Three cheers for Nike! The inclusive sporting wear giant will hold the first-ever summit designed to tackle issues related to gays in sports. The world of athletics remains one of the last arenas were participants are afraid to come out. Especially in America, few, if any, professional athletes are openly gay while active. They only come out after they’ve retired.
The summit—held on June 14th in Beaverton, Oregon— aims to change all that by working towards an more inclusive environment.
According to Outsports.com:
Thirty leaders who are actively advocating for LGBT equality in sports will come together at Nike World Headquarters for the first-ever Nike LGBT Sports Summit. The goal of this ground-breaking event is to create a team game plan for ending homophobia and transphobia in sport that takes advantage of the best thinking and strengths of each organization. The aim is to increase our ability to collaborate on bringing about the change we all are committed to.
Along with Nike, participating organizations include GLAAD, GLSEN, the It Gets Better campaign, Ben Cohen’s StandUp Foundation, the Federation of Gay Games and ESPN.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
With all those athletes in one place, it may be difficult to keep our mind purely on social change, but we’ll darn well try!
JAW
What the hell is wrong with Nike… what are they thinking??
Do they not realize that One Million Moms will be pissed off and boycott them???
Congrats to Nike… Thanks for your support!!
Steve
If I were single, I would sign up to attend that “summit”.
Seriously, we have all seen the gay guys with nice bodies. You have to know they actually do something athletic, to develop and keep those bodies, other than just having lots of sex. Meanwhile, the average straight guy has a serious beer gut, and watches a lot more games than he plays.
jack jett
i turn cartwheels. i hope i am invited.
Lifer
You know ESPN will have plenty of representatives there … in official reporting capacity, of course.
Carlos
Nike should concentrate instead with stopping making their products in sweat shops in Asia and other countries.
Belize
@Carlos: If American’s can stop being such whiny, overrrated and self-absorbed workers, maybe it would.
Bill
Bravo Nike. I will forevermore be a Nike customer.
LandStander
@Belize: I know! Whining for an (almost) livable wage is so self-absorbed. Why, we clearly do not deserve more than $2.00 a day, as overrated as we are!