Howard Bragman started talking with John Amaechi last December, when the former National Basketball Association ( NBA ) player contacted the California-based publicist. Amaechi told Bragman that he was gay and about to come out of the closet—and representing coming-out athletes and entertainers is Bragman's specialty.
'We were both very realistic about the fact that we thought we could get some press. We knew we'd get it in the gay media, but neither of us thought it was a huge [ mainstream ] story,' Bragman said. 'John Amaechi was someone who no one really knew unless you were really an inside basketball guy. He certainly was not a household name.'
On Feb. 3, Bragman was at a Super Bowl party in Miami, surrounded by about 25 journalists. He eventually informed the media members that he had a former NBA player about to come out. And though Bragman didn't mention Amaechi by name, the firestorm started.
Within hours Internet Web sites were bursting with speculations about who the gay player was. Days later, it was reported and confirmed online.
And so started one of the wildest rides in Bragman's legendary near-25-year career as a publicist.
'To say that we booked John's [ media schedule was ] aggressive would be an understatement,' said Bragman, the president of Los Angeles-based Fifteen Minutes Public Relations ( which he opened in 2005 ) , which arranged about 120 interviews over a five-day period, with outlets such as USA TODAY, the Associated Press, and the New York Times on down.
'John Amaechi is one of the best interviewees I've ever seen in my entire life. He's just that bright, that articulate, and he really knows how to seize control [ of an interview ] ,' Bragman said.
Two days after Amaechi started his media tour, Tim Hardaway delivered a Valentine's Day present that no publicist could ever even fantasize about.
Hardaway, talking on radio in Miami, said: '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. So yeah, I don't like it.'
Bragman, seizing the momentum for his client, 'was literally on the phone all night' after Hardaway's comments, eventually placing Amaechi on ABC World News Tonight, Good Morning America and oh-so-many other high-profile mainstream shows.
'We were already getting great media [ about his coming out ] , but [ Hardaway's comments ] took it to another level. That went nuclear,' Bragman said. 'Sometimes you just hit this perfect storm as a publicist: you have the right person with the right message at the right time. And I think that's what we had with John.'
Bragman, 51, who is gay himself, has been the publicist for the coming-outs of golfer Rosie Jones, WNBA player Sheryl Swoopes and former National Football League ( NFL ) player Esera Tuaolo.
So, can a gay athlete from one of the big four sports ( baseball, basketball, football and hockey ) come out today while still active?
'Absolutely,' Bragman said. 'If an athlete came to me and said he wanted to come out of the closet, I would make sure this person was ready first. Ready in their personal life because I think they have to be aware of the kind of attention and scrutiny they open themselves up to. They have to have covered it with their family, with their teammates.
'I think that day is coming, though I cannot predict when it will happen. It's a generational thing and I would be shocked if we didn't have a major athlete coming out by the end of this decade.'
Bragman speculated that two or three percent of today's pros from those big four sports are gay.
'I think [ the first player to come out while active ] has to be someone who is pretty valuable to his team, or someone nearing the end of their career,' Bragman said. 'But still, it's really dangerous [ to come out while active ] . Football, for instance—you can get killed in that sport. There are still some Neanderthals out there. Football is by far the most dangerous of [ the big four ] sports, and that's not to say you can't get hurt in baseball, basketball or hockey. They certainly do some nasty things when they tackle you in football, and that's against straight players. Just imagine what they'd do if they knew you were gay.'
So will the first be from one of the other three sports, not the NFL?
'Just for safety sake, I hope so,' Bragman said. 'We can predict all we want [ who and when it will happen ] , but something is going to happen that none of us ever imagine—and that player is going to change the world.
'Everyone was worried about the stigma when Esera came out. But the stigma is now with the homophobe, not with the athlete who's come out of the closet. And that's a huge change. It's not OK to be homophobic anymore. That's a huge change.'
Bragman, a former professor at University of Southern California ( USC ) for six years, added: 'Kids do not care today [ if someone is gay ] . It's just a non-issue for most people in the 25-to-30 year-old age-range. There are kids playing sports now in high school who are out of the closet. They aren't going to run back into the closet when they get to a certain age.'
In addition to sports stars, Bragman also represents various actors and corporations. About 20 percent of his overall business is gay-related, such as Olivia, the San Francisco-based lesbian lifestyle and travel company.
'We still don't have a so-called 'big actor' who's out,' Bragman said. 'There's always been a double-standard in acting. Tom Hanks can play a gay [ character ] and can win an Oscar [ for his role ] , but if a gay actor tries to play a straight character, we're not going to believe it. But I think that's changing.
'Take, for instance, T.R. Knight. No one is saying he's not credible on Grey's Anatomy because he's gay. Same for Neil Patrick Harris.
'That's progress. Progress, though, isn't always fast. But, anyone who is not pleased doesn't have a sense of history.'
Bragman speculated that a Hollywood superstar will come out before an athlete from one of the big four. 'It's probably easier in Hollywood than in sports; it's a little more liberal here.'
Getting To Know … Howard Bragman
Age: 51
Grew up in: Flint, Mich.
Status: He's partnered to Chuck O'Donnell, a horse trainer. They have been together for four years.
Hobbies: Bragman collects photography, enjoys hiking, horseback riding and renovating homes. And he travels extensively for work.
Pets: Two dogs, a parrot, fish and turtles
Attended: University of Michigan, then moved to Chicago in 1978
Inclusive: 'I always go out of my way to be nice to [ the LGBT ] community.'
Chicago ties: Bragman lived in Chicago from 1978-86, and was out even then: 'I did things in the AIDS community, such as a benefit at Merrill Chase Galleries, featuring an appearance by [ former Chicago mayor ] Jane Byrne. This was the first AIDS benefit in Chicago that wasn't just gay people [ attending ] ; it really extended into another community. I've always had a part of me that's wanted to change the world a bit.'
Bragman on Bragman: 'I always jokingly say, 'I grew up fat, Jewish and gay in Flint, Mich. I know what it's like to be the outsider, so I always truly have empathy to change the world and make it a better, a more accepting place.'
On Tim Hardaway: 'I'm not so into Tim Hardaway as a client. I believe he truly is homophobic; I take him at his word. But, I have more respect for Tim Hardaway than I do for LeBron James; I really do. Tim Hardaway at least was honest.'
After college: Bragman ran a magazine store just off Rush Street called The Book Market, and then went to work for a small magazine in Rogers Park, Chicago Elite Magazine. He then went to his first public relations job—for a Chicago-based company, owned by two closeted gay men. He stayed there for three years.
