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Openly Gay Former Stanford, NBA Player To Attend State Of The Union

WASHINGTON (CBS/AP) - An openly gay NBA player is among the guests who will sit with first lady Michelle Obama Tuesday when President Barack Obama delivers the annual State of the Union address.

In April, 35-year-old Jason Collins became the first active male athlete on a major American sports team to come out as openly gay. He played for the Washington Wizards and went to college at Stanford.

Collins played 12 years in the NBA, going to the playoffs nine times and making the league finals twice. He attended Stanford. The president has said Collins' announcement marked a point of progress for the gay community.

The first lady's guests are often chosen because they symbolize an issue or policy the president is promoting.

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