill by Colorado's state senate committee which legalized civil unions in the state. The basketball star then discussed how he did not like the fact that his relationship with a woman could be called a marriage but same sex couples were required to label their legally binding union something different.
Athlete Ally adds:
The announcement comes as an extension of Athlete Ally’s ongoing relationship with the NBA. In August, the organization worked in partnership with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) to deliver a pioneering LGBT awareness training to the 2012 NBA rookies, which included Faried. Along with today’s news of Faried’s alignment with Athlete Ally, we are pleased to announce plans to continue and expand that training program in 2013.
This references the ally trainings provided by GLAAD and Athlete Ally to the 2011-12 and 2012-13 rookie classes within the NBA. The video presentation discussed what it means for an athlete to be an ally to the LGBT community in the context of sports, the importance of being an ally, and how professional athletes can go about being allies. Faried is an exceptional example of how an athlete can use his or her platform to advocate for LGBT equality. NBA superstar Kobe Bryant recently displayed another way to send that message when he spoke out against the use of the word "gay" as an insult.
Today's announcement from Athlete Ally and the NBA discusses the continuation and commitment by the NBA to work with GLAAD and Athlete Ally to promote an inclusive and open environment for the LGBT community within the NBA.