Layshia Clarendon, a former professional basketball player, knew he was gay but waited years to come out to his parents. His sister is also gay, and when she opened up, their father didn’t speak to her for months.
He was the first openly non-binary WNBA player and the first active WNBA player to have top surgery.
Highlights
- Curtis actively fostered Layshia’s athletic development from childhood, turning their home into a training ground.
- Sharon created a stable, supportive, and vibrant family environment, managing the lively Clarendon household, fostering a sense of community, and providing unwavering support.
- Sharon fully accepted Layshia’s sexuality, meeting his partners, and Curtis also came to acceptance after he came out to him directly.
Layshia played basketball at the University of California, Berkeley, and received national recognition for his abilities during the 2012-2013 season.
The Indiana Fever selected him with a ninth overall pick in the 2013 WNBA draft, and he played three years. He reached the WNBA Finals in 2015 but lost to the Minnesota Lynx.
Later, the Fever traded him to the Atlanta Dream, where he became the only player to appear in the All-Star game.
He played 18 games for the Dream during the 2018 season before being traded to the Connecticut Sun on July 9, 2018.
Moreover, he played for the New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx, and Los Angeles Sparks before retiring on September 20, 2024.
The lesson I’ve been learning this last year is that everything comes to an end. The time has come for my basketball career to end. I am deeply at peace with this choice as my mind, body, and spirit know unequivocally that it’s time to move on. The saying is that athletes have 2 deaths. Our careers and our true last breaths. I can tell you, I have been deeply in mourning over this loss. I’ve loved this game with every ounce of my being.
Layshia Clarendon
Curtis’ Drills And Sharon’s Support Forged A WNBA Star
Layshia Renee Clarendon was born to Sharon and Curtis Clarendon on May 2, 1991, in San Bernardino, California. His parents raised him alongside his sister, Jasmine, and brother, Terry.
His parents often attended his games and encouraged him to perform better in every game.
The Clarendon household wasn’t just a residence. It was a vibrant hub of energy, competition, and unwavering support.
Sharon and Curtis created an environment where athletic passion and familial bonds thrived. Curtis was an active participant in his children’s development.
He turned their living room into a training ground. He’d sit on the couch, tossing tennis balls towards Layshia standing by the fireplace, calling out “right!” or “left!”
I found a lot of joy in playing games like that. Obviously it taught me a lot of hand-eye coordination.
Layshia Clarendon
The sounds of laughter and crashing frequently filled the house as Curtis engaged in playful wrestling matches with Layshia and younger brother Terry.
The Clarendon family wasn’t deeply religious, but faith entered the picture profoundly during a pivotal moment when Layshia’s older sister, Jasmine, was outed.
Layshia had an up-and-down relationship with his parents. He and his mother experienced a fractured relationship for reasons he isn’t ready to discuss.
However, he reconciled with his parents and enjoys a close bond.
Curtis’s playful coaching instilled fundamental skills and a love of competition, whereas Sharon’s role in managing the lively household created stability and a sense of community.
His parents, who are of mixed black and white heritage, described him as the best of both worlds in terms of his racial background.
Layshia Clarendon’s Path To Self-Acceptance
Layshia Clarendon has been open about identifying as gay. His existence feels like that of an “outsider even on the inside of every community to which he belongs.
His path to self-acceptance was forged in the fiery environment of family dynamics and religious conflict.
Witnessing his older sister come out was a painful moment, and he learned that home was not a safe space to be gay.
His parents’ reaction, suddenly invoking religion specifically against homosexuality, fractured the family.
I didn’t say anything at the time but I knew I was gay, too. I learned right then and there that my home was not a safe space in which to be gay, and had to swallow every derogatory slur about “dykes” and “fags” over the next few years.
Layshia Clarendon
However, Layshia opened up about his sexuality to his sister and brother, eventually opening up to his mother in his sophomore year.
His painful aspect has been the struggle for acceptance within the Christian community. His experience underscores a painful reality for many queer Christians.
Sharon had entirely accepted his sexuality and had met a few people he dated.
After accepting himself, he finally came out to his dad. His aunt prayed for him upon learning that he was gay.
Additional Information
- Layshia Renee Clarendon married Jessica Dolan in 2017 and announced the birth of “babyC” on December 25, 2020.
- He won Outsports’ “Female Hero of the Year” for using their platform in support of LGBTQ+ people in sports in 2015.
- He was named as one of the players on the league’s Social Justice Council.
- He underwent chest masculinization surgery to remove breast tissue in 2021.
