While many gay men gravitate toward sports, still many others would prefer not to recall memories of gym class or summer-camp sports. They can still feel the sting of embarrassment from being picked last, and then possibly proving everyone right. While I was one of the fastest kids in my class, I was still often left wondering if I’d be picked at all.
With this in mind, the people at Gays With Kids — which seeks to empower gay, bi and queer men to have children — asked me recently to put together a virtual event to talk about how to support your kids’ interest in sports.
On Thursday, I facilitated a conversation with two great gay dads, athletes and coaches to address all of this and more.
The two men joined us to give insider perspective:
- Kirk Walker has been coaching college softball since 1984, winning seven NCAA national championships with UCLA in that time. He was the head softball coach at Oregon State from 1995 to 2012. He also runs GO! Space and Equality Coaching Alliance. He currently lives in Los Angeles, and he is the proud dad of his daughter, Eva.
- Mark Chambers is the founder and president of the National Gay Basketball Association. He has been an integral part of the LGBTQ sports scene for over 20 years, helping to organize leagues and tournaments. He is also a youth coach in Los Angeles, where he and his husband have built a family through adoption.
