LGBT inclusion makes strides in sports! Over the past weekend, a sports summit hosted by Nike set out to tackle issues that concern LGBTQ athletes. This summit set out goals for schools and sports leagues to follow so that they may better accept and protect athletes of every sexual orientation and gender identity. Every child and professional athlete deserves to feel safe and respected on the field of his or her school or stadium. This summit brings our country closer to that crucial goal.
Read more about this story in the following excerpt from WindyCityMediaGroup.com:
Many of the nation’s top lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer sports leaders joined Nike representatives at Nike World Headquarters for the first-ever Nike LGBT Sports Summit to combat bullying and anti-LGBTQ bias and discrimination in sports.
Advocates and organizations pooled their expertise and strengths over the last four days—June 14 to June 17—to develop a unified plan to end harassment and discrimination against LGBTQ athletes and coaches in kindergarten through high school, college, recreational sports, and professional sports.
In the next year, this newly formed LGBTQ sports coalition will work to achieve the following goals:
— Each of the major American professional sports leagues will be engaged to work with our member organizations toward inclusion in their league.
— The visibility of out collegiate athletes, coaches, and allies will be increased through a multi-pronged approach.
— The national youth and adult recreational leagues will receive a LGBTQ inclusive model policy, and at least five leagues will have adopted such a policy.
— Two million young people will have heard a new, inclusive definition of “athletic champion,” and their physical education teachers and coaches will have received inclusive training resources.
Outsports co-founder Cyd Zeigler began developing the summit last year after identifying a failure by LGBTQ sports advocates to work together toward a common goal. Zeigler then joined forces with National Center for Lesbian Rights Sports Project Director Helen Carroll and Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s Changing the Game Sports Director Pat Griffin. Zeigler approached Nike about hosting the event, and they jumped at the chance.
“As athletes and coaches, we all understand the power of working as a team,” said Zeigler. “This summit has given us the unique opportunity to identify our common goals and move forward as a united movement. Working together, we will dismantle bullying and anti-LGBTQ bias and discrimination in sports in the next four years.”
Said Carroll: “I am excited to see transgender people, people of color, men, women and allies in sports working together to create a unified movement that captures the power of our different experiences and voices. The strength from this collaboration and these specific plans will make the sports world safer and more inclusive for all.” . . .