NBA Star Tim Hardaway Becomes First To Sign Florida Marriage Equality Petition

The Huffington Post reports:

A former NBA star who once declared "I hate gay people" became the first person to sign a new petition seeking to legalize gay marriage in Florida. Tim Hardaway signed the first petition Wednesday night for Equal Marriage Florida, a fresh effort to repeal a 2008 state amendment banning same-sex unions. He added his name while leaning over a pool table in a public ceremony at Sully's Tavern in Miami alonside Equal Marriage Florida organizer Vanessa Brito.

In 2007 Hardaway was asked to respond to the coming out of former NBC player John Ameichi. Hardaway said, "You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known,. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States." He later apologized and has since become an advocate and ally.

RELATED: Equality Florida needs to raise 683,000 signatures in order to place a repeal of the state's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage on the 2014 ballot.

Tim Hardaway Learns

Retired Miami Heat player Tim Hardaway, who caused a stir early this year when he told a radio interviewer "I hate gay people", has been quietly working with the Miami-based YES Institute, an advocacy group for LGBT youth. Hardaway: "I've come to find out I made it possible to bash gay people. "

The director of the YES Institute says that Hardaway has been genuine and helpful. Hardaway says he's been trying to change. "I'm working on understanding it now. I'm not really trying to make amends. I've been there trying to get help.''

After his homophobic comments blew up in the press, Hardaway lost endorsement deals and was forced to take his name off his Miami business. While some will doubtlessly see his LGBT youth advocacy as a crass attempt to rebuild his image and his bankability, I think we should give Hardaway the benefit of the doubt. People can change, as San Diego's mayor taught us last week.