EDGE on the Net

Jallen Messersmith is a 6-foot-7 shot-blocking specialist from tiny Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan. He also is believed to be the first openly gay active player in U.S. men’s college basketball.

Some are calling Jason Collins a role model for this up-and-coming generation of gay and lesbian athletes. But in some ways, young out athletes and their supporters have helped pave the way for pros like Collins.

From the NBA’s Jason Collins’ coming out to the LGBT nights in countless minor and major league ballparks, the gay community is beginning to have a presence in the world of professional sports.

The nation’s first sports hall of fame honoring LGBT athletes is scheduled to launch in Chicago in August.

A groundbreaking pronouncement from NBA veteran Jason Collins - "I’m gay" - reverberated Monday through Washington, generating accolades from lawmakers on Twitter and a supportive phone call from President Barack Obama.

Even before Jason Collins, plenty of other athletes around the world have come out as gay, either while still active or in retirement.

By coming out as gay while still an active NBA player, Jason Collins breaks one of the last remaining barriers for gays and lesbians in era of constant political gains and ever-growing public acceptance.

The Washington Wizard’s Jason Collins made history on Monday when he revealed he is gay, which makes him the first out professional male athlete in a major sport.

Support from high-profile politicians, athletes, family, friends and fans came pouring in just hours after basketball veteran Jason Collins announced he is gay.

An former college football player wants a shot to try out for the NFL. What makes him unique? He’s openly gay.