Jason Collins marched in Boston Pride Parade Saturday

When NBA center Jason Collins came out as gay, he said it was sparked in part because a year ago a friend of his had marched in the Boston Pride Parade and Collins was jealous of his friend. He wanted to be true to himself.

Saturday Collins got to fulfill his wish — he marched in the Boston Pride Parade.

Wearing a Nike shirt that said “#betrue” Collins took part in what is one of the largest pride parades in the nation. He marched with Joe Kennedy, the Massachusetts politician that he had been envious of a year before.

Collins explained the significance of this to him in the coming out piece he wrote for Sports Illustrated.

I realized I needed to go public when Joe Kennedy, my old roommate at Stanford and now a Massachusetts congressman, told me he had just marched in Boston’s 2012 Gay Pride Parade. I’m seldom jealous of others, but hearing what Joe had done filled me with envy. I was proud of him for participating but angry that as a closeted gay man I couldn’t even cheer my straight friend on as a spectator. If I’d been questioned, I would have concocted half truths. What a shame to have to lie at a celebration of pride. I want to do the right thing and not hide anymore. I want to march for tolerance, acceptance and understanding. I want to take a stand and say, “Me, too.”

This was a good day for Jason Collins. Another person getting to live life true to who they are is a good thing and what we should want for everyone.