SPORTS
Knicks’ Pride Night is Personal for Reggie Bullock
NBA player has turned family tragedy into a platform for LGBTQ rights
BY MATT TRACY
It was a rare sight to see — at
least in NBA circles — when
Reggie Bullock of the New
York Knicks emerged from
the team locker room on Pride
Night and walked on the court
at Madison Square Garden with
Rainbow sneakers and Rainbowdyed
streaks in his hair.
But it was by no means a surprise.
The 6-foot-6, 205-pound
28-year-old has matched his towering
presence on the basketball
court with dedicated activism for
LGBTQ causes off the court in the
years since his transgender sister,
Mia, was tragically murdered.
Bullock made a mark in the city’s
queer community even before he
joined the Knicks this past off-season,
having been part of the NBA’s
contingent in New York’s LGBTQ
Pride March in years past as well
as turning out for events hosted
by organizations like GLAAD. But
since moving to New York, he has
quickly established himself as a
reliable straight ally in the local
community.
Most recently, Bullock’s work
has included visiting and speaking
with students involved with
the Hetrick-Martin Institute,
which serves LGBTQ youth, and
he helped them design Rainbow Tshirts
that he and the kids wore on
Pride Night January 15 when the
Knicks faced the Phoenix Suns.
“The kids designed the actual
letters, and I told them my sister’s
story,” Bullock told Gay City News
at the entrance of the Knicks’ locker
room on Pride Night. “I heard
different stories of different kids
and some kids who hadn’t come
out yet and don’t know how to tell
their parents. All in all, it was a
great time. There is nothing better
than to talk and interact with
those kids.”
No kidding. Bullock’s face lit
up with a smile during pre-game
warm-ups when he greeted those
same youth and exchanged pleasantries
with Hudson Taylor, the
founding head of the LGBTQ
Reggie Bullock poses with kids from the Hetrick-Martin Institute before the Knicks’ Pride Night game on
January 15.
The Madison Square Garden jumbotron was in rainbow colors all evening.
sports advocacy group Athlete Ally,
before he stepped onto the court
and swished shot after shot alongside
his Knicks teammates. “Pride
Night” was emblazoned on the
stadium jumbotron and rainbows
were perched on video boards in
all directions.
The evening held special significance
for Bullock because he has
endured a rough journey in recent
years: Five years after he lost
Mia, tragedy struck yet again this
past October when his other sister,
PHOTO MATT TRACY
PHOTO MATT TRACY
Keiosha, was fatally stabbed.
He keeps his siblings close to
his heart on and off the court by
channeling his grief into positive
change in society.
“Obviously something tragic
happened to me,” Bullock said.
“I stand up for the whole LGBTQ
community. I want to continue using
my platform to stand up for
all those all over the world who
are fighting for equality on a daily
basis. That’s what I’m about and
that’s what my sister believed in.”
Bullock’s work with Hetrick-
Martin and other organizations
is apparently making a difference
in NBA locker rooms, which have
lacked any out players since Jason
Collins — the first out gay NBA
player — retired in November of
2014.
Bullock said his teammates
have been supportive of his work
on LGBTQ causes, which is refreshing
to hear for queer sports
fans, who are left wondering when
the hyper-masculine sports world
would ever welcome another out
player in the NBA.
“I had some teammates actually
wear the T-shirts to the game
today,” Bullock said. “Looking
back to several years ago, I never
thought I would be doing this —
and it’s going great so far. I’ve been
getting great feedback from players
all over the league.”
Bullock was unable to play in
the Pride game due to a neck injury
and he has missed some time
this season, but he has averaged
9.9 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.5
assists per game through his first
eight games with the Knicks. He
started last season with the Detroit
Pistons before he was traded
to the Los Angeles Lakers, where
his teammates included superstar
LeBron James.
Although Bullock is still new to
the Knicks, it wasn’t his first taste
of Pride Night. He notably played a
major role in leading a Pride Night
for the Detroit Pistons during the
2017-2018 season. By that point,
he already had a tattoo that read
“LGBTQ” in honor of his slain sister.
Now, in a new environment,
Bullock participated in Pride festivities
with a different team in
a different city — and, to their
credit, the Knicks put on a very
front-and-center show with a spotlight
on the LGBTQ community
throughout the evening. Within
the first half alone, the New York
City Gay Men’s Chorus performed
the national anthem, facts about
➤ REGGIE BULLOCK, continued on p.11
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