Interview with Will Sheridan: Coming Out in Basketball and Hip Hop

In the sporting world, coming out has long been a rare and delicate procedure, and most players who come out do so only after retiring.

Technically speaking, that’s what basketball player turned hip hop musician Will Sheridan did. He recently came out on ESPN a few years after finishing a basketball career at Villanova University.

Sheridan started coming out to his teammates freshman year at his NCAA Division I school. By the time he graduated he was out to most of them.

Now he’s in another traditionally homophobic field: hip hop music. 365gay sat down with him on June 20, just before he spoke at a panel about being a double minority (Sheridan is African American).

365gay: When did you know that it was time to come out and take that final step out of the closet door?
Will Sheridan: Well, [ESPN’s] Dana O’Neil approached me about two years ago about doing the story. I was ready then, but I wanted to make sure that the people surrounding me that were important to me wouldn’t be affected negatively in their day-to-day lives, like my parents.

I took that into consideration, I talked to Villanova (University) people, I didn’t want to offend anybody or burn any bridges. As I moved along in my artistry, most of my music is about my life. People were going to find out anyway, so let me just do it for everybody else.

My friends read the ESPN article and they were like “Really? You’re coming out now? You’ve been out … way out.” So, I felt like it was a good time.

365Gay: Was there anyone who uncomfortable?
Sheridan: I think my father of all people felt that it just wasn’t anybody else’s business. My parents have their reservations. My mother’s very anxious about the whole situation, she thinks that I’m going to get shot. I’m like, mom if I get shot then I’ll be a martyr and they’ll have a rally for me so more people will be empowered by me dying.

In all honesty though, a lot of people were a little anxious about it or curious about what I was getting out of it. But it wasn’t really about me.

365gay: The age-old debate in sports is that if someone comes out, it’ll mess up camaraderie or will cause awkwardness in the locker room. You were out to your teammates. Did that ever cause any issues?
Sheridan: I gradually told my teammate and friends, but they kind of knew. I don’t think it caused a problem with camaraderie. At the end of the day, if I sucked, they probably would have used that as an excuse. But I never gave them that opportunity.

My advice for any gay athlete or anyone who is a minority and trying to advance in their particular field, like sports, is just to be great. As a community we will expand and be better.

365gay: We’ve been hearing more about gay athletes lately, it’s part of the national conversation. Several teams have done “It Gets Better” videos. Do you think we’re finally at the tipping point where people can start coming out without so much fanfare?
Sheridan: To start off, until we get to thousands and thousands of people and the market’s so saturated and the media’s so saturated with people coming out that they’re just over it, I think people are going to be in a position where they come out and attention’s going to be drawn to it.

As for as the “It Gets Better” videos, those videos are good for people to see that there’s a perspective of straight people who support gay people. But I still question the whole thing. If I’m the general manager of a team and you’re on the team and I ask you to do this, of course you’re going to do it. It doesn’t necessarily mean you feel that way.

365gay: It’s interesting that you’re going from what’s typically considered as a homophobic field, sports, into another typically homophobic field, hip-hop music. You’re breaking a lot of barriers there.
Sheridan: Yeah. Sports in general are all about hyper-masculinity and being the best at what you do. I think there is a parallel in hip hop. But at the end of the day, talent is going to win. So if you’re better, you play harder, you’re stronger and then you’re going to be better as an athlete.

As a hip hop artist, I’m prepared. When I perform at live gigs, I’m usually prepared more than other performers are. I have a competitive nature that’s from sports, so at the end of the day, anything they can do I can do.

I’m just going to bring that kind of approach to hip hop and put out quality music, and at the end of the day that’s what people will judge me for. They’ll probably forget that I’m gay.

Actually, they won’t.

365gay: You were heckled on the basketball court for your mannerisms. Did that mess up your game at all?
Sheridan: For me, I was like, They must have seen me at Woody’s in Philadelphia, so now they know I’m gay, and they’re gay as well. In all honesty, when people were heckling me at games, it got the adrenaline going and might have made me play better. It’s just a reflection on their own insecurities, where their mindset was. I didn’t take it personally.

365gay: Who was your first crush?
Sheridan: That was a long time ago. I don’t know… Hugh Jackman is hot, right? Before Wolverine.

365gay: Do you have any advice for anyone who’s still in the closet?
Sheridan: For anybody who’s still in the closet, I say come out because everybody else already knows that you’re gay. It’s a party on this side.

Honestly, I would come out to people and they’d be like, “Really? Are you serious? Look at the way you walk, dude. Let’s be serious.”

Come out when you’re ready, don’t be rushed. Live your life. It’s like driving, when you’re ready to do it, you do it.

Follow Will Sheridan on Twitter. His album drops this fall, check out his videos for a sneak peek.