Erstellt am: 30. 4. 2013 - 16:27 Uhr

A slam dunk for gay pride in sport

Reality Check: Jason Collins comes out; Cyprus; Netherlands Royalty; Afghanistan; Civil Rights Defenders.

EPA/TANNEN MAURY CORBIS

In one sense Jason Collins’ coming out is a first and in another it isn’t. His announcement that "I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay," published on Monday on the website of Sports Illustrated caused an instant sensation. Fellow sportsmen and women, celebrities, politicians and ordinary citizens were joined by the likes of Bill Clinton in tweeting congratulations and support. Even President Obama, according to the White House, rang Collins to express his admiration for his courage.

Others, in the meantime, have been quick to point out that Collins is not the first sportsperson to publicly embrace his (or her) sexuality. In the early 1980s tennis star Billie Jean King confirmed she was gay after it became public knowledge that she’d been in a relationship with another woman. A number of professional athletes in the women’s leagues in the US are open about their homosexuality. There are male counterparts who have come out but only after they retired.

The reason why Jason Collins’ coming out is a big deal is because he’s the first active male player in one of the four major U.S. professional sports leagues to do so. It’s an environment where the “macho ethos” dominates. Collins’ gesture comes against the backdrop of a changing tide in the US – just think of the repeal of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy on homosexuality in the military and the fact that same-sex marriage is now legally recognised by 9 states as well as the District of Columbia.

Cyprus

Lawmakers in the Cypriot parliament are meeting this afternoon to decide on whether or not to pass the bailout deal. It comes as there are mounting calls within Cyprus to leave the Euro. Our reporter Nathan Morley in Nicosia tells us more:

Queen Beatrix

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands abdicates passing on the crown to Prince Willem-Alexander. We get the lowdown on the changeover in Amsterdam from journalist Perro de Jong:

Karzai & the CIA's Cash

"Ghost" money from the CIA has been paid to Afghan President Hamid Karzai for the last 10 years. How usual are such secret payments? Analysis from international security expert Paul Rogers:

The Natalia Project

The Natalia Project is about protecting human rights activists. It's an armband that uses GPS and mobile technology to track their location if they have been seized: