The Los Angeles Dodgers have promoted Erik Braverman to a senior vice president role, making him one of the highest-level publicly out LGBTQ executives in professional sports.
Braverman’s new title is Senior Vice President, Marketing, Communications and Broadcasting at the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is now one of only a handful of senior vice presidents with the team, making him one of the most important voices in front-office conversations.
“Erik leads a large and outstanding team that drives both fan engagement and ticket sales,” the team said in a statement. “Erik’s team’s ability to work collaboratively across all of our departments is critical to our success.”
The new role is truly a dream job for Braverman.
“My passions growing up were always baseball, broadcasting, business and marketing,” he told Outsports. “This is a job that literally combines all of my passions with all of my skills, with everything i’ve learned and practiced in my career. In this job they all came together in one great opportunity, and that’s what’s made it so enjoyable for me.”
The new role makes Braverman one of the most powerful publicly out LGBTQ people in professional sports. Other high-ranking sports executives include Golden State Warriors President Rick Welts, Chicago Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts, and Major League Baseball front-office executive Billy Bean.
“Billy and I have talked a number of times, and the way we think we can be most impactful and inspire people who want to follow in our footsteps is to focus on the job,” Braverman said. “Our sexual orientation is certainly a part of who I am, but I don’t lead with that. It just happens to be part of me. I’m a senior vice president and I happen to be gay. Since coming out I’m able to talk openly with colleagues and coworkers about who I am. That in and of itself should set an example for others.
“My life hasn’t changed in any negative way one bit. if anything it’s more positive because I’m able to to be who it am.”
Braverman came out publicly on Outsports in 2015. Even before then he was growing the team’s Pride Night. Last year that event was the largest Pride Night ever in professional sports, with 7,000 tickets sold and numerous same-sex couples featured on the in-game Kiss Cam.
