Openly gay Warriors President Welts reflects on Orlando shooting
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- The Warriors held a moment of silence for the victims in Orlando before the start of Game 5.
This has also been a time of personal reflection for Warriors team president Rick Welts, who is openly gay.
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"We have to take moments like this to gather our strength and go forward," said Welts.
Welts isn't talking about his team. He's talking about his LGBT community. Welts is the first openly gay NBA executive and he's reflecting on the horrific attack on the nightclub in Orlando.
"We have to remain strong and know that the results of acts like this can't be that the terrorists win," said Welts.
Welts lives his life out loud. Last year, he was the celebrity Grand Marshall of the San Francisco Pride Parade. Last week he and his partner visited the White House for a celebration of LGBT rights.
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Welts says the President Obama's remarks then seem prophetic now.
"There was a lot of excitement about the accomplishments, but he also gave a warning that it was something that had to be protected, that the fight wasn't over. His words came back to me very strongly yesterday," said Welts.
Welts says the entire NBA family has reached out to the Orlando Magic basketball franchise, which is grieving along with the rest of that city.
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