John Amaechi to Lead Utah Gay Pride

Salt Lake City, UT -- Ex-NBA player and proud gay athlete John Amaechi has signed on to serve as the grand marshal for his former home town of Salt Lake City's Gay Pride Parade this Sunday. He has also agreed to serve as grand marshal for the pride parades in Los Angeles and Chicago.

In his memoirs, the out basket player indicates he still has fond memories of Salt Lake City despite his struggles on the basketball court while playing for his former NBA team, The Utah Jazz. "The hippest, gayest place east of San Francisco," Amaechi calls the city.

"I really owe Salt Lake. My time there would have been so multiply miserable had it not been for so many people -- gay, straight and otherwise -- who made my time there so special," he said. Amaechi made many good friends in Salt Lake City and often hosted parties at his downtown loft, ESPN reports.

Coming out has resulted in many book signings and invitations to speak, mostly to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered groups.

"Now it seems in America I'm just 'that gay guy,'" he said.

That fixation probably needs to change before a professional male athlete will come out while still playing, Amaechi said. He hasn't heard from any former teammates currently in the NBA since his coming out. Former Penn State teammates and retired Jazz star Karl Malone and his wife have reached out to him.

"Essentially, they e-mailed and called to express that they fully supported me, and they knew the content of my character and it doesn't change what they think about me," Amaechi said.