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Gay Former Pro Athlete Dave Kopay Donates $1 Million to University of Washington |
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Written by Alex Cho
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Thursday, 06 September 2007 |
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 Former NFL player and star college athlete Dave Kopay, who came out in 1975 and wrote a best-selling memoir, announced that he will donate $1 million to the University of Washington's Q Center. Kopay, who played for the school and who led the team to the Rose Bowl in 1964, made waves in the '70s as the first professional athlete to come out.
Kopay was a top contender to become an NFL coach, but he believed his coming out dissuaded teams from considering him.
More from the story:
Jennifer Self, director of the Q Center, called Kopay's gift "an act of forgiveness.
"When David was a student-athlete at the UW in the early 60's, as a
gay man, he had nowhere to go for support, affirmation, resources, or
safety,'' she said. "That is no longer the case, and thanks in part to
him, the Q Center will be here in perpetuity."
Kopay said he was spurred on to donate after he read a story about a gay U of Washington student who had to live in a homeless shelter while attending school.
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written by ted on September 06, 2007
kopay! If you do read this, or if a friend of his reads this comment, please forward to him a huge THANK YOU for the courage to publish his book way back when. I was 23 when I read THE STORY. It gave me courage. There was so little about gay people then. He has had a huge impact on my life. Thanks again, David! And congrats for the $1million endowment. You never know who & how many lives you positively touch.
written by r.t. on September 06, 2007
Kopay is a "leading man" in my book. What an amazing gift, and a wonderful opportunity to give to back to the community. Kudos to Kopay.