I'm super-excited to share with you news about an LGBTQ endeavour that's in the early stages of getting off the ground!
Showing posts with label 1 - Sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1 - Sports. Show all posts
Saturday, December 09, 2017
Help Brock McGillis 'Change the World'
Written by Shane Smith, Editor of Stonewall Gazette
I'm super-excited to share with you news about an LGBTQ endeavour that's in the early stages of getting off the ground!
I'm super-excited to share with you news about an LGBTQ endeavour that's in the early stages of getting off the ground!
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Tennis Tuesday by Kenneth
Earlier this year blogger Kenneth Walsh of (Kenneth in the 212) started a fun & sexy feature called Tennis Tuesday. Lucky us! Check out a few of the hunky tennis players he's posted.
Monday, November 20, 2017
'How I Came Out of the Closet': Ivan Denis - A Belgian Archer - Shares His Story
This first-person story is written by Belgian archer Ivan Denis
I was 18 years old when I decided to come out as gay to the world and obviously, that was not easy. If it wasn’t for the support of my partner, I certainly wouldn’t have outed myself during my sports career. After thinking about how we would handle it and what consequences this could have, positive and negative, I eventually took the step.
I admitted I was gay in a magazine interview, so I had to tell my story just once. I had already informed my closest family a few days before social media and gossip reached the rest of the family, friends, schoolmates, the army and my sport shortly afterwards.
Afterwards, I did wonder if it was really worth it, waiting to come out and being secretive about it for so long, but as a professional athlete you have to take everything into account. For example, I had to rely on private sponsoring to finance my sport, as television coverage of archery is non-existent in the first place and Bloso (the Flemish Sports federation) didn’t show much support either at that time. Fortunately, I didn’t experience any difficulties with sponsors. My biggest sponsor back then was a Dutch company. Overall, the Netherlands are more evolved in terms of acceptance than Belgium, and being a rather small company without huge media campaigns, it made coming out to my sponsors much easier. READ MORE
Please share this post on your social media (Facebook, Twitter etc). Thank-you!
I was 18 years old when I decided to come out as gay to the world and obviously, that was not easy. If it wasn’t for the support of my partner, I certainly wouldn’t have outed myself during my sports career. After thinking about how we would handle it and what consequences this could have, positive and negative, I eventually took the step.
I admitted I was gay in a magazine interview, so I had to tell my story just once. I had already informed my closest family a few days before social media and gossip reached the rest of the family, friends, schoolmates, the army and my sport shortly afterwards.
Afterwards, I did wonder if it was really worth it, waiting to come out and being secretive about it for so long, but as a professional athlete you have to take everything into account. For example, I had to rely on private sponsoring to finance my sport, as television coverage of archery is non-existent in the first place and Bloso (the Flemish Sports federation) didn’t show much support either at that time. Fortunately, I didn’t experience any difficulties with sponsors. My biggest sponsor back then was a Dutch company. Overall, the Netherlands are more evolved in terms of acceptance than Belgium, and being a rather small company without huge media campaigns, it made coming out to my sponsors much easier. READ MORE
Please share this post on your social media (Facebook, Twitter etc). Thank-you!
Friday, May 26, 2017
World OutGames Sporting Events Canceled
Written by Joey Flechas, Steve Rothaus and Susan Miller
The long-planned sporting and cultural event known as the World OutGames, a 10-day LGBT-themed event advertised as a spectacular gathering of athletes from around the world, unraveled Friday about 24 hours before the opening ceremonies.
Organizers announced that the opening and closing ceremonies, along with nearly all of its sports events, were canceled due to financial issues. The bombshell revelation came via a short Facebook post from the event’s board of directors Friday. “It is with deep regret that due to financial burdens, World OutGames must cancel its sports programming and Opening and Closing Ceremony with the exception of soccer, aquatics and country western dance,” reads the text. “The Human Rights Conference and cultural programs will continue as planned. We thank everyone who has supported the effort and apologize to those who will be impacted by this difficult decision.” And with that, the high hopes for the 10-day event were dashed as athletes from around the world streamed into Miami, ready to compete only to learn the games were canceled. Some arrived before the announcement, and others found out mid-air.
“This just displays bad management that has a serious financial impact on many people,” said Peter Clancy, a businessman from Belgium who was two hours away from Miami when he learned the news online. He was going to compete in track and field, and his partner was due to run in the half-marathon. “Last minute notice also shows a complete lack of respect for the participants and especially those of us traveling from other continents,” he said. READ MORE
Hat Tip: Kenneth in the 212
Organizers announced that the opening and closing ceremonies, along with nearly all of its sports events, were canceled due to financial issues. The bombshell revelation came via a short Facebook post from the event’s board of directors Friday. “It is with deep regret that due to financial burdens, World OutGames must cancel its sports programming and Opening and Closing Ceremony with the exception of soccer, aquatics and country western dance,” reads the text. “The Human Rights Conference and cultural programs will continue as planned. We thank everyone who has supported the effort and apologize to those who will be impacted by this difficult decision.” And with that, the high hopes for the 10-day event were dashed as athletes from around the world streamed into Miami, ready to compete only to learn the games were canceled. Some arrived before the announcement, and others found out mid-air.
“This just displays bad management that has a serious financial impact on many people,” said Peter Clancy, a businessman from Belgium who was two hours away from Miami when he learned the news online. He was going to compete in track and field, and his partner was due to run in the half-marathon. “Last minute notice also shows a complete lack of respect for the participants and especially those of us traveling from other continents,” he said. READ MORE
Hat Tip: Kenneth in the 212
Wednesday, March 08, 2017
World OutGames Miami 2017 [UPDATED]
Please share this post on your social media (Facebook, Twitter etc). Thank-you!
This summer thousands of participants, spectators and thought leaders from around the globe will converge on Miami for World OutGames IV. The World OutGames will take place starting Friday, May 26 and end on Sunday, June 4, 2017. This 10-day event will bring to life more than 450 events across three areas: Sport, Culture and Human Rights. Learn more about participating, volunteering and attending World OutGames Miami by visiting their official website here.
UPDATE | Friday, May 26, 2017
World OutGames Sporting Events Canceled Amid Financial Turmoil
The long-planned sporting and cultural event known as the World OutGames, a 10-day LGBT-themed event advertised as a spectacular gathering of athletes from around the world, unraveled Friday about 24 hours before the opening ceremonies.
Organizers announced that the opening and closing ceremonies, along with nearly all of its sports events, were canceled due to financial issues. The bombshell revelation came via a short Facebook post from the event’s board of directors Friday.
“This just displays bad management that has a serious financial impact on many people,” said Peter Clancy, a businessman from Belgium who was two hours away from Miami when he learned the news online. He was going to compete in track and field, and his partner was due to run in the half-marathon.
“Last minute notice also shows a complete lack of respect for the participants and especially those of us traveling from other continents,” he said.
Rowen D’Souza spent about $3,000 traveling from Australia to play tennis in the games. He told the Miami Herald he was unimpressed with the flow of information from OutGames organizers through the process.
“The communication has been poor from the start,” he said. “I suspect they knew there were problems but did nothing.”
The OutGames is supported and hosted by LGBTQ groups and allies and billed for years as a large scale celebration of diversity through sports and social events. Tourism leaders and elected officials lobbied to bring the OutGames to Miami — the first time the event is hosted in the U.S. Local government agencies have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars sponsoring OutGames.
Now, it’s unraveling due to financial problems that were first hinted at in recent months.
Officials at Miami Beach City Hall expressed concern for the OutGames ability to meet financial goals in memos to commissioners outlining slower-than-expected fundraising. Organizers publicly reassured elected leaders that fundraising was on track and the show would go on.
The city is demanding an audit of OutGames’ books.
A memo from Miami Beach City Manager Jimmy Morales late Thursday signaled a rapidly worsening situation. OutGames officials had not paid a $5,000 deposit for necessary event permits. According to the memo, OutGames owes a “substantial amount of money” to the National Hotel, the host hotel for the event.
Hat Tip: Kenneth in the 212
This summer thousands of participants, spectators and thought leaders from around the globe will converge on Miami for World OutGames IV. The World OutGames will take place starting Friday, May 26 and end on Sunday, June 4, 2017. This 10-day event will bring to life more than 450 events across three areas: Sport, Culture and Human Rights. Learn more about participating, volunteering and attending World OutGames Miami by visiting their official website here.
UPDATE | Friday, May 26, 2017
World OutGames Sporting Events Canceled Amid Financial Turmoil
The long-planned sporting and cultural event known as the World OutGames, a 10-day LGBT-themed event advertised as a spectacular gathering of athletes from around the world, unraveled Friday about 24 hours before the opening ceremonies.
Organizers announced that the opening and closing ceremonies, along with nearly all of its sports events, were canceled due to financial issues. The bombshell revelation came via a short Facebook post from the event’s board of directors Friday.
“It is with deep regret that due to financial burdens, World OutGames must cancel its sports programming and Opening and Closing Ceremony with the exception of soccer, aquatics and country western dance,” reads the text. “The Human Rights Conference and cultural programs will continue as planned. We thank everyone who has supported the effort and apologize to those who will be impacted by this difficult decision.”And with that, the high hopes for the 10-day event were dashed as athletes from around the world streamed into Miami, ready to compete only to learn the games were canceled. Some arrived before the announcement, and others found out mid-air.
“This just displays bad management that has a serious financial impact on many people,” said Peter Clancy, a businessman from Belgium who was two hours away from Miami when he learned the news online. He was going to compete in track and field, and his partner was due to run in the half-marathon.
“Last minute notice also shows a complete lack of respect for the participants and especially those of us traveling from other continents,” he said.
Rowen D’Souza spent about $3,000 traveling from Australia to play tennis in the games. He told the Miami Herald he was unimpressed with the flow of information from OutGames organizers through the process.
“The communication has been poor from the start,” he said. “I suspect they knew there were problems but did nothing.”
The OutGames is supported and hosted by LGBTQ groups and allies and billed for years as a large scale celebration of diversity through sports and social events. Tourism leaders and elected officials lobbied to bring the OutGames to Miami — the first time the event is hosted in the U.S. Local government agencies have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars sponsoring OutGames.
Now, it’s unraveling due to financial problems that were first hinted at in recent months.
Officials at Miami Beach City Hall expressed concern for the OutGames ability to meet financial goals in memos to commissioners outlining slower-than-expected fundraising. Organizers publicly reassured elected leaders that fundraising was on track and the show would go on.
The city is demanding an audit of OutGames’ books.
A memo from Miami Beach City Manager Jimmy Morales late Thursday signaled a rapidly worsening situation. OutGames officials had not paid a $5,000 deposit for necessary event permits. According to the memo, OutGames owes a “substantial amount of money” to the National Hotel, the host hotel for the event.
Hat Tip: Kenneth in the 212
Wednesday, March 01, 2017
ICYMI: Sexy Athlete Edition
Danny Care is a rugby player from England. Great looking athlete! I love his smile. Check out MORE SEXY PICS HERE
Openly gay professional soccer player Robbie Rogers recently did an interview with Out magazine and shares what his life is like, now that he's co-parenting a baby with his boyfriend, TV producer, Greg Berlanti. READ MORE
In a recent interview, Josh Dixon, the openly gay gymnast, shares how he's very glad that he came out as a gay men in 2012. Dixon tries to help other men who are struggling with their sexual orientation. READ MORE
Rugby player and (very in demand) fitness and fashion model, Stuart Reardon, looks stunning in this behind the scenes video.
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Gay Teens Staying Away From Organized Sport
Please share this post on your social media (Facebook, Twitter etc). Thank-you!
Written by Karin Larsen
Two weeks ago the Vancouver Canucks made a colourful and powerful statement when a number of players took to the ice during the pregame warm-up in Boston with rainbow Pride tape adorning their sticks. They will repeat the gesture at home versus Detroit Feb. 28. The show of LGBT solidarity and inclusively is part of a campaign by the NHL and You Can Play - an organization that fights homophobia in sports.
High profile anti-homophobia and anti-bullying messages are increasingly part of a public dialogue around sports, but a new study out of the University of British Columbia indicates the message isn't getting through just yet. "These kinds of initiatives do take time to translate from raising awareness to changing hearts and minds to actually creating social-behavioural change," said senior author Elizabeth Saewyc. The study found that over a 15 year period between 1998 and 2013 there was a significant decline in lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) teens' participation in sports in British Columbia. It also found that LGB youth were half as likely to play sports as straight youth.
Saewyc believes one reason may be that LGB youth aren't made to feel welcome in high school and community sports. "To what extent are the community leagues and youth leagues and coaches not just tolerant [but] explicitly and clearly welcoming to LGBTQ youth? Because when a teen is part of a stigmatized group and they're struggling with sorting that out for themselves, they're not necessarily going to take risks in places where they don't see overt signs of a welcoming, inclusive and safe place to be," she said. Saewyc points out there's still very few openly gay professional athletes which deprives gay youth of a badly-needed role models. And, while there are more openly lesbian athletes, female sport receives comparatively little media coverage. READ MORE
Written by Karin Larsen
High profile anti-homophobia and anti-bullying messages are increasingly part of a public dialogue around sports, but a new study out of the University of British Columbia indicates the message isn't getting through just yet. "These kinds of initiatives do take time to translate from raising awareness to changing hearts and minds to actually creating social-behavioural change," said senior author Elizabeth Saewyc. The study found that over a 15 year period between 1998 and 2013 there was a significant decline in lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) teens' participation in sports in British Columbia. It also found that LGB youth were half as likely to play sports as straight youth.
Saewyc believes one reason may be that LGB youth aren't made to feel welcome in high school and community sports. "To what extent are the community leagues and youth leagues and coaches not just tolerant [but] explicitly and clearly welcoming to LGBTQ youth? Because when a teen is part of a stigmatized group and they're struggling with sorting that out for themselves, they're not necessarily going to take risks in places where they don't see overt signs of a welcoming, inclusive and safe place to be," she said. Saewyc points out there's still very few openly gay professional athletes which deprives gay youth of a badly-needed role models. And, while there are more openly lesbian athletes, female sport receives comparatively little media coverage. READ MORE
Thank-you for reading Stonewall Gazette
Be sure to never miss one of our posts.
You can follow Stonewall Gazette
on Facebook and Twitter or receive it by email!
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Belgian Archer, Ivan Denis, Shares His Story of How He Came Out of the Closet
Please share this post on your social media (Facebook, Twitter etc). Thank-you!
This first-person story is written by Belgian archer Ivan Denis
I was 18 years old when I decided to come out as gay to the world and obviously, that was not easy. If it wasn’t for the support of my partner, I certainly wouldn’t have outed myself during my sports career. After thinking about how we would handle it and what consequences this could have, positive and negative, I eventually took the step.
I admitted I was gay in a magazine interview, so I had to tell my story just once. I had already informed my closest family a few days before social media and gossip reached the rest of the family, friends, schoolmates, the army and my sport shortly afterwards.
Afterwards, I did wonder if it was really worth it, waiting to come out and being secretive about it for so long, but as a professional athlete you have to take everything into account. For example, I had to rely on private sponsoring to finance my sport, as television coverage of archery is non-existent in the first place and Bloso (the Flemish Sports federation) didn’t show much support either at that time. Fortunately, I didn’t experience any difficulties with sponsors. My biggest sponsor back then was a Dutch company. Overall, the Netherlands are more evolved in terms of acceptance than Belgium, and being a rather small company without huge media campaigns, it made coming out to my sponsors much easier. READ MORE
This first-person story is written by Belgian archer Ivan Denis
I was 18 years old when I decided to come out as gay to the world and obviously, that was not easy. If it wasn’t for the support of my partner, I certainly wouldn’t have outed myself during my sports career. After thinking about how we would handle it and what consequences this could have, positive and negative, I eventually took the step.
I admitted I was gay in a magazine interview, so I had to tell my story just once. I had already informed my closest family a few days before social media and gossip reached the rest of the family, friends, schoolmates, the army and my sport shortly afterwards.
Afterwards, I did wonder if it was really worth it, waiting to come out and being secretive about it for so long, but as a professional athlete you have to take everything into account. For example, I had to rely on private sponsoring to finance my sport, as television coverage of archery is non-existent in the first place and Bloso (the Flemish Sports federation) didn’t show much support either at that time. Fortunately, I didn’t experience any difficulties with sponsors. My biggest sponsor back then was a Dutch company. Overall, the Netherlands are more evolved in terms of acceptance than Belgium, and being a rather small company without huge media campaigns, it made coming out to my sponsors much easier. READ MORE
Friday, February 10, 2017
Confessions of a Gay Sports Addict
Please share this post on your social media (Facebook, Twitter etc). Thank-you!
Written by Brendon Lemon
Every tale of addiction is supposed to have the hit-bottom moment, so here’s mine: I’m lying in bed at home on a Sunday morning after an enjoyable Saturday night with a young man I’d been dating who had abs that would make True Blood’s Alcide envious. I am watching the men’s Wimbledon final at a low volume so as not to wake the object of my affection. Yet the guy rouses and makes a bid for my attention. Gently rebuffed, he reaches for the remote and flicks the Off button. I’ve never broken up with someone faster. READ MORE
Written by Brendon Lemon
Every tale of addiction is supposed to have the hit-bottom moment, so here’s mine: I’m lying in bed at home on a Sunday morning after an enjoyable Saturday night with a young man I’d been dating who had abs that would make True Blood’s Alcide envious. I am watching the men’s Wimbledon final at a low volume so as not to wake the object of my affection. Yet the guy rouses and makes a bid for my attention. Gently rebuffed, he reaches for the remote and flicks the Off button. I’ve never broken up with someone faster. READ MORE
Thursday, February 09, 2017
'Sports World Discomfort With Gays Hurt My Career' Says First Openly Gay NFL Player
Please share this post on your social media (Facebook, Twitter etc). Thank-you!
Written by Wendy Liberatore
Former NFL player Michael Sam said he always felt like an outsider — the deaths of two older brothers, the bullying he endured by other family members and even his mother's religion, Jehovah's Witness, made him feel apart from his peers. But nothing made him feel more like an outsider than being gay in the NFL. "I had to prove myself, to show that I was one of the guys," said Sam, who spoke Tuesday night as part of Sexuality Month at the University at Albany. "I was cut from the Rams, even though I was in the top five in sacks. Then I went to the Cowboys and had to do it all over again. And then I was cut there. I always felt like an outsider looking in."
RELATED Michael Sam Is Leaving Pro Football
"When I came out to the world on Feb. 9, 2014, I got tons of emails from people telling me how they were condemned for their sexuality," said Sam. "It made me sad and angry. I spoke to one girl who told me that because I came out, she didn't commit suicide. I was speechless." The attention and what he believes is the sports' discomfort with homosexuality ultimately destroyed his career. READ MORE
Written by Wendy Liberatore
Former NFL player Michael Sam said he always felt like an outsider — the deaths of two older brothers, the bullying he endured by other family members and even his mother's religion, Jehovah's Witness, made him feel apart from his peers. But nothing made him feel more like an outsider than being gay in the NFL. "I had to prove myself, to show that I was one of the guys," said Sam, who spoke Tuesday night as part of Sexuality Month at the University at Albany. "I was cut from the Rams, even though I was in the top five in sacks. Then I went to the Cowboys and had to do it all over again. And then I was cut there. I always felt like an outsider looking in."
RELATED Michael Sam Is Leaving Pro Football
"When I came out to the world on Feb. 9, 2014, I got tons of emails from people telling me how they were condemned for their sexuality," said Sam. "It made me sad and angry. I spoke to one girl who told me that because I came out, she didn't commit suicide. I was speechless." The attention and what he believes is the sports' discomfort with homosexuality ultimately destroyed his career. READ MORE
Thank-you for reading Stonewall Gazette
Be sure to never miss one of our posts.
You can follow Stonewall Gazette
on Facebook and Twitter or receive it by email!
Thirsty Fashion: Adam McCabe
Written by Shane Smith , Editor of Stonewall Gazette
Please share this post on your social media (Facebook, Twitter etc). Thank-you!
Last week, I reported on Adam McCabe, a former professional soccer player who has recently come out of the closet. Adam hopes his story will inspire other gay men to live their truth. More recently, Adam is pursuing a career as a model. As you can see from the photos below he's certainly fit - love those abs!
Please share this post on your social media (Facebook, Twitter etc). Thank-you!
Last week, I reported on Adam McCabe, a former professional soccer player who has recently come out of the closet. Adam hopes his story will inspire other gay men to live their truth. More recently, Adam is pursuing a career as a model. As you can see from the photos below he's certainly fit - love those abs!
Tuesday, February 07, 2017
Sports Hunk: Dorien Bryant
Please share this post on your social media (Facebook, Twitter etc). Thank-you!
Here's some background information about the handsome, openly gay athlete:
Here's some background information about the handsome, openly gay athlete:
Sunday, February 05, 2017
Lady Gaga, Woody Guthrie, Politics and Super Bowl LI - WATCH: Halftime Show (FULL VIDEO)
Please share this post on your social media (Facebook, Twitter etc). Thank-you!
Lady Gaga performed a great Super Bowl LI Halftime show; I'd say one of the best Super Bowl performances of all time. She opened her set with the patriotic anthem God Bless America and then slyly segued to Woody Guthrie's classic folk song, This Land Is Your Land, which has an interesting political history (watch the video of Lady Gaga's Halftime spectacle below).
Lady Gaga performed a great Super Bowl LI Halftime show; I'd say one of the best Super Bowl performances of all time. She opened her set with the patriotic anthem God Bless America and then slyly segued to Woody Guthrie's classic folk song, This Land Is Your Land, which has an interesting political history (watch the video of Lady Gaga's Halftime spectacle below).
Wednesday, February 01, 2017
World OutGames Miami 2017
Please share this post on your social media (Facebook, Twitter etc). Thank-you!
This summer thousands of participants, spectators and thought leaders from around the globe will converge on Miami for World OutGames IV. The World OutGames will take place starting Friday, May 26 and end on Sunday, June 4, 2017. This 10-day event will bring to life more than 450 events across three areas: Sport, Culture and Human Rights. Learn more about participating, volunteering and attending World OutGames Miami by visiting their official website here.
This summer thousands of participants, spectators and thought leaders from around the globe will converge on Miami for World OutGames IV. The World OutGames will take place starting Friday, May 26 and end on Sunday, June 4, 2017. This 10-day event will bring to life more than 450 events across three areas: Sport, Culture and Human Rights. Learn more about participating, volunteering and attending World OutGames Miami by visiting their official website here.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Brock McGillis Talks Closeted Hockey Players & Barriers for LGBT People in Pro Sports
Written by Shane Smith, Editor of Stonewall Gazette
Since he came out as a gay man in a powerful essay last November, former hockey player Brock McGillis has been working hard to break down the many barriers to identifying as LGBT in pro sports. In a new interview with CBC the out athlete shares his story. Watch video below.
Since he came out as a gay man in a powerful essay last November, former hockey player Brock McGillis has been working hard to break down the many barriers to identifying as LGBT in pro sports. In a new interview with CBC the out athlete shares his story. Watch video below.
Sunday, January 08, 2017
Meet The First Openly Gay Men’s Hockey Team in Alberta, Canada
Written by Allan Maki
Quietly, without any real fanfare, the The Calgary Pioneers and the WHCL have got together and done something meaningful. They’ve taken a select group of gay hockey players and placed them in a men’s league in a province where being rough around the edges is considered a compliment. So far, the partnership is working well on all counts with the Pioneers currently second in their eight-team division.
As for trouble spots, there was just the one last season when the Pioneers made their debut. An opposing player made a homophobic slur that was heard by a referee and reported to the league office. That player was banned for the rest of the season. So as not to antagonize their rivals, the Pioneers acknowledge their orientation in subtle fashion, with a You Can Play Project patch on the right shoulder of their jersey and with some players using rainbow-coloured tape on their hockey sticks. READ MORE
Quietly, without any real fanfare, the The Calgary Pioneers and the WHCL have got together and done something meaningful. They’ve taken a select group of gay hockey players and placed them in a men’s league in a province where being rough around the edges is considered a compliment. So far, the partnership is working well on all counts with the Pioneers currently second in their eight-team division.
As for trouble spots, there was just the one last season when the Pioneers made their debut. An opposing player made a homophobic slur that was heard by a referee and reported to the league office. That player was banned for the rest of the season. So as not to antagonize their rivals, the Pioneers acknowledge their orientation in subtle fashion, with a You Can Play Project patch on the right shoulder of their jersey and with some players using rainbow-coloured tape on their hockey sticks. READ MORE
Thank-you for reading Stonewall Gazette
Be sure to never miss one of our posts.
You can follow Stonewall Gazette
on Facebook and Twitter or receive it by email!
Sunday, January 01, 2017
Sports 2016: Year in Review
Outsports writes: When a straight writer for the Daily Beast wrote an article detailing how he chatted with gay Olympians on Grindr and listed specific details that could have outed them, Olympic swimmer Amini Fonua immediately saw the danger and took to Twitter: "No straight person will ever know the pain of revealing your truth, to take that away is just... I can't. It literally brings me to tears. As an out gay athlete from a country that is still very homophobic, @thedailybeast ought to be ashamed #deplorable, Imagine the one space you can feel safe, the one space you're able to be yourself, ruined by a straight person who thinks it's all a joke?" Fonua was not afraid to stand up for LGBT athletes everywhere and point out why what the Daily Beast did was so irresponsible and dangerous.
Be sure to read sports writer, Jim Buzinski's excellent 2016 Outsports LGBT Sports Year in Review! Some highlights:
January
- The L.A. Kings show a gay couple kissing on the Kiss Cam and the crowd loved it.
- Adam Rippon won the U.S. figuring skating championship as an openly gay man.
- Soccer star Abby Wambach showed off her “gay car” in a groundbreaking Super Bowl commercial.
- Chicago Tribune hockey writer Chris Hine came out as gay and became an important mainstream voice for LGBT issues.
- Derrick Gordon (Seton Hall) and Bree Horrocks (Purdue) were the only publicly gay players in the NCAA men’s and women’s Div. 1 basketball tournaments.
- Bruce Springsteen canceled North Carolina concert in reaction to the passage of anti-LGBT HB2. The Boss showed sports how it’s done as HB2 was an issue in the sports world all year.
- San Diego Padres screwed up National Anthem by playing woman’s voice when gay chorus was singing. The team profusely apologized for what turned out to be an honest mistake.
- Spanish Olympic figure skater Javier Raya came out as gay.
- The coming out of Conner Curnick, a gay sailor and water polo player, was Outsports’ most-read coming out story of the year.
- A record 56 out LGBT athletes competed in the Rio Olympics.
- There were two same-sex marriage proposals at the Olympics.
- The Atlantic Coast Coast Conference moved its college football title game from North Carolina because of anti-LGBT HB2.
- Brian Anderson, a pro skateboarding star, came out as gay.
- Outsports looked at the 174 and counting LGBT athletes who have played college sports over the years.
- Olympic diving legend Greg Louganis was selected as the grand marshal for the Rose Parade.
- Openly gay fighter Orlando Cruz lost his bid to win a world championship.
- The NFL allowed players to wear cleats dedicated to any cause. None chose an LGBT-specific cause.
- Out athletes Gus Kenworthy and Robbie Rogers inspired a young gay athlete on a TV series to be himself.
Monday, December 26, 2016
Xmas Greetings from: Blake Skjellerup, Simon Dunn, Gareth Thomas, Bob Paris & Warwick Rowers
Posted by Shane Smith, Editor, Stonewall Gazette
I hope you enjoy Xmas Greetings from these openly gay athletes: Blake Skjellerup, Simon Dunn, Gareth Thomas, Bob Paris and the gay-friendly, Warwick Rowers.
I hope you enjoy Xmas Greetings from these openly gay athletes: Blake Skjellerup, Simon Dunn, Gareth Thomas, Bob Paris and the gay-friendly, Warwick Rowers.
Sunday, December 25, 2016
Hockey Player Confronts Gay Slur During Game (Watch Video)
WATCH VIDEO
I'm so proud of fellow Canuck Voight Demeester, who plays defense for Penn State Nittany Lions ice hockey team, for how he handled being called a faggot during a game on December 8, 2016. The Woodstock, Ontario-born Demeester who is openly gay, told Outsports: "In the moment I was disappointed for the fact that they represent Penn State. But at the same time it fueled my fire in a way that drove me to play better the rest of the game. I started hitting a lot more because I wanted this ‘faggot’ to beat them."
I'm so proud of fellow Canuck Voight Demeester, who plays defense for Penn State Nittany Lions ice hockey team, for how he handled being called a faggot during a game on December 8, 2016. The Woodstock, Ontario-born Demeester who is openly gay, told Outsports: "In the moment I was disappointed for the fact that they represent Penn State. But at the same time it fueled my fire in a way that drove me to play better the rest of the game. I started hitting a lot more because I wanted this ‘faggot’ to beat them."
Saturday, December 24, 2016
News & Pop Culture Round-Up
The Horizons Foundation Gives $2M in Grants to LGBT Groups
The Horizons Foundation last week gave out just over $2 million to a variety of LGBT organizations and projects. Several hundred people gathered inside the top floor events room at the Westin St Francis Hotel [San Francisco] for the December 13 breakfast honoring the latest beneficiaries. This year's grants, encompassing organizations from across the nine-county Bay Area region, totaled $2,086,543. Recipients included youth and transgender advocacy groups, homeless support services, senior services, filmmakers, and arts/performance troupes. Beneficiaries included Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center, or LYRIC; EnGender, which includes programs like the Bay Area Rainbow Day Camp; and filmmaker Erin Palmquist. READ MORE
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)
Share this article on your social media.