Category Archives: Sports
Tom Daley & Dustin Lance Black MARRY
GAY MARRIAGE NEWS
SO SO HAPPY for Tom Daley & Dustin Lance Black!
After that little scandal with Tom back in February…but hey, he is SO YOUNG. DLB forgave him and the couple seem happy as can be!
The fairytale wedding took place in the stunning surroundings of Bovey Castle in Dartmoor National Park.
And according to reports, there was a Romeo and Juliet theme, with Tom calling out ‘Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?’ from a balcony!
Posting the 2 pictures, above, on Instagram, Tom wrote: “On 6th May 2017, I married the love of my life, @dlanceblack ❤️ We shared the day with 120 of our closest friends and family, from Texarkana to Plymouth! Thank you to everyone who made this weekend the most special weekend of our lives!”
Manny Pacquiao Banned from Mall
WE DON’T WANT YOUR KIND HERE!
Boxer Manny Pacquiao has been banned from Los Angeles’ The Grove following his most recent anti-gay comments. And it’s not the first time he’s been declared “not welcome” by the shopping mecca because of his hateful remarks.
That’s pretty cool, that HUGE COMPANIES are standing up for us!!
“These are statements of hatred,” Grove owner Rick Caruso tells us … “A lot of people from the gay community come to The Grove and they have a right not to feel uncomfortable.”
“Manny Pacquiao is no longer welcome.”
IN OTHER SIMILAR NEWS….
SUPERBOWL –
Georgia’s ‘Religious Freedom’ Bill could put the state’s future hosting the Super Bowl in jeopardy following a statement from the NFL.
The bill has been passed by the state’s general assembly and awaits Governor Nathan Deal’s signature. But Deal’s decision could come at a significant cost to the state’s football future.
The Atlanta Falcons’ owner was quick to respond with the following statement:
“One of my bedrock values is ‘Include Everyone’ and it’s a principle we embrace and strive to live each and every day with my family and our associates, a vast majority of which live and work in Georgia. I strongly believe a diverse, inclusive and welcoming Georgia is critical to our citizens and the millions of visitors coming to enjoy all that our great state has to offer. House Bill 757 undermines these principles and would have long-lasting negative impact on our state and the people of Georgia.”
These are major actions, in support of gay rights! YAY!
Gus Kenworthy Gay Athlete
I am gay.
Wow, it feels good to write those words. For most of my life, I’ve been afraid to embrace that truth about myself. Recently though, I’ve gotten to the point where the pain of holding onto the lie is greater than the fear of letting go, and I’m very proud to finally be letting my guard down.
My sexuality has been something I’ve struggled to come to terms with. I’ve known I was gay since I was a kid but growing up in a town of 2,000 people, a class of 48 kids and then turning pro as an athlete when I was 16, it just wasn’t something I wanted to accept. I pushed my feelings away in the hopes that it was a passing phase but the thought of being found out kept me up at night. I constantly felt anxious, depressed and even suicidal.
Looking back, it’s crazy to see how far I’ve come. For so much of my life I’ve dreaded the day that people would find out I was gay. Now, I couldn’t be more excited to tell you all the truth. Maybe you’ve suspected that truth about me all along, or maybe it comes as a complete shock to you. Either way, it’s important for me to be open and honest with you all. Y’all have supported me through a lot of my highs and lows and I hope you’ll stay by my side as I make this transformation into the genuine me – the me that I’ve always really been.
I am so thankful to ESPN for giving me this opportunity and to Alyssa Roenigk for telling my story to the world. I think about the pain I put myself through by closeting myself for so much of my life and it breaks my heart. If only I knew then what I know now: that the people who love you, who really care about you, will be by your side no matter what; and, that those who aren’t accepting of you are not the people you want or need in your life anyway.
Part of the reason that I had such a difficult time as a kid was that I didn’t know anyone in my position and didn’t have someone to look up to, who’s footsteps I could follow in. I hope to be that person for a younger generation, to model honesty and transparency and to show people that there’s nothing cooler than being yourself and embracing the things that make you unique. Head over to ESPN.com or click the link in my bio to read the full story and keep your eyes peeled for the November issue on newsstands soon! #outinsports#comingout#gay#beyourself#bornthisway
Converse Gay Pride Sneaker
Another Gay Tennis Shoe! First it was Adidas – now it’s Converse that steps out with a pride-related shoe line. (Converse is owned by Nike).
The Converse Pride Collection is honored to join the LGBT movement. Any crusade that hits the streets as loud and passionate as this one definitely needs sneakers to fit the occasion. We happily abide. The Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Pride hi-tops are adorned with stylish patterns and every color of the rainbow. Each color represents a special meaning to the community. Each step we take brings us closer to universal tolerance and equality.
Adidas Gay pride Shoe
WOW – this is pretty cool! Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Gay Pride!
Inspired by the unjust treatment of the gay and lesbian community in the 1960’s, adidas shows support for the community at-large with an admirable new release.
Outsole Independence Hall in Philadelphia on July 4, 1965 was the first ever LGBT picket.
The same year, adidas named its flagship tennis shoe the “Robert Haillet” after the French tennis pro. That shoe, of course, went on to become the Stan Smith following Haillet’s retirement from the game. It’s now the best selling adidas sneaker of all-time.
Crafted in a bold paint splatter aesthetic, a rainbow undertone is noted through the pack in honor of those affected years ago, and those still struggling for acceptance today. The inspired adidas “Pride” Pack drops on June 6 at select Three Stripes retailers.
I could not find the price yet…lets hope there are lot less than Kanye’s Yeezy’s which are $350!
Oakland A’s Support Gays!
Oakland Athletics pitcher Sean Doolittle and his girlfriend, Eireann Dolan, stepped in to head off what she described as a negative response to the team’s first LGBT Pride Night this coming season, the San Jose Mercury News reported.
Late last week, Dolan offered to buy tickets for the A’s June 17th game against San Diego, saying several season ticket holders were refusing to attend and trying to sell their tickets because they were uncomfortable with the event.
“If you’d like to sell your tickets to June 17th’s LGBT Pride Night game, I will buy them from you at face value. As many as I can. No judgments. No questions asked,” she wrote on her blog. “From there, I will donate any tickets I purchase to the Bay Area Youth Center’s Our Space community for LGBTQ youth.”
She revealed in the post that her biological mother is part of a same-sex couple living in San Diego.
“In fact I’m starting to suspect that the Athletics focus-grouped this event idea with just my two moms and nobody else,” she wrote. “It couldn’t be any more perfectly tailored to my moms than if the team announced that NPR’s Terry Gross will also be throwing out the first pitch and there will be a free notepad giveaway on which my moms can write down all of the reasons I should have majored in something more practical in college.”
On Monday, Dolan said, Doolittle agreed to match her donations up to $3,000. She also started an online fundraising campaign to purchase more seats to donate to the youth center group.
Read More at Raw Story
Wrestler Mike Pucillo Comes Out
OHIO STATE’s Mike Pucillo come out.
For months, the NCAA wrestling champion from Ohio State had tried time and again to share his biggest secret, but he couldn’t bring himself to verbalize two words.
Finally, on a December morning, Pucillo reached for his phone and tapped out a lengthy text message to his best friend and college teammate, Reece Humphrey.
The gist of the message was this: I’m gay.
“I think telling him was an unbelievable weight off my shoulders (and) I didn’t think I would feel that good just telling him,” said Pucillo, the first openly gay Division-I national champion wrestler. “Reece has always been someone with a very open mind and I thought maybe he would understand.”
Read more here
Comedy Series based on OUT GAY Soccer Player Robbie Rogers
GAY SOCCER player Robbie Rogers is the focus of a new gay comedy series.
The story of professional soccer player Robbie Rogers, who became the first openly gay man to compete in a top North American professional sports league, is headed to television.
Universal Television has optioned Rogers’ story rights for Craig Zadan and Neil Meron’s Storyline Entertainment to develop and produce a comedy series inspired by the young athlete’s experiences.
Neil Meron and Craig Zadan – the openly gay producers of the last two Academy Awards telecasts and next year’s as well – will develop and produce the series based on Rogers’ experiences, according to Deadline Hollywood.
‘Very excited and fortunate to be working with so many great people on this project!’ Rogers tweeted yesterday.
Rogers, 27, came out publicly in February 2013 through a heartfelt online post published shortly after he retired from professional soccer.
Oprah Puts Michael Sams Project on Hold
EARLIER THIS WEEK, Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network announced they were to begin The Michael Sam docu-series …but now it has been put on hold, and for good reasons. It could be very distracting for Sams.
OWN President Erik Logan said:
“After careful consideration and discussion with the St. Louis Rams, ‘The Untitled Michael Sam Project’ has been postponed, allowing Michael the best opportunity to achieve his dream of making the team. OWN is about elevating and empowering people to achieve their best. It’s clear that we, along with the world, recognize the important opportunity that Michael now has in this moment. We will continue to support him in his journey to earn a spot playing for the Rams.”
Cameron Weiss of Empire Athletes, Michael Sam’s agent, added:
“After today’s meeting with the Rams, we collectively feel it is best to postpone the project. This will allow for Michael to have a total focus on football, and will ensure no distractions to his teammates. Everybody involved remains committed to this project and understands its historical importance as well as its positive message.”
Johnny Weir and Victor Voronov to Divorce
SAD NEWS 🙁
Johnny Weir and Victor Voronov split after 2 year marriage. (Married Dec. 2011)
It is with great sadness that I announce that my husband and I are no longer together. My heart hurts, and I wish him well. JOHNNY TWEETED. No matter what, I am a cheerleader of love and partnership and creation. I am sad yet I am thankful that I was loved and that I could love.
Just 2 weeks ago, the couple were in court for a domestic dispute, whereby Weir bit his now ex-husband, citing, “A marriage between two guys is different than what I imagine a marriage between a man and a woman [to be].
I mean, we’re both constantly trying to fight to wear the pants in the relationship.” – Voronov dropped the charges and the case was dismissed.
“I have been sad for a long time,” he continued in the statement to Access. “And unfortunately don’t foresee a way to resolve our current marital issues.”
Johnny’s exclusive interview about the end of his marriage will air on Access Hollywood on TODAY.
Read more at http://www.accesshollywood.com/johnny-weir-files-for-divorce-from-husband-exclusive_article_91881#O9ouHo14kheop6Vo.99
Out Footballer Anton Hysen Signed to South Carolina Murtle Beach
Anton Hysen, 24, is a (hot) Swedish footballer and who came out of the closet in 2011, and was leading Outsports’ annual Person Of The Year poll. on 2011 he said that he would not be transferring to play in the US and will remain in Sweden where he was currently coached by his father Glenn Hysen.
Although Anton Hysen had only just over 600 followers on Twitter at the time, he was one of the most prolific and is renowned for keeping his ardent fans abreast of his every move. (Today he has 19,000 followers!)
Fast Foward to today! Sexy Anton has signed with the fourth division soccer team the South Carolina Myrtle Beach Mutiny, as he reported on Instagram.
Said Hysen: “I am excited to be joining the Mutiny this season. This is a great opportunity for me on a personal and professional level. I hope I can help take the team to the top of the NPSL.”
Anton on Instagram
Anton on Twitter
Chris Kluwe on Sochi
“What is the true price of fame? The price of fame is what you risk when you have the platform. As an athlete, a role model for society, people listen to you. As an athlete, when you make a statement, that statement is heard, no matter what that statement is.
Speak up for LBGTQ rights, for human rights, for empathy? The world will pay attention, and take notice. Stay silent, keep your head down, count the money and endorsements? The world will pay attention, and take notice. Either way, you’re the one who has to live with what you did or didn’t do. I hope that athletes speak out at Sochi on LBGTQ issues, even knowing the possible risks that await them.
“I know that it could cost them their livelihoods, their careers, everything they’ve worked towards. I know that it can lead to recriminations, harsh words from a public who just wants their entertainment, no matter how much blood it’s packaged in. I know that it’s one of the hardest steps a person can take, and that there is no guarantee of a reward at the end, other than knowing you did the right thing at the right time with nothing to show for it but angry tweets and emails tempered by the messages of support and affection from those in whose lives you made a difference, those currently being abused by the oppressive and ignorant.”
sidenote –
Chris Kluwe vs. Minnesota Vikings is far from over. In fact, the situation is now set to escalate into the litigation phase.
On Thursday the team announced that Kluwe’s nemesis Mike Priefer will stay as Vikings special teams coach, and Kluwe now likely will sue. At least that was the indication from Kluwe’s lawyer, who spoke to a Twin Cities media figure about the team’s decision to retain Priefer.
Kluwe’s lawyer Clayton Halunen used strong language in denouncing the Vikings’ decision to keep Priefer on board. Kluwe accuses Priefer of using homophobic slurs in the Vikings’ locker room, and says the team’s decision to fire him as punter had nothing to do with performance but was rather motivated by personal animus. read the full article.
Fallout from Sochi Continues
COKE may still be at Sochi but Budwesier is saying a big NO to Sochi!
There’s no Bud for you, Sochi … TMZ Sports has learned Budweiser has decided to NOT throw its traditional Winter Olympics party this year and it’s all because the company is not comfortable with the situation in Russia.
In the past, Budweiser was known for hosting huge parties — like the Club Bud bashes during the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and at the 2006 Olympics in Turin.
In fact, we’ve seen an email from a Budweiser rep which says the company does not want its U.S.-based representatives in Sochi … and the message is clear — the terrorist threat is simply looming too large.
A rep for Anheuser-Busch confirms to TMZ Sports … there will be no Club Bud in Sochi — but the rep didn’t give a reason for why the company is not throwing the party.
And as the games begin, there’s even dissent from partners: AT&T was among the first sponsors of the US Olympic Committee to officially object to the laws (Chobani and DeVry University also spoke out), and now Google is showing their true colors as well — literally.
Google’s new front page Thursday, visible internationally and including Google.ru, shows athletes superimposed over a rainbow, a well-known symbol of gay pride. Below the search box is an excerpt from the official Olympic Charter.
Pride Dolls! Rainbow Nesting Dolls Shine Light on Russia
Sales on #98 Jerseys Soar After Jason Collins Coming Out
We are seeing so many great strides in the gay rights movement right now and positive action from so many LGBT supporters! The acceptance we are witnessing this year is overwhelming!
ABC News reports that sales on #98 jerseys soared this week!:
Team spokesman Scott Hall told ABC News
that 100 percent of custom jerseys ordered from the team’s online store
bore Collins’ name and number, 98, on the back, after Collins revealed
his homosexuality in an article published on Sports Illustrated’s
website on Monday…While Hall could not reveal how many custom Collins
jerseys were sold, he said that the team’s general merchandise sales and
online traffic spiked following Collins’ announcement.
I never knew that the “98” was a tribute to Matthew Shepard. Even Judy Shepard was not aware of the tribute to her gay son.
The mother of a gay University of Wyoming
student who was robbed and beaten to death in 1998 says she finds it
touching that NBA veteran Jason Collins honored her son by wearing
jersey No. 98.
Matthew Shepard’s mother, Judy, said that she
hadn’t known about the tribute by Collins, who this week became the
first player still active in one of the four major U.S. professional
sports leagues to announce that he is gay.
“We’re very touched that he regards Matthew as
somebody special,” Judy Shepard said in a telephone interview. “We’re
especially happy that now he feels free to be himself. We’re happy for
him, relieved that his news is being received so well across the board.”
While Collins hid his sexual orientation up
until now, he said he quietly made a statement for gay rights by wearing
No. 98 with the Boston Celtics and the Washington Wizards. The number refers to 1998, the year Matthew Shepard was tied to a fence and beaten
outside Laramie.
NBA’s Jason Collins “I’m Black and Gay!”
NEXT WEEK in the May 6, 2013, issue of Sports Illustrated.
I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.
I didn’t set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major
American team sport. But since I am, I’m happy to start the
conversation. I wish I wasn’t the kid in the classroom raising his hand
and saying, “I’m different.” If I had my way, someone else would have
already done this. Nobody has, which is why I’m raising my hand.
I realized I needed to go public when Joe Kennedy, my old roommate at
Stanford and now a Massachusetts congressman, told me he had just
marched in Boston’s 2012 Gay Pride Parade. I’m seldom jealous of others,
but hearing what Joe had done filled me with envy. I was proud of him
for participating but angry that as a closeted gay man I couldn’t even
cheer my straight friend on as a spectator.
Openly Gay Rick Welts (former NBA) Talks Gay and Nike Dollars
NIKE is poised to give the first openly gay pro athlete, to come out, a multi-million dollar sponsorship!
Among those told before the article was published were NBA Commissioner David Stern and senior executives at Nike Inc (NKE)., the world’s largest sporting-goods company whose roster of team- sport athlete endorsers includes Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, Robinson Cano of the New York Yankees and Joe Flacco of the Super Bowl-champion Baltimore Ravens.
Nike asked Welts to deliver a message to anyone thinking about becoming
the first openly gay athlete in major U.S. team sports — the company
wants him as an endorser.
“They made it clear to me Nike would embrace it,” Welts, 60, now president of the National Basketball Association’s
Golden State Warriors, said in a telephone interview. “The player who
does it, they’re going to be amazed at the additional opportunities that
are put on the table, not the ones that are taken off.”
According
to Bob Witeck, 61, a gay-marketing strategist and corporate consultant,
the first openly gay team-sport athlete — provided he’s a recognizable
name — would earn millions in endorsements and speaking engagements
from companies seeking to capture more of a U.S. lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender adult population whose annual buying power he pegs at
almost $800 billion.
“We’ve passed the tipping point to where
national advertisers are no longer afraid of the gay market,” said Mark
Elderkin, chief executive officer of the Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based
Gay Ad Network.
We truly have reached the tipping point! In the last 2 years, more and more LGBTQ supporters have surfaced, to support us and accept us.
How cool is that? Read the whole story at Bloomberg that talks about the Nike dollars, but also gay slurs used by athletes and growing team acceptance.
Read the recent interview with Rick Welts.
NHL says ITS OK TO BE GAY AND PLAY HOCKEY!
Amid heightened speculation that a male athlete in one of North
America’s four major professional leagues will soon publicly declare his
homosexuality, the National Hockey League and its players announced
Thursday what appears to be the most comprehensive measure by a major
men’s league in support of gay rights.
partnership with the You Can Play Project, an advocacy group pledged to
fight homophobia in sports, and planned training and counseling on gay
issues for its teams and players.
the production and broadcast of public service announcements. “Our motto
is Hockey Is for Everyone, and our partnership with You Can Play
certifies that position in a clear and unequivocal way,” N.H.L.
Commissioner Gary Bettman said in the statement. “We are delighted to
reaffirm through this joint venture with the N.H.L. Players’ Association
that the official policy of the N.H.L. is one of inclusion on the ice,
in our locker rooms and in the stands.”
Magic Johnsons Gay Son EJ Talks Lakers!
20-year-old Earvin Johnson III (EJ) is one of Magic’s three kids.
EJ is a student at NYU and reportedly has a close relationship with his parents.
“Thx to my son EJ for hosting me at NYU. Look forward to taking him to dinner tonight in the city,” dad Magic tweeted last summer.
It’s great when celebrities come out and support their gay children. Hall of famer Magic Johnson sat down with TMZ for a lengthy and quite powerful interview about his support and love for his son EJ.
Magic talked about the importance of expressing to him that he supports and loves him no matter what. Johnson said he wanted to prepare him for what to expect when he came out and protect him as he did so.
Soccer Player ROBBIE ROGERS Comes out as Gay and Retires
Secrets can cause so much internal
damage. People love to preach about honesty, how honesty is so plain and
simple. Try explaining to your loved ones after 25 years you are gay.
Try convincing yourself that your creator has the most wonderful
purpose for you even though you were taught differently.
I
always thought I could hide this secret. Football was my escape, my
purpose, my identity. Football hid my secret, gave me more joy than I
could have ever imagined… I will always be thankful for my career. I
will remember Beijing, The MLS Cup, and most of all my teammates. I
will never forget the friends I have made a long the way and the friends
that supported me once they knew my secret.
Now is my time to
step away. It’s time to discover myself away from football. It’s 1 A.M.
in London as I write this and I could not be happier with my decision.
Life is so full of amazing things. I realized I could only truly enjoy
my life once I was honest. Honesty is a bitch but makes life so simple
and clear. My secret is gone, I am a free man, I can move on and live
my life as my creator intended.
Rogers said that fear held him back for 25 years:
For the past 25 year I have been afraid,
afraid to show whom I really was because of fear. Fear that judgment and
rejection would hold me back from my dreams and aspirations. Fear
that my loved ones would be farthest from me if they knew my secret.
Fear that my secret would get in the way of my dreams.
Dreams of
going to a World Cup, dreams of The Olympics, dreams of making my
family proud. What would life be without these dreams? Could I live a
life without them?
Life is only complete when your loved ones
know you. When they know your true feelings, when they know who and how
you love. Life is simple when your secret is gone. Gone is the pain
that lurks in the stomach at work, the pain from avoiding questions, and
at last the pain from hiding such a deep secret.
Send Robbie an email and congratulate him!
Brebdon Ayanbadejo promises to fight for Equality
How cool is Brendon Ayanbadejo?
NHL or MLB, most of which are likely to go away with support and
acceptance from the straight community. As leaders and even role models
for millions of young people across the globe, professional athletes
have the ability to fundamentally eliminate prejudice from our sport and
live up to the incredible privilege we enjoy.
At its best,
sports do not discriminate. If you are young or old, tall or short, male
or female, gay or straight, all that really matters is how well you
play and contribute to your team.
The NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA
should and can be leaders against discrimination. Whether you’re a
commissioner, an athlete, a coach or a fan, your voice will let every
kid out there know that there is a place for him or her in sports. We
all can be ourselves and still compete with dignity and at the highest
level.
This is our time and our cause. Everything we know as
athletes, teammates, spokesmen and vehicles of American pastimes compels
us toward the kind of action and camaraderie we saw from Pee Wee Reese
nearly 66 years ago. It’s as simple as putting our arm around the
shoulder of another athlete. It’s a gesture; it’s a pledge; it’s
solidarity at its most basic. Our Jackie is coming. We need to pave the
way.”
