Difference between revisions of "LGBTQ Sports Management"

Latest revision as of 16:23, 1 May 2024

LGBTQ Sports Management

It is often the sports players themselves who get the bulk of the attention when it comes to LGBTQ Sports. Of equal importance to sport is the many LGBTQ individuals involved in the administrative aspects of professional and amateur teams.

These individuals include the owners and presidents of the various sports teams, such as lesbian Sue Black (owner of the Milwaukee Wave soccer team) or gay Rick Welts (President of NBA's Golden State Warriors).

It also includes those individuals acting in the capacity of day-to-day management roles, such as lesbian Jayna Hefford (Spokesperson, Canadian Hockey Association's Initiation Program) or gay Kenny Dow (Senior Manager of Marketing for Seattle Storm soccer club).

In 2014 Major League Baseball appointed former gay baseball player Billy Bean as its Ambassador for Inclusion. England's Football Association has appointed Chris Gibbons as Inclusion Education Advisor. These are efforts to reach out to the sports’ LGBTQ supporters and show their support for inclusion in the sport.

Many LGBTQ individuals are involved in local amateur sporting associations and have an important role to play in the development of youth players. A notable example is gay Aldo Peralta of Mexico and the Los Lobos soccer team.

And finally, there are many LGBTQ activists involved in sports through international organizations (such as the Federation of Gay Games, Gay and Lesbian International Sports Association (GLISA), the International Gay and Lesbian Football Association) or national organizations.

Sports management holds a powerful position when it comes to the recognition of LGBTQ human rights. For example, in 2016 the NBA decided to move its 2017 All Star game out of the state of North Carolina in protest of that states’ discriminatory legislation aimed at the community (known as ‘the bathroom law). The National College Athletic Association (NCAA) followed suit by withdrawing any championship series from the state.

We have identified LGBTQ sports management and administrators from Russia, Canada, Great Britain, the United States, Mexico, Scotland, Belgium, Germany, Australia, and South Africa.

Australia

• Michelle Ferris - Gay Games Ambassador
• Alison Forman - Administrator, Dana Cup (Europe)
• Luke Pellegrini - Australian Olympic Committee, Head of Games Operations and Sports Management
• Penny Taylor - Director of Player Personnel, WNBA's Phoenix Mercury

Belgium

• Ivan Denis - Ambassador - World Outgames

Canada

• Bayne Pettinger - Manager of Operations, Hockey Canada
• Gordon Dunbar - Director, Gay and Lesbian International Sports Association
• Kimberly Hadley - Co-President, International Gay and Lesbian Football Association
• Jayna Hefford - Spokesperson, Canadian Hockey Association's Initiation Program
• Mark Tewksbury - Former Chef de Mission, Canadian Olympic Team

Germany

• Steffi Jones - FIFA Women's World Cup Organizer

Great Britain

• Chris Basiurski - Chair, Gay Footballers' Supporter Network
• Roberta Cowell - Founder, Motor Racing Team
• Joanie Evans - Co-President, Federation of Gay Games
• Chris Gibbons - Inclusion and Education Advisor - Football Association
• David Haigh - Managing Director, Leeds United Football Club
• Laura McAllister - Chair, Sports Wales
• Chris Morgan - Gay Games Ambassador
• Hugo Scheckter - Player/Team Liason, Southampton FC
• Casey Stoney - Manager, Manchester United Football Team
• Luke Tuffs - Ashford Town (Middlesex) Football Club
• Lisa Wainwright - CEO, GB Basketball

Mexico

• Aldo Peralta - General Director, Los Lobos soccer club

Norway

• Lise Klaveness - President, Norwegian Football Federation

Russia

• Viktor Romanov - Chair, Russian LGBT Sports Federation
• Konstantin Yablotskiy - Organizer, Russian Open Games

Scotland

• Gregg Carrol - Manager, Huntley Football Club

South Africa

• Leigh-Ann Naidoo - Gay Games Ambassador

United States

• Clay Allen - General Counsel, Houston Rockets basketball team
• Joe Altenau - Director of Event Operations, New Jersey Devils ice hockey team
• Greg Bader - VP Marketing and Communications, Baltimore Orioles baseball team
• David Baggs - Senior Manager, Boston Red Sox Academy, Boston Red Sox baseball team
• Lindsay Barenz - President, Oakland Roots soccer/football club
• Billy Bean - Major League Baseball, Ambassador for Inclusion
• Sue Bird - Co-owner, Seattle Storm WNBA basketball team
• Sue Black - Owner and CEO, Milwaukee Wave
• Carol Blazejowski - General Manager, New York Liberty WNBA team
• Robert Brakel - Video Director, Arizona Cardinals
• Erik Braverman - Vice-president marketing and broadcasting, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Lisa Brummel - Co-Owner, Seattle Storm WNBA team
• Chris Burns - Assistant Basketball Coach, Bryant University Bulldogs
• Caitlin Cahow - Board Member, Canadian Women's Hockey League
• Mark Chambers - Founder/President, National Gay Basketball Association
• Kurt Dahl - Co-President, Federation of Gay Games
• Gene Dermody - President, Federation of Gay Games
• Kenny Dow - Senior Manager of Marketing, Seattle Storm
• Anthony Filomena, Public Relations Manager, Chicago Blackhawks ice hockey team
• Molly Gallatin - Senior Director of Brand and Content, PGA of America
• Jane Geddes - CEO, Executive Womens Golf Association; Executive director of the International Association of Golf Administrators (IAGA)
• Ginny Gilder - co-owner, Seattle Storm WNBA team
• Mark Adam Haggerty - Ring announcer for Major League Wrestling
• Bruce Hayes - Gay Games Ambassador
• Raven Jemison, Executive Vice President, Millwaukee Bucks
• Carley Knox - Vice President of Business Operations, Minnesota Lynx
• Nona Lee - Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer, Arizona Diamondbacks baseball club
• Tyson Lusk - Director of Baseball Operations, University of South Carolina
• Drew Martin - Assistant Athletic Director, Texas Christian University (TCU)
• Kevin McClatchy - Owner and former CEO, Pittsburgh Pirates baseball club
• Renee Montgomery - Co-owner, Atlanta Dream basketball team
• Karen Morrison - Director of Gender Inclusion, NCAA
• Stephen Nick - Co-President, International Gay and Lesbian Football Association
• Elisa Padilla - Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer for Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (BSE), parent of Brooklyn Nets of the NBA
• Jason Pippi - Director of Entertainment, St Louis Blues NHL hockey team
• Samantha Rapoport - Senior Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, National Football League
• Steve Reed (sports) - Director of Human Resources, Washington Nationals baseball team
• Ryan Resch - Vice-President, Basketball Evaluation and Strategy, Phoenix Suns basketball team
• Laura Ricketts - owner, Chicago Cubs baseball club
• Matt Schulte - Marketing Coordinator, Kansas City Royals baseball club
• David Slattery - General Manager, NFL's Washington Redskins
• Tom Waddell - Founder, Federation of Gay Games
• Rick Welts - President & Chief of Operations, NBA Golden State Warriors

See Also

• LGBTQ Professional and Amateur Sports Coaches
• LGBTQ Sports Referees and Umpires
• LGBTQ Personal Trainers and Lifestyle Coaches
• LGBTQ Cyclists
• LGBTQ Tennis
• LGBTQ Figure Skaters
• Lesbian Football/Soccer Players
• Professional LGBTQ Mixed Martial Artists
• The Community of LGBTQ Boxers
• LGBTQ Presence in the Equestrian World
• The World of LGBTQ Golf
• World Sports Champions Who Identify as LGBTQ
• Sportswriters and Sportscasters of the LGBTQ Community
• LGBTQ Athletes Who Have Won Olympic Gold
• LGBTQ Track & Field
• Lesbian Professional Basketball Players and Coaches

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