Derrick Gordon made history last April when he came out and became the first openly gay Division I college basketball player in U.S. history. And although he praised his team at the University of Massachusetts for embracing him as an openly gay man, he recently shared that he experienced a slew of homophobic rejections after he announced he was planning to transfer to a new school.
In a new interview with USA Today, Gordon discussed his transfer process and explained that while inquiring with potential new schools, he faced a number of rejections over his sexuality.
“During the recruiting process, a number of schools didn’t want me because I’m gay,” Gordon said. “To me, that’s blatant homophobia. At the end of the day, no coaches will ever admit that they don’t want me because I’m gay and there’s baggage that comes with the attention.”
Gordon, who was accustomed to being accepted by his UMass team, says he was shocked byt the discrimination he faced.
“I was starting to lose hope. I felt like I was being treated like an outsider, like I didn’t belong in the NCAA,” Gordon said.
Gordon didn’t specify which schools discriminated against him, but he did announce on Sunday that he finally found a new home at Seton Hall University.
“I’m walking into a great situation,” Gordon said. “This gives me a chance to showcase what I can really do in one of the best conferences (the Big East) in the country, in the national spotlight.”
Speaking about the transfer to Seton Halle, Gordon explained, “I expect it to be a smooth transition, honestly. Coach [Kevin Willard has already talked to the players and they said, ‘as long as he helps us win, we’re gonna be his brother.’ It’s about what I can do for the team. …Obviously, me being on the team will be a new experience for everyone involved. This is another new chapter for me.”
Well we’re happy that Gordon seems to have a bright future at Seton Hall and we hope his career continues to chip away at the homophobic mindset that the world of sports still apparently has against LGBT athletes.
