Che Flores Becomes the NBA’s First Out Nonbinary and Transgender Referee for Second Season

Che Flores, the NBA’s first out nonbinary and transgender referee, has entered their second season as an NBA staff referee. Last season, Flores worked 35 games as a staff referee and 12 games as a nonstaff official.

In a story published by GQ on Monday, Flores revealed that they have been misgendered as she/her in the past, which they described as “a little jab in the gut.” Flores said that being able to identify as nonbinary and transgender has allowed them to “go through the world and even my job a lot more comfortably.”

The NBA has been making strides in recent years to be more inclusive and accepting of the LGBTQ+ community. In 2020, the league launched the NBA Pride Collection, which featured apparel and accessories with rainbow-colored NBA logos.

The NBA also recently announced that it will be hosting its first-ever Pride Game in June 2021. The game will feature the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns, and will be held in Phoenix.

Flores’s story is a reminder of the importance of representation in sports. As Flores said in their interview with GQ, “It’s important for people to know that there are people like me in the NBA, that there are people like me in sports, and that there are people like me in the world.”