Kobe Bryant fires off gay slur, sparks PR firestorm
The Human Rights Campaign has called for the NBA star to apologize. He issued a statement, but didn’t say he was sorry. The full-court press is still on.
The Los Angeles Lakers star is the target of gay and lesbian groups everywhere after he directed a gay slur at a referee during Tuesday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs.
Bryant apparently called the ref a “f***ing f***ot” after receiving a technical foul. TNT, the network broadcasting the game, caught Kobe in the act.
The Human Rights Campaign has launched a full-court press against Bryant, issuing the following statement:
“What a disgrace for Kobe Bryant to use such horribly offensive and distasteful language, especially when millions of people are watching. Hopefully Mr. Bryant will recognize that as a person with such fame and influence, the use of such language not only offends millions of LGBT people around the world, but also perpetuates a culture of discrimination and hate that all of us, most notably Mr. Bryant, should be working to eradicate. Bryant and the Lakers have a responsibility to speak up on this issue immediately. America is watching.”
Bryant issued the following statement in response:
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