For your weekend reading, here is a roundup of some interesting news about LGBT issues in sports.
The must-read is a profile of a 17-year-old New Jersey transgender male and track athlete. It is a beautiful story and I love this quote from the athlete, Matt: "A lot of people might make fun of trans people when they are out as trans because they don't look like an average kid. I was confident. I dressed boyish before. They didn't have a reason to look at me differently. I was always pretty nice, I just had to stay nice."
17 and transgender: A track athlete finally feels free
In 12 months, New Jersey high school student Matt Dawkins has gone from distress to awakening to action. He openly tells his story with honesty, at a mile-a-minute pace. Student. Athlete. Son. Sibling. Social butterfly. Boyfriend. Transgender male.
Frank Lampard reveals he would 'love' for a gay soccer player to come out | Daily Mail Online
Frank Lampard has revealed he'd 'love' to see a gay soccer player come out and be fully respected by the public, saying that the game is changing and losing it's macho persona.
Major League Baseball Tries To Be More Welcoming To LGBT Community : NPR
Ex-player Billy Bean, who's openly gay, is the MLB's inclusion ambassador, and he's charged with improving baseball's relationship with the LGBT community. David Greene talks to Bean about his role.
South African soccer analyst sorry for anti-gay tweets
Soccer analyst Coudjoe Amankwaa has stated that homophobic statements tweeted on his Twitter account weren’t made by him. He made this statement, along with an apology, during a disciplinary meeting with his employer, the SABC. On Sunday, Amankwaa tweeted that "gayism" was "a problem" and an "abnormality".
How reporters handle homophobia – The Daily Iowan
Brazilian ESPN reporter, Gabriela Moreira, was interviewing a Palmeiras fan at a soccer game, and after the fan made an aggressive homophobic comment about the opponent, Moreira’s eyes widened and after the shake of her head she replied, "Boy, I don’t know if you will win- but no to homophobia".
Indiana backtracked on an anti-gay bill in large part because of big-money sporting events. Take heed, Tennessee. | Sports | Nashville Scene
While Tennessee isn't exactly the athletic destination Indiana is — at least not yet — what happened this month should serve as a cautionary tale for our increasingly reactionary legislature, as it decides whether its policy-making should lean more pro-business or pro-Inquisition.
