I realize the timing of John Amaechi's coming out party coincides with the release of his new book. And since he admitted the only reason he played NBA basketball was for the money, we have to believe Amaechi has dollar signs in his eyes when it comes to his admitting he is gay. But we shouldn't dismiss his declaration as insignificant.

The odds tells us there are plenty of homosexual male professional athletes playing sports right now. But why have none of them come out? Perhaps it is none of our business, and they obvioulsy shouldn't be forced to declare their sexual preference, but in reality they are afraid of the ramifications, and understandibly so. They obviously feel the treatment they would receive from the fans, the media, their opponents, their teammates and coaches isn't worth it. As socially developed as we'd like to believe we all are, the truth is there is still a ton of prejudice against gays.

I applaud athletes for coming out, especially if they have been persecuted by their peers. But the true pioneer for the gay athlete will be the one that comes out while they are still playing. I'm not saying that athlete would face the kind of discrimination Jackie Robinson had to endure, but there would still be a harsh stigma attached to them. But say 50 years from now, if and when gays are more accepted in mainstream society, the athlete that came out in the prime of their career would be considered a true hero, and not just for the gay population. I just don't think today's society is ready for it. And that's sad.