Openly gay former NBA player John Amaechi to speak at Framingham State

By Jaclyn Reiss, Town Correspondent

Amaechi came out in his 2007 memoir.

Retired NBA player John Amaechi, the first former professional basketball player to come out as gay, will speak Tuesday at Framingham State University as part of the President’s Distinguished Lecture Series.

Amaechi came out in his 2007 New York Times best-selling book, Man in the Middle.

He will be speaking about the need for equality in athletics and in everyday life. His lecture is free and open to the public. It will take place on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Dwight Hall Performing Arts Center.

Amaechi’s presentation includes stirring personal accounts of his own life as an “out and proud” individual, his ascent to a professional basketball career after having started at age 17, and stories from his book. Born in Boston and raised in the United Kingdom, Amaechi has a unique perspective on globalism and how the world has changed and continues to change.

The President’s Distinguished Lecture Series was created in 2011 to bring scholars from across the country to the university for presentations on thought-provoking issues, ideas and theories.

The theme of this year’s series is “Accepting Others: Finding Common Ground.” Each of the four speakers has played a role in challenging stereotypes, breaking down social barriers and exploring important issues such as gender violence, racism and physical and mental disabilities.

Future speakers include:

• Dr. Jackson Katz: Tuesday, Oct. 23, at 7:30 p.m. McCarthy Center Forum
• Isabel Wilkerson: Monday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. Dwight Performing Arts Center
• Dan Habib: Wednesday, Feb. 13, Film screenings and discussions begin at 4 p.m. McCarthy Center Forum

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Jaclyn Reiss can be reached at jaclyn.reiss@globe.com