The US Consulate is teaming up with Egale, Canada's national LGBT rights group, to present a discussion Friday at 7pmMT about LGBT athletes and bias in sports. Calgary – dubbed by some the "Texas of Canada" – is the perfect spot for the talk. I'll be there on the panel, along with college baseball player Chandler Whitney, Olympic luger John Fennell and Olympic skeleton racer Lindsay Alcock. Michael Pelz will moderate the conversation. The event takes place at the Hyatt Regency in Calgary.
You can get free tickets here for the discussion.
In addition, various LGBT athletes and straight pro athletes will be marching in the Calgary pride parade.
From Egale:
Egale is very excited to announce that it will be co-hosting a panel discussion reception and reception panel discussion featuring Canadian Olympians John Fennell and Lindsay Alcock. Also joining the panel are Cyd Zeigler, co-founder of outsports.com and notable LGBT advocate, as well as Chandler Whitney, outfielder with the Walla Walla Warriors from Washington state.
Coinciding with Calgary Pride, and co-hosted by the US Consulate, this panel discussion will examine the challenges connected to overcoming homophobia in sports, and the role human rights should play at major international sporting events.
Following the recent controversy over lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights at the Olympics in Sochi last February, Egale believes it is a particularly salient time to advance this discussion.
