Jefferson Campos observed the sports scenario and decided to create an initiative full of inclusion. The former athlete founded the collective Royalz BKTin 2022, so that basketball players can be free from oppression and LGBTphobia.
The team meets at Parque da Aclimação, in São Paulo, starting at 8 pm, to practice the sport.
“When I see the court full, it’s very gratifying. I didn’t imagine I would have this kind of representation, this kind of support and not all this visibility. We are used to staying in the closet, hiding our identity”he said in an interview with the website Superesportes.
Jefferson commented that the sports environment is still seen as a sexist environment, which prevents athletes from the LGBTQIAP+ community from being able to express their identities.
“At 14, 15 years old, I was already fully aware of my sexuality. after they left the teams, they assumed homosexuality. So, I knew that in basketball this would not be well accepted. In sport in general it is like that, and basketball is sexist and homophobic as hell.”, he spoke.
Jefferson said he had the idea of creating the collective to combat repression, which he himself has experienced.
“The step of coming out publicly was very big. I came out of the closet on Valentine’s Day. I posted a photo with Junior [noivo do atleta] and that’s when people really got to know that I’m gay. I’ve been trapped in the closet my entire career, so coming out was liberating.” said.
Source: Maxima
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