The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the core of professional sport watched in the U.S. Being televised almost every night with the likes of world-renowned athletes such as Lebron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard and more at the central part of it. The franchises represent their cities in the quest for greatness in hoping to win the highly-coveted NBA championship. However, throughout the year teams tend to support recognition of sensitive topics such as Black History month and LGBT History month. For example, players would wear special sneakers in support of Black History month and in the top tier of English football players would lace up in rainbow laces.
The conclusion of the 2012–13 NBA season had been a pivotal landmark for the LGBTQ+ community with NBA athlete Jason Collins publicly coming out as gay. Collins became a free agent and was not in action until February 2014, when he signed with the Brooklyn Nets. This had made him the first openly gay athlete to play in any of four major North American pro sports leagues.
Another notable role model for the LGBTQ+ community is British diver Tom Daley. On the 2nd of December 2013 Daley had made a YouTube video announcing his relationship with a man. Furthermore, In 2015 Daley became a supporter of LGBT+ charity Switchboard the second oldest LGBT helpline in the UK.
There are Islamic organisations supporting LGBTQI Muslims. An example is, Europe’s biggest charity supporting LGBTQI Muslims, Imaan. ‘Imaan’ has the aim to “support LGBTQI Muslims who want to find their place in the Ummah (wider Muslim community) and extend a welcome to all parties who wish to resolve the LGBTQ+ Muslim divide”.
