Watch: Oprah and Jason Collins discuss clash between black church and gay community
theGRIO VIDEO - During a sneak peak of 'Oprah's Next Chapter' with NBA star Jason Collins, he opens up about homophobia within African American culture....
On Sunday, the Oprah Winfrey Network will air a 90-minute interview featuring NBA star Jason Collins, his twin brother Jarron and their family — their first appearance together on the heels of Jason becoming the first opening gay professional athlete in a major American sport.
During his interview with Oprah, Jason reflects on the worldwide reaction following his decision to reveal that he is a gay man, and how he hopes his coming out of the closet will further the conversation around human equality.
Oprah and Jason also talk about the clash between the black church and the gay community.
“You obviously know that within the African-American culture, which I didn’t know until like a decade ago, that the stigma of being gay is even worse than it is in the general population,” Oprah says.
To which Jason responds, “I think that it has to deal with a lot of just how hand-in-hand the church is with the African-American community, and trust me I grew up in a very religious family,” Jason responds. “I knew as an African-American, it adds another dimension to the discussion.”
During the interview, Jason’s twin brother, former NBA player Jarron Collins, their parents, Portia and Paul Collins and their aunt, Teri Jackson, a San Francisco Superior Court judge, open up to Oprah about what it was like for Jason to come out to them.
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Oprah’s Next Chapter with Jason Collins airs Sunday, May 5 at 7:30/6:30C on OWN.
Follow Chris Witherspoon on Twitter at @WitherspoonC
