Jon Holmes has departed Sky Sports, where he has over the last few years built powerful credentials as the leading storyteller of LGBTQ athletes and inclusion issues in sports in the U.K., if not all of Europe.
While he’s leaving his post at Sky Sports, his work in the LGBTQ sports space is just getting started.
Saying my Sky farewells – feel lucky to have made so many friends and had such rewarding experiences (some memories pictured!) A big #LifeAtSky thank you to all esp. my @SkySports team & #LGBT+/@Sky 🌈 family 🙏
— Jon Holmes 🇺🇦 (@jonboy79) March 1, 2022
Time for a breather, growing @SportsMediaLGBT, & new challenges 🙂 pic.twitter.com/iFzyT492iq
Holmes was one of the first sports journalists worldwide — if not the first — to prioritize the telling of LGBTQ stories in sports. We at Outsports have worked with Holmes regularly on stories, sharing insights and contacts to help one another elevate the conversations in our respective countries.
In addition, he started Sports Media LGBT+, a network highlighting the work of LGBTQ people in the sports media, as well as the media’s coverage of the topics in and around our community.
His work has been recognized across the United Kingdom as groundbreaking and moving the needle on these important conversations, making him a thought leader in the space. This year he was nominated as one of the Top 10 Outstanding Contributors to LGBT+ Life, at the British LGBT Awards.
“Eight years ago, I was slowly building my self-confidence after coming out to friends and family,” he wrote of the award, “so to have been nominated for an award for my LGBT+ inclusion work in sport/sportsmedia is something that means a great deal.”
His work in the space has made him a leading voice for LGBTQ inclusion in sports in England and beyond, working closely with the Rainbow Laces campaign, among others. He is often asked to participate in leading public and private conversations focused on our community in sports by some of the biggest players in the game, including at Outsports Pride, which he’s attended a couple times.
Holmes isn’t leaving the LGBTQ sports space anytime soon. He will continue to build the influence and coverage of Sports Media LGBT+, as well as working on various projects. One of the events next up for him: Pride House at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.
While Holme’s voice will be missed at Sky Sports, we at Outsports are excited to continue working with him and elevating his voice in other ways.
You can follow Jon Holmes on Twitter and on Instagram. Sports Media LGBT+ is also on Twitter and Instagram.
