Nearly two years ago, Kobe Bryant was fined $100,000 by the NBA for using a derogatory term for homosexuals when he became upset after receiving a technical foul. Kobe apologized after the incident and insisted his comment was not meant to offend the gay or lesbian community, and has since acknowledged that the outburst was inappropriate.
On Sunday, Kobe took a stand against a Twitter follower using the word “gay” as an insult by calling him out with a tweet to his nearly 1.3 million followers:
Just letting you know@PacSmoove @pookeo9 that using “your gay” as a way to put someone down ain’t ok! #notcool delete that out ur vocab
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) February 11, 2013
As expected, several people reminded Bryant of the incident that took place in 2011 and called him a hypocrite for criticizing someone for using a word that most feel isn’t even as bad as the one he used. Kobe acknowledged that he was ignorant for saying it and said he hopes it can serve as a lesson.
@onepercentofone @pookeo9 exactly! That wasn’t cool and was ignorant on my part. I own it and learn from it and expect the same from others
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) February 11, 2013
Whether he believes what he’s saying or not, kudos to Kobe for going out of his way to bring attention to the issue. His tweets have us all talking about it, which is definitely a good thing. Like it or not, superstar athletes have the ability to change people’s views on certain topics. Give Kobe credit for using that influence to his advantage.
H/T Ball Don’t Lie
