UPDATE OCT. 8: The ACLU acknowledged today it did receive a request from a producer from Sinclair TV. A statement by a spokesperson for the organization appears below.

UPDATED 4:30 P.M. EDT: I have some additional information about a story on trans student athletes that appeared on Sinclair TV’s “Full Measure” program, and it appears below.

ORIGINAL REPORT: Good morning and welcome to The Huddle for today, October 6, 2020. It’s Tuesday.

Your need to read time today is 90-seconds, as usual.

This Morning’s Outsports Headlines:

“I’m gay. Real men play sports.” With those words. this gay athlete came out to his high school at an awards banquet in the South

This sportswriter publicly came out as bi so people could ‘name a bisexual person besides Frank Ocean’

Celebrating LGBTQ sports history: Fallon Fox is the first transgender MMA fighter

As we continue our countdown to National Coming Out Day, here’s our 6th most popular story: Trans boy Mack Beggs wins girls wrestling title as Texas struggles with transphobic laws

ICYMI, Watch: Outsports chat with transgender BMX Olympic hopeful Chelsea Wolfe on Instagram

In other LGBT Sports news…

Sue Bird and other WNBA players are central to a story in The New York Times about a U.S. senator, and part-time team owner. The story is about them refusing to say her name.

Colorado State University’s series, Why I Won’t Stick to Sports, continues with an essay from LGBTQ ally Karly Murphy, who writes: “Gay athletes have hidden their personal truth and sat in pain for years and years. It is time for change.”

Add your thumbs up or down on this YouTube video by Sinclair TV journalist Sharyl Attkisson (the comments are turned off) about the trans student athlete inclusion debate.

As the Washington Post reported in April 2018, Sinclair Broadcast Group is a “conservative media giant” that owns television stations in “predominantly conservative areas of the country.” Sinclair TV producer David Bernknopf told me in a Facebook conversation that he tried to connect with GLAAD and the ACLU, among other pro-inclusion organizations, to put together a more balanced report, but he claims they refused to work with him.

Two people at GLAAD — Rich Ferraro and Nick Adams — told me they have no record of Bernknopf contacting them. A media representative for the ACLU told me on Thursday, Oct. 8, they did receive a request from Bernknopf but were unable to meet his needs:

“We’re all at reduced capacity right now and take on as many requests as we can. We ultimately weren’t able to respond to David’s request with the times that were offered.”

For the record, I reached out to Attkisson three days ago via Twitter, which Bernknopf says is the best way to communicate with her, in hopes of helping her avoid calling trans athletes “transgenders” and to provide other support, but never heard back, until today, when she contacted Outsports via email.

Also new this morning…

N.F.L. Adds New Covid-19 Protocols to Keep Season on Track

Umpire Angel Hernandez, who is suing MLB, will work Dodgers-Padres NLDS

Not Again! Novak Djokovic Hits Ball Into Line Judge’s Face At French Open

Novak Djokovic of Serbia hits a forehand against Karen Kachanov of Russia in the fourth round of the men’s singles at Roland Garros on October 05, 2020 in Paris, France.

OutShouts:

The Equality Coaching Alliance group on Facebook is shining its spotlight on member Nathan Matthews today:

If you’re an LGBTQ person in sports looking to connect with others in the community, head over to GO! SPACE to meet and interact with other LGBTQ athletes, or to Equality Coaching Alliance to find other coaches, administrators and other non-athletes in sports.

Highlights from Social Media:

Billie Jean King had this heartwarming post for World Teachers Day:

View this post on Instagram

Today is World Teachers Day. I was so fortunate to have had so many wonderful teachers, including my 6th grade teacher, Mr. Bamrick. I learned the art of public speaking and felt comfortable addressing crowds early on in life thanks to him. He taught me to believe in myself, and gave me the confidence I needed to speak in front of the class, and later, in press conferences, interviews, and public appearances. Mr. Bamrick and I have kept in touch through the years. In 1975, I invited him and his wife to be my guests at the Golden Key Awards for exceptional teachers, which took place in Texas. It was a day we will both never forget. Over the summer, Mr. Bamrick’s daughter-in-law reached out to me via Facebook, and we set up a video chat between Mr. Bamrick and me. He still lives in my hometown of @longbeachcity and is a big @dodgers fan! It was so wonderful to connect, catch up, and reminisce. He turned 92 years young on September 26, and we talked again on his birthday. I succeeded in life in part because Mr. Bamrick believed in me. He taught me to use my voice, an invaluable gift for children to learn at a young age, and one I’m continuing to use today, some 60+ years later. Thank you to Mr. Bamrick and to all teachers who empower their students to stand up, show up, and speak out! Scroll through to see a photograph of Mr. Bamrick and me when I was a sixth grader. #WorldTeachersDay #TeachersDay ‬#thankateacher #6thgrade #backtoschool #schooldays

A post shared by Billie Jean King (@billiejeanking) on

Johnny Weir jived his heart out Monday night and is looking for your votes:

Jake Bain has met somebody. And it’s made him happy. Yay!

If you want your social media post to be included here, or to share one showcasing LGBTQ sports, email us the link at [email protected] or tag @Outsports on Instagram or Twitter!

Podcast Du Jour

Nearly every day of the week, Outsports has a new podcast for your enjoyment. And today we welcome D.Gil to the team with the launch of The GAMEDAY TEA podcast on the Outsports network!

For his debut with us, D.Gil talks with soccer player Henry Bethel about his experiences with gay slurs on the pitch, reaction to Collin Martin of the S.D. Loyal being called a gay slur, and what measures can be taken to stop gay slurs from being used in sports while increasing LGBTQ activism in soccer. Listen here:

This and all Outsports podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and on every platform where you find Outsports!

Today’s Sports Calendar

WNBA FINALS:

Las Vegas Aces vs. Seattle Storm at 7 p.m. EDT on ESPN

NBA PLAYOFFS:

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat at 9 p.m. EDT on ABC-TV

MLB PLAYOFF GAMES: Click here for ESPN’s schedule for today.

SOCCER:

Click here for ESPN’s schedule of soccer action today.

Share your thoughts in the comments below or email us at [email protected]

Thanks for reading all the way to the end. The next edition of The Huddle will appear tomorrow morning on Outsports.com Stay safe!

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