President Obama applauds NBA player Jason Collins on coming out

In a press conference today, President Barack Obama commented on big news from the sports world yesterday: Jason Collins, a Center for the NBA, came out as a gay man. Collins is now the first openly gay male athlete in a major American sports league. 

President Obama praised Collins today in his press conference, explaining that the NBA player's announcement is a new step forward for gay and lesbian Americans and for the country. He said:

You know, one of the extraordinary measures of progress that we've seen in this country has been the recognition that the LGBT community deserves full equality - not just partial equality, not just tolerance - but a recognition that they're fully a part of the American family.

I think a lot of young people out there who are gay or lesbian, who are struggling with these issues, to see a role model like that who is unafraid - I think it's a great thing and I think America should be proud that this is just one more step in this ongoing recognition that we treat everybody fairly.Everybody's part of a family and we judge people on the basis of their character and their performance and not their sexual orientation. So I'm very proud of him.

Watch video from the press conference below: