Posted on 07/07/2012 9:37:42 AM PDT by scottjewell
The Chicago Fire have teamed up with LGBT rights group Equality Illinois to create the first formal partnership between the one of the Midwest's largest gay rights organizations and a local professional sports team.
Initially announced during the Chicago Pride Parade late last month, when members of the Chicago Fire organization marched with the Equality Illinois float and its "I Do" marriage equality theme, the partnership involves several events during the month of July promoting lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender rights awareness and providing the team an opportunity to provide support to the local LGBT community.
Other Chicago sports teams, including the Cubs and White Sox, have held promotional nights and donated items for silent auction fundraisers in the past, but none have officially partnered with Equality Illinois.
"It's a small step in the right direction for any team," said Chicago Fire President Julian Posada. The team also has partnerships with other local LGBT advocacy groups and programs, including Fred Says and the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital's Center for Gender, Sexuality and HIV Prevention.
"It's not because we want to make a political statement," said Mr. Posada. "It's just the right thing to do." The next major event is a social networking cocktail party tonight at Wrigleyville bar Sidetrack, which will feature two Chicago Fire stars, Gonzalo Segares and Jay Nolly.
"This support from a major pro-sports team signals to fans and LGBT youth the diverse voices that embrace equality," said Equality Illinois CEO Bernard Cherkasov. "When we have sports heroes and teams show their support, it takes the conversation away from politics." The team will host Chicago Fire Pride Night at their game on Aug. 4 against Toronto FC, when a portion of ticket sale proceeds will go to benefit of the Equality Illinois Education Project.
The intersection of LGBT rights and professional sports sporadically appears in the national headlines, most recently last month, when former NFL cornerback Wade Davis came out of the closet, speaking to OutSports.com and SBNation about the challenges of hiding his secret in an NFL locker room.
"Your biggest fear is that you'll lose that camaraderie and family," Mr. Davis said in an interview with OutSports. "I think about how close I was with (teammates Jevon Kearse and Samari Rolle). It's not like they'd like me less, it's that they have to protect their own brand." That, among other reasons, plays a big part in why no professional athlete in a major North American sports league has ever revealed they are gay during their career.
Really viewing this as a lost cause lately. . .
Ubama’s post-faggot America, I guess.
This has gone global. Soon we will have to choose sides, choose wisely.
I was born and raised in Chicago, in the city. Lived there for over 30 years. Now when I go back for visits, it is amazing to me how much it has changed. The city—the media, the government—has been infected with homophilia. This did not used to be the case.
Wormed their way in as a special interest group. If it were for their own sakes only it would be a rather feeble worming, but they have scientifically whined and wailed many other lefties into giving them support.
I have often wondered how it was even possible for a Sodom situation to exist. How do you get the whole freakin’ city hall of a city, to not just be gay but gay rapists? Now I’m getting an inkling.
Of course, it is soccer, so not so surprising they lean queer.
“...the partnership involves several events during the month of July”
They weren’t satisfied with ‘hijacking’ the month of July?
All this for 2% of the population of perverts, child molesters and those who share their own feces?
This $hit’s gotta stop, so to speak.
ah, the plot thickens. ..
Chicago Fire. This is about soccer, "America's Sport" (\sarc), right? Maybe Becks is making money on marketing, but soccer can't be thriving in this economy. So like comic books, JCPenneys and Kraft you play the rainbow deck in an attempt to jumpstart sales. But I'm with you and Mark Steyn: the widespread rejection of moral values has never been a good sign for a mature civilization.
What I cannot understand, from a business standpoint, why the Chicago Fire would endorse homophilia/heterophobia and upset its large Hispanic fan base....as Hispanics (regardless of national background) are no supporters of homosexuality
I know liberals and homophilia supporters do not want to admit it, but the biggest opposition to homophilia is within their own base...minorities.
This is a bad business move by the Fire
I think that major sports should stay out of social/political issues. Whenever they get involved, they inevitably seem to endorse the liberal side of an issue. Why they do that, who knows. But, to deliberately alienate over half of your fan base, just to make a political statement, seems unwise.
Whether from a business standpoint, a marketing standpoint, or a community standpoint, it’s hard to see how it makes sense for this team to endorse homosexuality.
a fairly loose translation of Hauptman, is head man, which he prolly gives...
Did they play “find the hose”?
“Ubama’s post-faggot America, I guess.”
Maybe they’ll change the name of the game to “Suck-or” now.
What the hell is a LGBT?
Define anachronisms because we aren’t always as COOL as you are!
LGBT.
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