According to USA Today, one of the major turning points for the NBA's decision to move the 2017 All-Star game from North Carolina came two weeks ago at a Las Vegas meeting of high-ranking league execs.
USA Today reports:
In a poignant address, Golden State Warriors president and chief operating officer Rick Welts, 63, who is openly gay, explained his meaningful and lifelong affiliation with the NBA and told league owners he didn’t feel comfortable attending the All-Star Game in Charlotte if the law remained as is.
His words weren’t emotional, and they weren’t delivered as a threat. But Welts, who was instrumental in shaping All-Star weekend into the big-time event it is today, didn’t plan on attending if the North Carolina law wasn’t repealed or changed.
Following the meeting, a few owners talked, and a prevailing message emerged: If Rick Welts doesn’t feel comfortable coming to the All-Star Game, the decision to relocate just got easier.
They probably didn't know it at the time, but this was clearly an "It Gets Better" moment. One more example of how our visibility and honest self-expression lead to positive change.
Here's a little more about Welts.
(h/t JMG)
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