In the words of Diddy, “Take that, take that!” 

Charles Barkley was spotted out at Harveys Lake Tahoe, a casino located in Stateline, Nevada.

He took to the stage with a mic in his hand and verbally declared his support against homophobia. The clip of his pronouncement has since gone viral and received much praise in this progressive social era. 

“If you’re gay or transgender, I love you. And if anyone gives you any s**t, tell ’em Charles says f**k you!” the TNT sports analyst said.

This isn’t Barkley’s first campaign trail against those who oppose the LGBTQ+ community. 

In 2016, the NBA veteran protested against a North Carolina law that critics believed discriminated against the community’s rights.

The Bathroom Bill prohibited transgenders from using public bathrooms in correspondence with their gender identity. However, they could use facilities based on their biological sex, per The Hill.’”

As a result of legislation, Barkley called for the 2017 All-Star Game to find a new hosting location. The game found a new home at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.

The 59-year-old appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2020 and spoke candidly about discrimination following the protest.

“I hated the ‘bathroom bill,’ ” Barkley told DeGeneres. “So I went to my boss and said, ‘Hey boss, I’m gonna sit out of the All-Star Game. I don’t want to take away from the All-Star Game, but I’m gonna sit out the All-Star Game.

He added,

“I think anytime you’re Black, you got to stand up for other people because you – Black people know what discrimination is like. And if you’re in a position of power, you got to always stand up against discrimination. And I’m blessed man, and … I’m never gonna sit back and let discrimination happen on my watch.”

Back in 2014, former Celtics center Jason Collins became the NBA’s first openly gay player. In doing so, Collins faced a lot of backlash because of his decision.

However, Barkley spoke a different tune during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show.“I’d rather have a gay guy who can play than a straight guy who can’t play,” he said.

Check out a few responses on Twitter following Barkley’s viral moment below:

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Emil Flemmon

Èmil Flemmon is the Managing Editor for the 360 Baseline Movement. The Atlanta-based editor, red carpet interviewer, writer, and photographer, has had a career spanning over a decade in the editorial industry. His work has been featured in Kontrol Magazine, The Atlanta Voice, Blavity, Aspire TV, REVOLT, The Jasmine Brand, and Where Y'at Magazine in New Orleans. His mission is to help journalists and publicists have better connectivity and relationships exclusively through the movement.

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