After his sister, Mia Anderson was murdered in 2014 for being a transgender woman, NBA Star, Reggie Bullock, has been a huge supporter of transgender rights. In 2015, Shawn Oliver, her killer, was later acquitted on all counts.
In her honour, Reggie has since then, become an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. A recent 6-minute documentary from Vice showcases his journey to NYC Pride, an NBC Voices For LGBT event hosted for LGBT Youth and Allies in New York to speak on her behalf and for the rights of LGBT people across the country.
In the documentary, First openly gay NBA player, Jason Collins was also a part of the LGBT Voices event spoke about the importance of visibility and ‘allyship’. “Obviously, Reggie has a connection being an ally and having a transgender sister killed a few years ago. A credit to him that he’s using that pain and that platform to speak out on these issues because we need more and more athletes to speak up to help change the culture of sport,” He said.
“As a straight man and a player in the NBA, Bullock is uniquely positioned within popular American cultural to educate others about the humanity of transgender individuals, and the alarming rates of violence they face. But for Bullock, it is simply personal. He lost someone he loved in one of the worst ways imaginable, and he won’t stop speaking out, or saying her name,” Diana Tourjée writes.
“I actually didn’t know how many lives actually get taken within that community until my sister’s life was taken. Actually, looking that numbers of what goes on with the transgender community, particularly dealing with African Americans, it’s a super-high rate.” Reggie Bullock said. “I’m just trying to use my platform, whatever I can do, to save lives and try to bring equality within that community.”
Watch Vice Sports’ new documentary following Reggie Bullock as he goes to Pride and opens up about becoming an advocate below.
