A Penn State alum did something extraordinary last week, something for which his fellow Lions should stand up and cheer.

This particular man didn't donate thousands of dollars to Thon, participate in a peace march or volunteer at an inner-city school.

All John Amaechi did was tell the world he is gay.

The former Penn State athlete and NBA veteran became the first professional men's basketball player to reveal he is gay in his book Man in the Middle, which is scheduled to be released Feb. 20.

Having graduated from a university that, in theory, does not tolerate discrimination based on sexual orientation but retains employees it finds guilty of violating said policy, Amaechi has likely struggled with his "secret" since his days at Dear Old State.

It is unfortunate that Amaechi -- and other gay athletes -- feel the need to suppress a part of themselves in order to pacify society's prejudices.

Unfortunately, in a world where machismo still dominates the locker rooms, a gay athlete is still taboo.

While it is commendable of Amaechi to reveal the details of his personal life in the hopes that his announcement will positively impact the sports culture, let's hope his work doesn't stop there.

The stigma attached to homosexuality in sports is a sad one, and respected athletes like Amaechi working to combat such issues will do wonders in furthering the cause of eliminating prejudices.

Similar to the "philosophy" of racism, homophobia is based in the belief that heterosexuals are inherently superior to homosexuals.

But all you have to do is ask any Penn State basketball fan.

We doubt any of them would say John Amaechi is inferior on the court.

Turns out he's got a lot to contribute off the court as well.