Magic Johnson continued to show what kind of stand-up guy and dad he is when he sat down for an interview with TMZ’s Harvey Levin and opened up about supporting his son, Earvin “EJ” Johnson III and his sexuality early on.
“I told him, ‘Hey, we are here to support you, man. We are gonna love you no matter who you are, what you do. We just want you to love yourself and also make sure that you have all the information,’” said Johnson about sitting his son down when he was just 13 to talk about his sexuality. “And that’s what I wanted to give him. “I love E.J. so much. That’s my main man. Nothing has changed,” Johnson added.
Though Johnson admitted that his own son struggled with coming out to those outside of his family, Johnson claimed that he make the world of sports a safe space for gay and bisexual players to come out, especially when it comes to the Los Angeles Dodgers, which he co-owns.
“If that ever happened, I’m going to support him 150 percent,” Johnson said about a player ever coming out. “[I’d protect him] as much as I can. That’s who I am. I’m a protector.”
Johnson’s words are not only a breath of fresh air, they’re also a sign of the changing times in our culture. Below are four reasons why his words are so pivotal in our nation’s changing mindset on sexuality and equality. – nicholas robinson
