The San Jose Earthquakes announced today a collaboration with the You Can Play project to further educate their players on LGBT issues in sports. The announcement comes three days after Major League Soccer suspended Earthquakes player Alan Gordon three games for calling an opponent a “faggot” during a recent match.
"We have enlisted the You Can Play Project to meet with our players and coaches to discuss the issues facing LGBT athletes in sports," said Earthquakes President Dave Kaval. "They have built a great organization and we look forward to learning from their expertise and to furthering our work towards true unity in our locker room."
You Can Play co-founder Patrick Burke will address the team with gay former MLS player David Testo. It's a great choice, pairing a straight ally with a gay athlete in the sport the "target audience" plays. Together they'll be able to both get inside the heads of the mostly straight athletes in the room while also sharing the perspective of the gay athletes their actions affect.