The Gay and Lesbian Athletics Foundation (GLAF) is a nonprofit organization based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States. Its purpose is to increase acceptance and visibility of LGBT athletes in the professional, amateur, and recreational athletics communities.
GLAF Managing Director Noa Padowitz describes the group's objectives: [1]
GLAF's advisory board includes many prominent gay and lesbian athletes, including tennis player Billie Jean King, former National Football League players Dave Kopay and Esera Tuaolo, [2] former Major League Baseball player Billy Bean, Olympian gold medalists Bruce Hayes and Mark Tewksbury, [3] and triathlete Christopher Bergland.
David Marquette Kopay is a former American football running back in the National Football League who in 1975 became one of the first professional athletes to come out as gay.
Esera Tavai Tuaolo, nicknamed "Mr. Aloha," is a former American professional football player. He was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 years.
Mark Roger Tewksbury, is a Canadian former competition swimmer. He is best known for winning the gold medal in the 100-metre backstroke at the 1992 Summer Olympics. He also hosted the first season of How It's Made, a Canadian documentary series, in 2001.
Jason Paul Collins is an American former professional basketball player who played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A center, Collins played college basketball for Stanford University, where he was an All-American in 2000–01. Collins was selected by the Houston Rockets as the 18th overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft. He went on to play for the New Jersey Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets.
LGBT History Month is an annual month-long observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. It was founded in 1994 by Missouri high-school history teacher Rodney Wilson. LGBT History Month provides role models, builds community, and represents a civil rights statement about the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community. As of 2020, LGBT History Month is a month-long celebration that is specific to Hungary, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Greenland, and the city of Berlin.
In the Life was a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) television newsmagazine, broadcast on public television and produced by In The Life Media. It was created in 1991 by the Emmy Award-winning producer John Scagliotti. Premiering on June 9, 1992, it was the first and longest running national LGBT television program in history.
Harriet Morris "Holly" Metcalf is a six-time USA national/ Olympic team member in women's rowing, who won a gold medal in rowing at the 1984 Summer Olympics for the women's eight.
The 1st World Outgames took place in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from July 26, 2006 to August 5, 2006. The international conference was held from July 26 to the 29. The sporting events were held from July 29 to August 5.
Jim Provenzano is an American author, playwright, photographer and currently an editor with the Bay Area Reporter.
The Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other non-heterosexual or non-cisgender (LGBTQ+) community is prevalent within sports across the world.
Qmunity, formerly known as the Centre, is an LGBT community centre located on Bute Street in the Davie Village neighbourhood of the West End of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
The Q Hall of Fame Canada is a national resource dedicated to house and commemorate the diverse history of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Canada. They honour those that have been human rights pioneers and document the accomplishments and lives of these amazing people. Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Q Hall of Fame is an independently registered federal not for profit organization with the Minister of Industry for Canada.
Pride House is a dedicated temporary location which plays host to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) athletes, volunteers and visitors attending the Olympics, Paralympics or other international sporting event in the host city. The first was organized for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
Wade Alan Davis II is an American speaker, activist, writer, educator and former American football player.
You Can Play is a social activism campaign dedicated to the eradication of homophobia in sports, centered on the slogan, "If you can play, you can play." The campaign was launched on March 4, 2012, by its three co-founders: Patrick Burke, Brian Kitts, and Glenn Witman. The campaign was precipitated by the death of Brendan Burke, son of Brian and brother of Patrick. You Can Play is an official partner of the National Hockey League. The former executive director of the organization is Wade Davis.
Athlete Ally is a nonprofit LGBTQ athletic advocacy group based in the United States. They focus on making athletic communities more inclusive and less discriminatory and helping athletes to advocate for LGBTQ equality.
The National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame established in 2013 to honor LGBT and allied personalities, as well as organizations "whose achievements and efforts have enhanced sports and athletics for the gay and lesbian community". It was established shortly after Jason Collins became the first openly gay NBA player. It is located on the grounds of Center on Halsted in Chicago, Illinois.
The Homosexual sport community in the United States, much like the LGBT community at large, has struggled with recognition, rights, and acceptance. This struggle for acceptance comes from both sport fan bases as well as from within the various sports organizations, associations, federations, etc. However, following the Stonewall riots there has been marginal and gradual improvement in the rights and acceptance of homosexual athletes coming out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In the past, an athlete who made the decision to come out was, in essence, committing career suicide, and would risk losing support from fans who come from more conservative or intolerant backgrounds. As such, there where no openly gay athletes in the United States until 2012-2013.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) athletes have competed in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, either openly, or having come out some time afterward. Relatively few LGBT athletes have competed openly during the Olympics. Out of the 104 openly gay and lesbian participants in the Summer Olympics as of 2012, 53% have won a medal. Cyd Zeigler, Jr., founder of the LGBT athletics website Outsports, reasoned that this could be the result of the relieved focus and lack of "burden" an athlete would have after coming out, that "high-level athletes" are more likely to feel secure in coming out as their careers have been established, or their performance was mere coincidence and had no correlation with their sexual orientation at all.
Austin, Texas has one of the most prominent and active LGBT populations in the United States. Austin was acclaimed by The Advocate in 2012 as part of its Gayest Cities in America, and was recognized by Travel and Leisure as one of America's Best Cities for Gay Travel. Much of Austin's gay nightlife scene is clustered around 4th Street. LGBT activism groups Atticus Circle and Equality Texas are headquartered in Austin.
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