Good morning and welcome to February and to The Huddle for today, Feb. 1, 2021. It’s Monday. This is the first day of Black History Month, which we’re observing here at Outsports by highlighting the stories of out Black LGBTQ sports heroes.
Also: Fans of sexually ambiguous pop star Harry Styles know it’s his birthday today.
And if you didn’t notice it already, today’s date can be written as 2/1/21, which means nothing, really, but I found that absolutely fascinating for about three seconds.
Your need to read time today is a little over 90-seconds.
This Morning’s Outsports Headlines:
Celebrating Black lesbian gay bisexual trans sports history
- Our first entry of the month: Ryan Russell, NFL free agent, comes out as bisexual
Our Karleigh Webb responds to Marcellus Wiley’s tweet: In the discussion of transgender athletes, facts matter
NCAA takes a stand for inclusion as states target trans student-athletes: Is it enough?
30% of gay men and 40% of lesbians are passionate sports fans, survey says
In other LGBT Sports news…
This love story is behind a paywall but sharing in case you haven’t seen the tweet:
"Although women’s rugby has been long seen as a safe space for gay and bisexual athletes, it is rare that a couple will speak so openly about what it is like to be in a same-sex relationship. "#igrugby #rugbyforallhttps://t.co/maXswQ4muk
— IGR International Gay Rugby (@IGRugby) February 1, 2021
The Sun doesn’t set on head coach Curt Miller
A total bullshit op-ed full of lies and anti-trans propaganda in Arizona: Transgender athlete bill isn’t a priority now. Why is Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman so worried?
On the other side: Jennifer Finney Boylan, author, advocate and columnist for The New York Times, weighs in on the “trans debate:” In Statehouses Everywhere, Republicans Have One Agenda
Sports Media LGBT+ exclusive: Kurtis Gabriel says ‘The NHL needs to get uncomfortable’
Also new this morning…
In NFL, the Same Old Line and Verse About Hiring Black Coaches
MLB, MLBPA reportedly discussing 154-game season with delayed start
Barracuda preseason game suspended after second period due to COVID protocol
NWHL hails Discover sponsorship as largest in league’s history
US men’s national team see January camp, friendly win as positive first step of busy 2021
Watch: Coach Boeheim falls out of his chair after watching his son’s impressive bucket
(FYI: He’s okay)
OutShouts:
Did you miss the big stories of the past week? Sports Equality Foundation’s Sam Knollmeyer has a quick TikTok video wrapping up the highlights! Check it out here:
@sportsequalityfdn Sports Equality Weekly Wrap Up – Ep. 2 #gaytiktok #closetedtiktok #queerathlete #sportsequality
♬ Fly – Marshmello
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:
“True love is not about the hugs and kisses, the ‘I love you’s’ or the ‘I miss you’s’, but about the chills that hit every part of your spine when you think about him…” That’s the caption of this Instagram post with the #gayathlete hashtag by Misha Spacil-Maly, about his husband.
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. Today, British national champion trampolinist Luke Strong joins our Cyd Zeigler on the Outsports podcast, Five Rings To Rule Them All.
By the time Strong came out to his coach and teammates, he’d already been through a lot. The world-class athlete shattered his leg, and nearly lost his leg. He wasn’t ever going to compete again. Yet less than a year later he was back on the world stage. He talks with Cyd about that incredible journey, plus the reaction in his sport to his coming out, as well as the labels of bisexual and gay. 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
NHL:
Click here for ESPN’s schedule of men’s pro hockey action today.
NBA:
Click here for ESPN’s schedule of men’s pro basketball action today.
NCAAM:
Click here for ESPN’s schedule of men’s college basketball action today.
NCAAW:
Click here for ESPN’s schedule of women’s college basketball action 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!
