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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

First openly gay NBA player to visit UF to campaign for Clinton

Jason Collins
Jason Collins

Former professional basketball player Jason Collins will be at UF on Friday to campaign for Hillary Clinton.

Collins, the first openly gay NBA player and an ambassador for LGBTQ+ rights, will be on Turlington Plaza at 11 a.m. encouraging people to register to vote in the general election.

In Florida, the last day to register is Oct. 11.

On Wednesday, Collins posted a 20-second-long video on Twitter about how he will stop in cities throughout Florida to campaign for Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee.

Before coming to Gainesville, he will visit the University of North Florida and Florida State University, according to a press release. On Wednesday, he attended a voter registration event at Miami Dade College.

Omar Shatara, 22, said it is refreshing to see professional athletes extend their influences beyond sports.

“It’s cool to see them use their platform to speak on something other than just sports,” the UF industrial and systems engineering senior said.

A registered Republican, Shatara said he will cross the political aisle and vote for Clinton in the election. He said backing Clinton would give Collins a bigger platform to discuss changes he wants to see in society.

“It’s a great opportunity to do so and make an impact on the community,” he said.

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