Almost two years ago, LA Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant was fined $100,000 after directing a gay slur against a referee. Today, the NBA All-Star has done a 180, using his celebrity to advocate against homophobia.
On Twitter, Bryant scolded his followers for using homophobic language on the social media website over the weekend.
"Just letting you know @pacsmoove @pookeo9 that using 'your gay' as a way to put someone down ain't ok! #notcool delete that out ur vocab." He tweeted in response to a message from user @pookeo9, a 16-year-old Canadian who used the word gay in a derogatory manner in response to user @pacsmoove.
The first tweet was directed at @kobebryant and read, "Let's make out in bed Kobe." @Pacsmove retweeted that message, adding "you're gay" in the beginning.
After the LA shooting guard reprimanded the users for their anti-gay remarks, he then took full ownership of his past offenses against the LGBT community when the fans pointed it out. "Exactly," he wrote. "That wasn't cool and was ignorant on my part. I own it and learn from it and expect the same from others."
The co-founder of You Can Play, a website dedicated to eliminating homophobia from sports locker rooms, praised Bryant for his pro-gay statements. "His actions are proof that athletes who use casual homophobia can be educated on this issue," Patrick Burke told OutSports. "Athletes who are given a chance to learn from their mistakes can become some of the LGBT community's most valuable supporters."
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