John Amaechi
The Mambo Interview: Leaping for success
MAMBO: What has been the main driving force behind your incredible rise from a disadvantaged life in working class Stockport to international fame and wealth?
JOHN: Failure - or the fear of failure, to be more precise. I am a person who gets very upset each time I fail at something. As a kid, I faced many challenges. We weren’t rich and my mum had to work extremely hard to put food on the table for me and my sisters. I was determined to do something for my life, but many were a time when I failed to achieve what I set out to achieve. Fortunately, I’d an incredible capacity for coming back after failure. Failure isn’t necessarily a bad thing; anybody who’s successful has probably failed a multiple of times.
MAMBO: You did not come out as a gay until much later on, after you’d retired from American basketball. Why is that?
JOHN: Anyone who is familiar with America will know that it is, by a large, a very religious country. In my view, the more religious a people are, the more homophobic they are likely to be. It’d have been impossible for me to live openly as a gay young man and continue playing basketball in the manner and level I was playing. I wanted people, including my fans, to see me for what I was, not for my sexual preference.
MAMBO: Since you came out, have you suffered any homophobic attacks?
JOHN: Yes, mostly via email. There’s a lot of homophobia in the UK, although I say it’s not as bad as in America. Here, homophobia is most prevalent in sports. For example, Sol Campbell, who is not gay, is often the victim of homophobic chants by fans. The late John Fashanu was continually harassed for his sexuality. Sadly, not enough is being done to tackle homophobia in UK sports.
MAMBO: And how do you handle homophobic attacks?
JOHN: By not responding. If it is not physically targeted at me, I’ll ignore it. That way, I do not give the perpetrators the dignity of my response.
MAMBO: Africans are among the most homophobic population groups. Any ideas about how such they can be persuaded to be more tolerant?
JOHN: Black communities community find it hard to accept that some people are different. As a psychologist, I think the best solution is for people to talk more openly and frankly about homosexuality. Education is the key.
MAMBO: What’d be your advice to a young gay African who is struggling with his sexuality?
JOHN: One of the biggest problems facing young people who are gay is that they pay too much attention to protecting their image and have a fear of what other people might say. Often, this is because they have witnessed the way gay men are treated. This can prevent a young man from looking after his sexual health, to the extent that he may choose not to use condoms during sex. For such a person, the opportunity for sex is rare, and when one presents itself, he may take it without paying due attention to things like safer sex and condom use. My advice to young people would be, your body is more important than your image. Accept your sexuality and be frank about it. You do not have to tell everybody; you can find an individual with whom you connect; they’re likely to help you deal with many issues. Also, there are support groups that can help you to better deal with your sexuality.
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