Photo credit: Ralph Alswang
“Regardless of your race – your gender – when you do come out I think each persons’ coming out story is powerful in its own way, each person regardless of their circumstance,” NBA player Jason Collins told Hollywood on the Potomac at the DC premiere of the HBO documentary “The Case Against 8” at The Institute of Peace.
Photo credit: Janet Donovan
THE CASE AGAINST 8 takes a look inside the groundbreaking Supreme Court case that overturned Proposition 8, California’s ban on same-sex marriage. “There’s something special about living your authentic life, owning your own story and being able to tell your own story if you can on your own terms, which is how I chose to do it….sorta ‘out’ myself. There’s something powerful about that.”
Attorney Ted Olson and Jason Collins Photo credit: Janet Donovan
Collins knew he was making history as an NBA player coming out as gay, but is proud of his decision. “So people can always go back to that Sports Illustrated article,” he told us, “and know my story.
“With my family, the first member I came ‘out’ to was my aunt and after that my parents, my brother, my uncle, my grandmother and then on down the line. Everyone was supportive and loving but if you were an outsider looking in you could see the differences in generations regarding how to go about your life after sharing that someone you love is gay.”
“My parents have always told me, especially in regard to your question about being an Afro-American, to be proud from a very early age. I’m very proud about my race and my heritage and they encouraged me to live a life where I am fulfilled and being a true leader. So, when it came to being vocal about my sexual orientation, some of the older generation preferred to suggest that ‘some things are not discussed in public’ and I was like ‘No, that’s not the person you raised me to be, that’s not the person that I want to be.’ I want to be vocal and since I’ve come out, I’ve continued to be vocal.”
Perry lawyer Ted Olson, Brooklyn Nets player Jason Collins, Filmmakers Ben Cotner and Ryan White
“Every parent or every loved one,” he reiterated, “when you tell them something like that, they want to protect you. They want to protect you because they realize there are people in this world who will say and do some really horrible things. Some people feel they can say whatever they want to, but that is such a small percentage compared the amount of support I received from my NBA colleagues, my friends, college friends, my family, high school friends, and in my professional life. They have been so overwhelmingly supportive. You have to have a thick skin, like when you have a bad game, so you have that thick skin. You just want to live that authentic life and know that those people that are in your life as friends and family, they will love you regardless and I have that support system.”
“When I signed on with the Nets in February, everyone – the entire Nets organization, the ownership, the coaches, the players – they had my back one hundred percent. They supported me, I supported them. It’s like a family. My experience in the NBA over the past several months has been incredible.” He also believes that his actions will encourage other players to be free.
HBO Documentary Films Vice President Sara Bernstein, Perry plaintiff Jeff Zarrillo, Filmmaker Ben Cotner, Perry lawyer Ted Olson, Perry plaintiff Sandy Stier, Brooklyn Nets player Jason Collins, Perry plaintiff Kris Perry, Filmmaker Ryan White, Perry plaintiff Paul Katami and HBO Documentary Films President Sheila Nevins
Todd Griffin is a major player on the scene for LGBT. Following Proposition 8, he founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) to overturn the law. “I and my colleagues Ted Olson and David Boies filed the case,” he told Hollywood on the Potomac. “I was at lunch one day with some friends of mine (Michelle and Rob Reiner) just after the election and someone came over to the table, started asking what we were there for and started talking ……. long story short, that person said whenever there is another court case, someone should talk to my former brother in law Ted Olson.”
Perry plaintiff Sandy Stier, Perry plaintiff Kris Perry, Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin and Perry lawyer Ted Olson
“We reacted in somewhat disbelief, but long story short, we ended up coming down to Washington, spent a lot of time with Ted and eventually we decided to move forward and to partner with David Boies and filed this historic case that restored marriage equality in the state of California. Ted didn’t need any convincing. He is a brilliant, brilliant mind and one of the most successful Supreme Court advocates in the country practicing today. He went through his personal reasons for supporting this issue as well as the legal reasons and spelled out as to if we went forward how we should go forward and what this case would look like and I think we are all proud of the outcome.”
Perry plaintiff Sandy Stier, Perry lawyer Ted Olson and Perry plaintiff Kris Perry
“There is no question that Proposition 8’s passage really helped to galvanize first people in California – San Diego to Los Angeles to Fresno to San Francisco and then the country,” he added. “Who would have thought that particular State would have passed something so hateful. When it did, it really brought about attention through the media to the world. Gay people, straight people – they all started marching in the streets and turned a depressing moment into something quite inspiring.”
Hollywood on the Potomac went one on one with Ted Olson and the plaintiffs:
The Trailer:
