Earvin "E.J." Johnson III, 20-year-old son of famed Los Angeles Lakers player Magic Johnson, has gone public with his boyfriend.
Magic told TMZ he and his wife Cookie "love EJ and support him in every way. We're very proud of him."
Magic gained his reputation for leading the Lakers to five championships during the 1980s.
E.J., a student at New York University, was videotaped walking down Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles-a rose-colored purse in the crook of his arm, an enormous black fur on his shoulders-hand-in-hand with a young man who has yet to be identified.
In his brief interview with a paparazzo, the young Johnson said he is "hoping and praying" for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the baseball team his father owns.
He also mentioned his love for the Lakers with a knowing smile of allegiance.
It is not hugely shocking that his parents respect and support his sexuality, especially since Magic has had a particularly personal relationship with gay rights.
The former Laker was diagnosed as being HIV-positive in 1991, and since then, has been an advocate for equality, despite being a member of the sports world where LGBT culture is still taboo.
In an interview with the Canadian Huffington Post from 2011, Johnson touched on how he wanted to use music to educate the community on HIV/AIDS.
"As a hip-hop fan, you realize that homophobia is still an issue everywhere, but especially in the Black community. When people are scared to talk about it, that's how the disease spreads," he said. "So what have you been doing to get that risk reduced?
"What we're trying to do is reach out to the hip-hop community because they have power-power with their voice, power with that mic in their hand and power with the lyrics that they sing," he said.
Magic and Cookie have two other children, Elisa and Andre.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
