If you're in Chicago this weekend to celebrate Pride, we hope you'll join us for a special event Saturday evening at the Center on Halsted. Straight Talk From Out Jocks (click here for free tickets) will feature nine LGBT people in sports talking about different aspects of their experiences coming out and being out in sports. Plus, many other people who have shared their stories on Outsports will be in attendance.
The event will be broadcast live on Outsports' Facebook page.
Each speaker will take the platform in a "theater in the round" format, sharing their stories. If you've followed Outsports over the years, you'll recognize some speakers:
Matt Hatzke – Former Major League Soccer player – Importance of visibility
Ashley Dai – UNC tennis player – Being LGBT in North Carolina in 2016
Spenser Clark – MLB batboy and front-office intern – Being black and gay
Marina Mangiaracina – SBNation writer – A trans voice in the pro-sports world
Nathan Fort – College basketball payer – Dealing with religion in your family and your team
Luke McAvoy – Univ. of Minnesota football player – Stereotypes and the locker room
Nikki Smart – Chicago water polo coach – Coping with alcoholism
PJ Painter – South Dakota rodeo – Coming out to your rural, conservative dad
The event will be at the Center on Halsted's Hoover-Leppen Theater, 3656 N. Halsted St. in Boystown. Doors open at 5:30pm, with the program beginning at 6pm. There will be a reception with appetizers and a cash bar following the program. Please click here to register for free tickets to the event.
The event will also stream live on Outsports' Facebook page Saturday night, in case you can't make it to Chicago.
There are several other opportunities to meet various Outsports athletes, coaches, and other LGBT people in sports all weekend in Chicago. Feel free to stop by any of these to say hello:
Thursday, June 23, 8pm-11pm, Crew Bar +Grill, 4804 N Broadway St. in Andersonville
Friday, June 24, 7pm-10pm, Hamburger Mary's, 5400 N Clark St. in Andersonville
We will also be marching in the Pride Parade on Sunday with Nike BETRUE, so look for us there.