Che Flores becomes NBA’s first openly nonbinary, trans referee
- Che Flores came out with their story in a GQ article published Monday
- Some NBA executives have known for several months
- Flores: 'I can go through the world and even my job a lot more comfortably'
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 07: A basketball is placed on the court next to an NBA logo during a break in the first half of a 2023 NBA Summer League game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Houston Rockets at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 07, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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(NewsNation) — Che Flores is now the NBA’s first openly nonbinary and transgender referee, making the revelation in a GQ story Monday.
“One piece I was missing for myself was that no one knew how I identified,” Flores told GQ. “Being misgendered as she/her always just felt like a little jab in the gut.”
Flores is entering their second season as an NBA staff referee. They worked 35 games last season and 12 games as a non-staff official in the 2021-2022 season.
“I can go through the world and even my job a lot more comfortably,” Flores said.
Some NBA executives have known how Flores identifies for several months, but many of their colleagues learned when they revealed it during pre-season meetings last month.
“I just think of having younger queer kids look at somebody who’s on a high-profile stage and not using it,” Flores told GQ. “And I’m not using the league to an advantage in any way. This is just to let young kids know that we can exist, we can be successful in all different ways.”
