Lakers Plan to Use Kobe's "Gay Gate" to Stop Homophobic Remarks

"The Los Angeles Lakers plan to use the occasion of Kobe Bryant's gay slur to try to stop homophobic remarks in basketball.

The team and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) announced a working relationship on Friday, the same day Bryant apologized again.

"What happened in Tuesday night's game is not representative of what the Lakers stand for," Lakers spokesman John Black said. "We want to reaffirm our commitment to all our fans and our appreciation for the support we receive from all segments of society. 

"We also understand the importance of positive messages in helping us convey this," Black added. "We appreciate the input we've received from GLAAD the past two days and will look forward to working with them on ways to help educate ourselves and our fans, and to help keep language like this out of our game." Bryant was hit with a technical foul against the Spurs on Tuesday, stormed back to the bench and uttered a gay slur toward referee Bennie Adams. The moment was caught on camera and quickly caused an uproar.

The league condemned Bryant's words and fined the Lakers star $100,000.

Bryant responded by saying: "The comment that I made, even though it wasn't meant in the way it was perceived to be, is nonetheless wrong, so it's important to own that." - Full article" -Via ESPN