Jason Collins, a veteran NBA player, announced yesterday that he is gay. Jason is the first openly gay athlete on a major U.S. sports team in the Nation's history to publicly come out and state that he is gay.

Jason is a soft spoken young man (a veteran by professional athletic standards) who is a loyal teammate not wanting to, in any way, compromise his fellow teammates, so he has kept his sexual orientation a secret throughout his career.

In an interview, Jason said that he has never let race define him and he does not want his sexual orientation to define him either. He does not want to be labeled or put in a box.

Life is, by its very nature, a fundamentally flawed state. We all have our share of imperfections. In the scheme of things, our sexual orientation is but a small part of who we are as human beings. It addresses only a narrow physiological component of our being. It does not speak to our character or who we are as individuals; it does not define us.

As a friend of mine so astutely pointed out, if we are gathered with a group of people in a social setting, we do not take it upon ourselves to inquire about the sex lives of those we are socializing with. We do not quiz them on who they are sleeping with or what sexual encounters they are having. This would be considered highly inappropriate in polite and civilized company. Our sex lives as heterosexuals are a private matter and not for public scrutiny. Such socially accepted behavior should be no different for gays. They should be accepted for who they are as individuals and not defined by orientation.

If I were to judge others based on biblical teachings or other religious ideologies, I would have to negate those dear people I have called friends, who have contributed so much to my life. If I suddenly developed tunnel vision and only viewed them by their sexual orientation, I would lose all of the lovely and kind components of their character, the generosity of their nature and their invaluable enrichment of my life. In other words, their very essence.

The problem with adhering strictly to rigid ideology is that it ultimately leads to placing one's self in the god like position of judging. It is a very short leap from judging to condemnation.

Given the reality that we all belong to the 'dysfunctional' family of Man, we certainly have not been given the keys to the kingdom, nor the right to impose judgment on our fellow man.

Jason's coming out has far reaching ramifications, in fact it will most likely result in saving the lives of many young people who are struggling with their own sexuality.

Martina Navaratilova came out in 1981, not an enlightened era for such honesty. She lost millions of dollars in endorsements and beyond that she was stereotyped and ridiculed by the media. Nevertheless, she found strength and security in going public and a new sense of freedom.

Martina stated that, for years after, she received letters of gratitude from many young people who, at the time, were suffering from a sense of isolation over their own sexuality. They were on the verge of suicide when her announcement made them realize they were not alone.

Martina feels certain that Jason's public declaration will have the same effect as hers did and he will have saved lives. It is a critical and vital upside to his pronouncement, which shows that this is much bigger than one person.

Even before he made his decision to go public with his homosexuality, Jason made a statement of caring and kindness when he decided to wear the number 98 on his NBA Boston Celtics jersey. This he did in memory and honor of Matthew Shepard, the young University of Wyoming student who was brutally beaten to death in 1998.

Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, tortured and lashed to a prairie fence and left for dead. He died five days after he was found. This heinous act was committed based solely on the fact that Matthew was gay.

Jason wore the number 98 during the 2012-13 NBA season for the Boston Celtics and the Washington Wizards.

It is public figures such as Martina and Jason, who have the courage and fortitude to come forward and declare who they are and their need to live their lives in an honest and straightforward manner, who are making it possible for others to accept themselves for who they are. They are reliable voices for the dispossessed, those who have for so long lingered in the shadows and felt excluded from society and all its conventional mores.

In one declaration, Jason Collins has instantly become something much more than an NBA veteran. But we should note that it did not happen in a vacuum. Martina Navaratilova trod this path more than 30 years ago and she broke ground for all those who chose to follow.

"The ultimate end of all revolutionary social change is to establish the sanctity of human life, the dignity of man, the right of every human being to liberty and well-being." - Emma Goldman