Former NBA player and out athlete John Amaechi is the star of a new public service announcement from GLAAD. The PSA, which was released yesterday to coincide with the start of the NBA's 2007-2008 season, is the fifth installment of GLAAD's "Be an Ally, Be a Friend" public education campaign.

In a press release announcing the new ad, GLAAD Director of Sports Media Ted Rybka said:

"John has experienced firsthand how homophobia in the sports world can prevent athletes from living their lives honestly and openly. [His] message has the power to awaken people to the realities of what it's like to be a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender athlete."

The campaign began in September and features twenty-two entertainers from the world of film, television, and sports imploring viewers to take a stand against homophobia by acting as an ally to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. The previous ad, starring T.R. Knight, was released in honor of National Coming Out Day.

It's great to see recently out figures like Knight and Amaechi use their celebrity to advocate for LGBT rights. It's something that Amaechi seems to care strongly about, as he mentioned when we interviewed him after he came out in back February of this year, making him the first NBA player ever to do so.

You can watch Amaechi's PSA after the break.