LGBTQ Sports Management
Although it is often the sports players who get the bulk of the attention when it comes to LGBTQ Sports, of equal importance is the many LGBTQ individuals involved in the administrative aspects of professional and amateur sports.
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, and England's Football Association appointed Chris Gibbons as Inclusion Education Advisor.
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 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.
We have identified LGBTQ sports management and administrators from Russia, Canada, Great Britain, the United States, Mexico, Belgium, Germany, Australia, and South Africa.
- Chris Basiurski, Great Britain, Chair - Gay Footballers' Supporter Network
- Billy Bean, United States, Major League Baseball - Ambassador for Inclusion
- Sue Black, United States, Owner and CEO - Milwaukee Wave
- Robert Brakel, United States, Video Director - Arizona Cardinals
- Caitlin Cahow, United States, Board Member - Canadian Women's Hockey League
- Roberta Cowell, Founder - Motor Racing Team
- Kurt Dahl, United States, Co-President - Federation of Gay Games
- Ivan Denis, Belgium, Ambassador - World Outgames
- Kenny Dow, United States, Senior Manager of Marketing - Seattle Storm
- Gordon Dunbar, Canada, Director - Gay and Lesbian International Sports Association
- Joanie Evans, Great Britain, Co-President - Federation of Gay Games
- Michelle Ferris, Australia, Gay Games Ambassador
- Chris Gibbons, Great Britain, Inclusion and Education Advisor - Football Association
- Kimberly Hadley, Canada, Co-President - International Gay and Lesbian Football Association
- Bruce Hayes, United States - Gay Games Ambassador
- Jayna Hefford, Canada, Spokesperson - Canadian Hockey Association's Initiation Program
- Drew Martin, United States, Assistant Athletic Director, Texas Christian University (TCU)
- Steffi Jones, Germany, FIFA Women's World Cup Organizer
- Kevin McClatchy, United States, Owner and former CEO, Pittsburgh Pirates baseball club
- Leigh-Ann Naidoo, South Africa, Gay Games Ambassador
- Stephen Nick, United States, Co-President - International Gay and Lesbian Football Association
- Aldo Peralta, Mexico, General Director - Los Lobos soccer club
- Viktor Romanov, Russia, Chair - Russian LGBT Sports Federation
- Matt Schulte, United States, Marketing Coordinator - Kansas City Royals baseball club
- David Slattery, United States, General Manager - NFL's Washington Redskins
- Mark Tewksbury, Canada, Former Chef de Mission - Canadian Olympic Team
- Tom Waddell, United States, Founder - Federation of Gay Games
- Rick Welts, United States, President & Chief of Operations - NBA Golden State Warriors
- Konstantin Yablotskiy, Russia, Organizer - Russian Open Games
