On Sept. 3, the Stonewall Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst hosted a discussion with former Division I men’s basketball player Derrick Gordon about being an LGBTQ+ athlete.
The event was coordinated by the UMass chapter of Athlete Ally, an organization that champions LGBTQ+ inclusion in athletics.
“We work to create the presence of something that helps further diversity and inclusion in the athletic department,” Vice President Leila Metres said. “It’s often something that gets overlooked, so having just a space and resource for it is important.”
Gordon transferred to UMass in 2012 from Western Kentucky University and came out publicly in a pre-recorded ESPN broadcast on April 11, 2014, becoming the first openly gay men’s D-I basketball player. Gordon described his coming out as a “milestone” that he would relive daily if he could.
Before the broadcast went live, Gordon drove back to his hometown of Plainsfield, N.J., to come out to his family privately. Their response left him in tears as his mother said, “I always knew … I’m happy that you had the courage to tell me.” Although his father needed some time to process, today, Gordon says, “It’s not even a thought.”
Although Gordon planned on keeping his sexuality private for as long as possible, the teasing he faced from teammates, after they discovered he went to a gay club and was pictured with his arm around his boyfriend on social media, accelerated his process. He could not defend himself without being outed at the same time.
He described how students clapped as he walked into Berkshire Dining Commons following the announcement. Someone asked him to sign their skateboard adorned with the phrase “Be True” in rainbow lettering.
Gordon says that he “came out at the right university,” but still did not feel supported by most of his teammates or coaches. He describes how he only ate in the dining hall with his classmates, but never his teammates. He felt like his coaches and fellow players only supported him for the media.
“I didn’t really feel the player-coach relationship outside of the court,” Gordon said.
He made the decision to transfer from UMass to Seton Hall University to have a positive experience for his final year of college. Seton Hall had been recruiting him since high school and was one of only schools still interested in having him after he came out. Seton Hall told Gordon that his coming out was “not going to change anything,” and he was able to find a more positive teammate dynamic at the university.
Gordon was “confident and happy” with being open about his sexuality but felt that it negatively affected his NBA prospects. He was the first person to take three Division I teams to the NCAA championships, yet not a single NBA team offered him a spot in the summer leagues, let alone a tryout. “That really sucked a lot, my dream of playing in the NBA was over,” Gordon said.
After not finding opportunity within the NBA, he moved to San Francisco where he worked briefly as a firefighter before realizing his dreams of playing professional basketball. Gordon played for teams in Cypress and Germany, making enough money to help his parents retire.
He found an athletic culture more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community in Europe where, for the first time, his teammates took an interest in his personal and dating life. “It shocked me but made me happy,” Gordon said. “It’s much different over here.”
In March 2025, Gordon retired from professional basketball. He continues to play for the National Gay Basketball Association (NGBA) and recently finished his first book that is currently being pitched to publishers.
Gordon feels that he would have come out sooner and likely not felt the need to transfer if he had access to the resources the university provides today.
“Theres still a lot more work to be done but this is a step in the right direction what you guys have built here,” Gordon said, referring to the Stonewall Center.
“It’s valuable for students to have a space where they can be authentic with themselves and just show up however that looks, and feel safe and comfortable,” said Zeke Shank, assistant director of the Stonewall Center.
Athlete Ally president Marielsa McBride added, “It’s a big opportunity for the athletics community, as well as the queer community, to come together and celebrate Derek and his incredible accomplishments, as well as welcome him back into UMass and offer an opportunity for healing, because his last experience at UMass was … really hard.”
Bella Astrofsky can be reached at [email protected]. Ashley Son can be reached at [email protected].
