​NBA welcomes Che Flores as league's first openly non-binary and transgender referee

In a groundbreaking revelation shared in a recent feature published by GQ on Monday, Che Flores has proudly emerged as the NBA's first openly nonbinary and transgender referee. Embracing the pronoun "they," Flores has been an integral part of the NBA staff for the past two seasons, officiating 35 games in the last season alone. Their journey with the NBA began earlier, having officiated 12 games as a nonstaff official during the 2021-22 season.

Reflecting on their decision to come forward, Flores conveyed to GQ, "One piece I was missing for myself was that no one knew how I identified. Being misgendered as she/her always just felt like a little jab in the gut." With this revelation, Flores feels more empowered, emphasizing, "I can go through the world and even my job a lot more comfortably."

While some NBA executives had prior knowledge of Flores' identity, many of their colleagues became aware of it during preseason meetings held last month. Flores boasts an impressive decade-long career, having officiated games in both the G League and the WNBA. Their expertise has led them to officiate some of the most prestigious events in basketball, including the G League Finals, the WNBA Finals, and the NCAA women's national championship game.


Expressing the importance of their visibility, Flores shared with GQ, "I just think of having younger queer kids look at somebody who's on a high-profile stage and not using it. 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." As a trailblazer in the NBA, Flores's bold step forward is expected to resonate and inspire inclusivity and representation in the world of professional sports.