John Amaechi, Orlando Magic & Mr. Sulu

John Amaechi, once a star player for the Orlando Magic, is the first NBA player to ever publicly come out as a gay man. Now retired from basketball, Amaechi’s unique story is detailed in his autobiography, Man in the Middle, just released by ESPN Books.
Now, Amaechi is an official spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign’s Coming Out Project, a program designed to help gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people come out and live openly.
Amaechi is launching a nationwide tour to share his story and encourage conversation about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. Find out when Amaechi will be in a city near you .
Learn more about coming out as an athlete through It Takes A Team, an organization dedicated to fighting homophobia in sports.

WASHINGTON - The Human Rights Campaign announced today that George Takei, “Star Trek”’s Mr. Sulu, will embark on a nationwide speaking tour through six cities, speaking about his life as a gay Japanese American and encouraging others to share their stories. Takei will also serve as a spokesman for HRC’s Coming Out Project throughout the tour and beyond. Takei made international headlines last fall when he announced to the press that he and his partner Brad Altman have been together for nearly 20 years.“For 40 years, George Takei has beamed into living rooms through the television sets of generations of Americans. His unique role in pop culture history will help him reach new audiences with messages of understanding,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “We are tremendously excited to officially and publicly welcome George and his partner Brad into the Human Rights Campaign family.”As a child, Takei and his family were held in American internment camps during World War II because of their Japanese ancestry — even though Takei and his mother were born on American soil and his father came to the United States as a child. Takei will speak on the tour about the ways that his life has been touched by both discrimination and by the healing that takes place when prejudice is replaced with understanding and open communication.“In my own life, I have felt the discrimination that used to separate Japanese Americans from the rest of the country melt away,” said Takei. “I believe that by sharing our stories GLBT Americans can break down the walls that separate us and help build a more understanding and truly diverse nation for us all.”Takei has been increasingly in the public eye speaking on GLBT issues since coming out in the press, and will appear on NBC’s “Will & Grace”. http://www.georgetakei.com/news-2006-january.asp