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(Podcast length 5:38 mins)
Pride month honors the world's LGBTQ communities by coming together and celebrating the freedom to be themselves. To mark the occasion, here are five stories we love.
Transcript
1. Out athletes like Billie Jean King (tennis), Megan Rapinoe (soccer) and NBA (National Basketball Association) player Jason Collins are passionate advocates of the LGBTQ community. Collins was the first active male player in any of the four major men's pro sports leagues to come out as gay publicly. During his playing days, he wore the number 98 to protest the anti-gay hate murder crime in 1998. During his recent address to the graduates of Middlebury College, Collins expressed his appreciation for Billie Jean King and her advocacy that gave him courage. He also shared the life lessons he learned from team sports (including a quote from Ted Lasso) that made him "the big, beautiful, fabulous Black man" he is. WISE WORDS
2. Professional sports teams across the country will celebrate Pride Month with Pride Nights. Major League Baseball (MLB) is getting on board with teams wearing LGBTQ pride logos to celebrate Pride Night at the ballpark. The Los Angeles Dodgers saw record-breaking ticket sales during their Pride Night vs. the New York Mets. The Dodgers will then make history on June 11 when they join the San Francisco Giants to become the first two teams to wear Pride caps in the same game. While the Dodgers and Giants may be on board, some players, like those on the Tampa Bay Rays, opted out of wearing the Pride logos due to religious reasons. STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE
3. As evident with the record-breaking numbers of ticket sales for the Dodgers Pride Night, fans show their support with their wallets. For example, look no further than when Las Vegas Raiders player Carl Nassib came out in 2021, and his jersey instantly became the highest-selling jersey. But teams are also showing their financial support. Austin FC (MLS – Major League Soccer) will auction off their game-worn jerseys from their Pride Night (June 27). In addition, 20 percent of proceeds from the club's pride patch sales will be donated to the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce's Education Fund. BETTER TOGETHER
4. The Summer Olympics in Tokyo set a record with at least 186 LGBTQ athletes competing, which is more LGBTQ athletes than all the previous Summer Olympics combined. That group includes WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner who has been detained in Russia since February. Sharing the horrendous conditions he lived in, Trevor Reed, an American veteran who spent nearly three years detained in Russia before being released in April, joined athletes and advocates worldwide this month to call upon legislators and the White House to work faster to free Griner. Just last weekend, the Boston Celtics used their platform to support Griner by wearing "We Are BG" shirts during their warmups during the NBA Finals. FREEDOM
5. In early June Amazon released the trailer for their new show "A League Of Their Own," an adaptation of the 1992 favorite movie starring Madonna, Tom Hanks and Geena Davis. The show's creators highlighted the importance of bringing stories of queer joy and perseverance in a time when that really wasn't acceptable in society to the small screen. Racism will also be a central storyline of the show. The show premieres on Prime Video on August 12. MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Sports Curious, presented by Last Night's Game, is here to take the awkward out of the conversation and help you join the sports conversation, even if you don't know the first thing about sports. We break down what's happening in sports in an easy-to-understand, fun way without all of the statistics and jargon, so you never have to exit stage left when the chatter at the office, dinner table or networking event switches to sports.
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