The new National Gay & Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame has announced an initial group of its inaugural class, which includes athletes, media members, a professional sports team and others. Outsports is a very proud to be named to the inaugural class.
The Hall of Fame is based in Chicago at the Center on Halstead. It was created by longtime community stalwart Bill Gubrud and others to honor the achievements of LGBT people in sports.
From the organization's press release:
The induction of the first honorees will happen on August 2, 2013 through a ceremony at the Center on Halsted in conjunction with Out at Wrigley on August 3, 2013 – the nation's largest "Gay Day" at a major league sporting event. Tickets for the induction ceremony will go on sale June 17th.
The current list of inductees includes former MLB player Glenn Burke; ESPN contributor Christina Kahrl; former tennis pro Renee Richards; tennis legend Martina Navratilova; former Olympic diver Greg Louganis; tennis legend Billie Jean King; NBA player Jason Collins; ESPN and CNN contributor LZ Granderson; Gay Games founder Dr. Tom Waddell; professional boxer Orlando Cruz; former Major League Lacrosse goalie Andrew Goldstein; Standup Foundation head Ben Cohen; "Bleacher Preacher" Jerry Pritikin; the Chicago Cubs; Outsports.com; International Gay Rodeo Association (IGRA); and Anheuser-Busch
Additional nominations for the first Hall of Fame class will be accepted through the month of June; Outsports will be nominating groundbreaking former NFL running back David Kopay, who in 1975 became the first professional athlete to come out publicly. His coming out was named Outsports' most important moment in LGBT sports history.
More information can be found at the Hall of Fame's Web site.