Hello and welcome back to On Deck Circle. Today, Thursday, April 1, 2021, is Opening Day for Major League Baseball (well, for all but four teams). No foolin’!
Your need to read time today is 2-minutes.
Today’s LGBTQ Sports History Highlight:
On this day in 1930, an American golfer named Bobby Jones started his Grand Slam season by winning the Southeastern Open by 13 strokes over Horton Smith at the Forest Hills-Ricker Golf Course in Atlanta, Ga.
And this week, just in time for the Trans Day of Visibility, a transgender soccer player named Bobby Jones succeeded in his efforts to lobby the Puget Sound Premier League to establish a gender inclusive policy! The Washington State league has now adopted a policy that will allow Bobby and many other athletes to play on their teams, in line with their authentic gender identity.
Congratulations to Bobby and to the leaders of the Puget Sound Premier League for being inclusive and acknowledging that trans boys are boys and trans girls are girls.
Read more about Bobby and his successful journey to live and play as the boy he is by clicking here.
Today’s Outsports Headlines:
LGBTQ guide to the Major League Baseball season
It’s time for an active player to come out. Baseball needs it
‘Find The Joy’: Gay college basketball coach’s amazing year after coming out
Pro wrestler Donnie Janela comes out as pansexual
National champion marathoner is out and has a great shot at the Summer Olympics
We celebrated the historic achievements of girls and women in LGBTQ sports in March
New Feature on Outsports:
Today we launched a new hub featuring a collection of resources for athletes, coaches, teachers and parents looking to support LGBTQ high school athletes. Here are just some of the stories you’ll find there:
Resources for LGBTQ high school student-athletes
Get connected and get involved with the LGBTQ sports community
Trans inclusion resources for high school sports
Inspiring videos of athletes and others coming out and being out in sports and in life
Resources for parents who have LGBTQ children
LGBTQ-inclusion resources for athletic departments and coaches
Check out these LGBTQ student-athlete scholarship opportunities
Tell your coming out story on Outsports
Other LGBTQ Sports stories making news…
Michael Rapaport Shares Homophobic, Misogynistic DMs from Kevin Durant
New scholarship named for trailblazing Black trans journalist Monica Roberts
Axios covers the anti-trans student-athlete movement: 3 GOP governors signed laws targeting trans youth in sports in the last 3 weeks
Trans women in English rugby could face height and weight safety checks
- Response to the RFU trans rugby policy and consultation – Mermaids
- You can provide feedback by clicking here
The Bay Area Reader is celebrating 50 years of “writing the first draft of LGBTQ history” and here’s a look at The evolution of the B.A.R.’s sports coverage.
Houston Rockets to Host Pride Night on April 14
Orlando Pride pay tribute to Space Coast, women in NASA with new Ad Astra kit
Today’s SB Nation’s top story…
Roy Williams is retiring after 18 seasons at UNC
Top LGBTQ News…
LGBTQ students file class-action lawsuit against Department of Education
Not an April Fools Prank: First Openly Gay Man Could Soon Travel to Space
Housing crisis takes toll on Bay Area LGBTQ seniors
Fiancée and Friends Mourn Lesbian TikTok Star Rochelle Hager
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier fans think Bucky just confirmed he’s bisexual
Today’s OutShout:
Today we salute Mack Beggs, who announced his retirement from collegiate wrestling in a TikTok conversation this week with fellow trans athletes Chris Mosier and CeCé Telfer, cis lesbian Brooke Rundle and cis straight duathlete Lucy Hochschartner.
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.
Social Media Spotlight:
The Jay Boy Project on Instagram remembers the passing of Gilbert Baker four years ago.
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!
Today’s Outsports Podcast:
Nearly every day of the week, Outsports has a new podcast for your enjoyment. Today, our Brian Bell welcomes DJ Accident Report back to the Outsports podcast LGBT In The Ring to break down all the hard-hitting LGBTQ action of Butch vs. Gore’s Cassandro Cup. 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:
MLB Opening Day:
PLAY BALL! Click here for MLB’s guide to today’s Opening Day games. Sadly, the Mets will not be playing until Saturday and the Orioles-Red Sox game in Boston is postponed by rain until Friday. The reason the Mets aren’t playing the Nationals is because of ongoing contact tracing involving members of the Nationals organization,
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]
A new On Deck Circle posts every weekday morning on Outsports.com
