In-Box - Coming Out, Collins Shows Courage and Conviction To the Sports Editor: Re "With the Words "I'm Gay," an N.B.A. Center Breaks a Barrier," April 30: Jason Collins not only set himself free, he probably set free the souls of innumerable other young black gay men for whom that reality might have led to suicide, substance abuse or other harmful efforts to alleviate their sense of shame. Collins's bravery may save the lives of myriad voiceless others who will view his action as an example of the way to tap into their internal assets and resiliency, and avoid becoming a statistic. Finally, Collins has also provided us all with an opportunity to love and support these young men and show them that their lives matter. Boston Some segments and vocal leaders in our society are well ahead of the law in terms of promoting civil rights. But there remain occult bastions of opposition to civil rights, including professional sports, that lag well behind the law and in which people still fear retribution and retaliation. New York It has taken decades for someone in one of the four major American sports to not only admit that he is gay, but to state it emphatically and proudly. Hopefully, Jason Collins's statement will open the floodgates for many more sports people to lift the yoke and heretofore stigma of being gay. Most Americans now accept gay people in the fabric of daily life, and that is good for our nation. The outpouring of support for Collins is no doubt a tremendous comfort to him and should encourage gay people in all walks of American life to come forward. I applaud his courage in the face of what he must have thought was a risky admission. I am glad that Jason Collins was the one who broke the barrier that took too long to be broken. I admire his courage. I admire that he tackled more stereotypes than he imagined would be the case by coming out. I am glad that people will get to know Collins better. I am glad that he will be contributing to the discussions on civil rights and gay marriage, and whether anyone really has a chance against the Miami Heat. We have become better as a result of Collins's move to the basket. Wayne, N.J. Jason Collins will always be remembered and regarded as a trailblazer who opened the doors for so many people in professional sports who did not have the courage to do what he did. In a world full of bad news seemingly everywhere, this truly was a great story that shows how far we have come in supporting our gay brothers and sisters. Everett, Wash. I think that the best response to Jason Collins's announcement that he is gay is, "So what?" Madison, Conn. Returning to U.S.C. a Win for Barkley Re "Barkley Learns That Bad Things Can Come to Those Who Wait," April 28: The lesson that should be taken from quarterback Matt Barkley's career is that the goal of college sports was not and should not be only a means to position individual players to be picked in the first round of the N.F.L. draft or to make millions of dollars as professionals. The real and lasting value of college athletes is their ability to represent an educational community, to draw that community together, to teach persistence in the face of adversity, to show the value of leadership and to extend the reach of the educational institution. Barkley's return for his senior year at Southern California did all those things. He should be lauded as a role model rather than castigated for having passed on financial opportunities. Portland, Ore.