OutSport Toronto | Serving and Supporting LGBT Sport in the Greater Toronto Area

PRESS RELEASE - Jason Collins

Posted Tue, 30 Apr 2013, 9:35pm

Jason Collins with the Atlanta Hawks in May 201229 April 2013 – For Immediate Distribution

OUTSPORT TORONTO proudly congratulates NBA centre Jason Collins on the leadership he has shown by coming out and becoming publicly recognised as the first openly gay male athlete playing in a major North American team sport.

All athletes, regardless of their sexual orientation, seek to play their game with authenticity and honesty, and all athletes deserve that chance. Coming out and being honest as Jason Collins has, and as Brittney Griner, the Women’s NBA #1 draft pick did on April 17, makes a difference towards the quality of game we see played, and all sports fans can support a choice to improve the game!

OUTSPORT TORONTO continues to applaud the athletes and allies who lead the charge to make sport an accepting and open environment, and to support LGBT athletes who are proving that no matter your sexual orientation, it’s the quality of your skills and teamwork that define your limits, not your sexuality. Read more...

Nominations Open for the OutSport Toronto Board of Directors for Election at the 6 June 2013 AGM

Posted Thu, 18 Apr 2013, 10:35pm

OUTSPORT TORONTO seeks applications from individuals interested in assisting its Board of Directors to achieve its Vision. Positions are available as of June 6, 2013. Please see below for a list of the various positions on the Board of Directors.

Who is Eligible?

A person is eligible to be a director of OUTSPORT TORONTO if Read more...

OutSport Toronto Featured in GayStarNews

Posted Tue, 16 Apr 2013, 5:34pm

In March of 2013, OUTSPORT TORONTO was featured in GayStarNews. The first part of the article is below:

OutSport Toronto: Helping LGBT sports come together

GSN meets one of Canada’s leading LGBT sports organizations
07 March 2013 | By Gareth Johnson

The growth in LGBT sports groups has been a major revolution in the gay scene in many parts of the world over the last decade or so.

But holding all these groups together and making sure they are supported takes a lot of work. One group, OutSport in Toronto, has taken on this task in their area. Read more...

OutSport Toronto Welcomes Darlene Homonko, Ken Meiklejohn Steps Down as Vice Chair

Posted Sun, 24 Mar 2013, 11:47pm

Darlene HomonkoOUTSPORT TORONTO is pleased to announce the appointment of Darlene Homonko as a director, and as its new Vice Chair, replacing Ken Meiklejohn in the role, who stepped down as Vice Chair earlier in March 2013. Darlene will also assume the leadership of OUTSPORT TORONTO's Partnerships and Advocacy Committee, with which she has been working for the past few months.

"Ken was an amazing asset to OUTSPORT TORONTO as our Vice Chair over the past two years. He was tireless in his work to advance the mission, vision, and values of OUTSPORT TORONTO, to building incredibly valuable partnerships and relationships, and in serving our member organisations. He is taking on some new and very interesting projects in his own life, and while I will miss his thoughtful and insightful presence as my Vice Chair, I am delighted that he will nonetheless stay on working with us as a key member of the Partnerships and Advocacy Committee," said OUTSPORT TORONTO's Chair Shawn Sheridan. "We're also thrilled to have such a powerhouse as Darlene join our team! She is a highly accomplished and talented individual, both in sport and in her career, and will add substantial value to OUTSPORT TORONTO and to our member organisations!" Read more...

Marlies Coach Dallas Eakins Overwhelmed with Admiration for Toronto Gay Hockey Association

Posted Thu, 28 Feb 2013, 12:59am

Marlies coach Dallas Eakins dressing-room chat with Toronto Gay Hockey AssociationOUTSPORT TORONTO member organisation the Toronto Gay Hockey Association (TGHA) has done fantastic work over the last couple of years building a relationship with the Toronto Marlies, and bringing visibility to LGBT sport and recreation beyond the LGBT community. See the excellent article found at http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/2013/02/28/marlies_coach_dallas_eak... published in the Toronto Star 28 February 2013, and watch the full video of Eakins dressing-room talk with the TGHA.

"The Marlies have been great, and we're pleased to see them take very positive steps," noted TGHA nominee and OUTSPORT TORONTO director James Scott. Read more...

OutSport Toronto Wishes David Langan Well, Seeks New Director of Communications & PR

Posted Fri, 25 Jan 2013, 6:35pm

David LanganOUTSPORT TORONTO is sad to announce the resignation of David Langan as a board director, vacating the portfolio of Communications and Public Relations. Langan will be devoting his time to Out and Out as its president again this year.

"We're certainly sad to see David go," said OUTSPORT TORONTO Chair Shawn Sheridan. "David has been an amazing asset and tremendous supporter of OUTSPORT TORONTO, and we're grateful for his efforts to move us forward over this past couple of years. But I know he's keen to focus his full energy on Out and Out, and we're delighted that our largest member organisation is in such good hands."

With Langan's departure from the board, OUTSPORT TORONTO is looking to fill that vacant director's position with an individual who will enhance the communications and PR work that has been started. "This is a key role within our working board," said Sheridan. "We and our member organisations have a lot of great stories that we want to get out there, and we want to make sure that our member organisations and other stakeholders know about the great things that are happening in LGBT sport and recreation in Toronto."

More information on the role can be found by clicking here. If you are interested in applying for the volunteer board position of Director, Communications and Public Relations, please contact Shawn Sheridan, Chair of OUTSPORT TORONTO, at shawn.sheridan@OutSportToronto.org . Read more...

Beth Beattie Joins OutSport Toronto Board

Posted Sun, 6 Jan 2013, 9:29pm

Beth BeattieOUTSPORT TORONTO is delighted to announce the appointment of Beth Beattie as a director of OUTSPORT TORONTO, and to the position of Secretary. David Carter, who formerly held the position of Secretary Treasurer, remains as Treasurer.

"I'm thrilled to have another smart and talented woman on our board, and now as part of our executive," said Shawn Sheridan, Chair of OUTSPORT TORONTO, continuing, "Beth has had a long and significant involvement with LGBT sport and rec in Toronto, and I know we and all our member organisations will benefit incredibly from her skill, perspective, and expertise."

Beth has enjoyed playing sports all of her life. She has participated in Pink Turf soccer and Rainbow Hoops. The past few years she has been swimming with the Downtown Swim Club. Her passion over the past four years has been playing water polo with the Toronto Tirggerfish. Beth has a masters of law in alternative dispute resolution and enjoys getting to the root of matters. She is very interested in exploring issues around women in sport in the LGBT community. Read more...

A Year of Advocacy and Partnerships

Posted Wed, 19 Dec 2012, 4:09pm

This was a busy year for OUTSPORT TORONTO in terms of partnerships and advocacy work. Building on solid work done in 2011, OUTSPORT TORONTO hit the ground running. Following is a retrospective of 2012 Partnership and Advocacy work. Read more...

Angela James to be Keynote Speaker at Scrum 2012

Posted Fri, 5 Oct 2012, 4:53pm

Angela James, Hockey Hall of FamerOUTSPORT TORONTO is pleased to announce Angela James as our keynote speaker for Scrum 2012.

James is a Canadian former ice hockey forward, who played in the Central Ontario Women's Hockey League (now the National Women's Hockey League), and represented Team Canada internationally. Considered the first superstar of modern women's hockey, James scored 34 points in 20 games over four women's world championships, including 11 goals in five games in the inaugural IIHF World Women's Championships, held in Ottawa in 1990.

In 2005, Hockey Canada honoured James with the female breakthrough award, given for making significant contributions to the promotion and/or development of female hockey in Canada. She was acknowledged for her efforts to promote and develop the game for females, and for her great skill within the game. Along with highlighting her excellence, Hockey Canada also noted that she has played at every position, including goaltender, where she recorded a shutout. James has coached the North York Aeros, and she has officiated in the Ontario Women's Hockey Association.

In 2008, she, along with Cammi Granato (USA) and Geraldine Heaney (CAN), became the first women to be inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2008, the Angela James Bowl was created in her honour. The trophy is awarded to the Canadian Women's Hockey League's top scorer. On 22 June 2010 James was included in the 2010 Hockey Hall of Fame class; she and Cammi Granato became the first women inducted. James was formally inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on 8 November 2010. Read more...

Boxer Orlando Cruz Announces He Is Gay

Posted Thu, 4 Oct 2012, 5:27pm

Orlando CruzBreaking news! Finally a pro athlete comes out. These are exciting times! WBO No. 4 featherweight boxer and former Olympian Orlando Cruz announced today he is "a proud gay man". We're proud of you, too!

_____________________________

The Associated Press

Posted: Oct 4, 2012 1:34 PM ET
Last Updated: Oct 4, 2012 3:30 PM ET

Describing himself as "a proud gay man," Puerto Rican featherweight Orlando Cruz on Thursday became what is believed to be the first pro boxer to come out as openly homosexual while still competing.

Cruz told The Associated Press in an interview that he is relieved about his decision but had initial reservations.

"I developed physically and mentally to take such a big step in my life and in my profession, which is boxing, knowing that it would have pros and cons, highs and lows in this sport that is so macho," he said. "I kept this hidden for many, many years." Read more...