( Chicago, April 8th, 2014 ) The National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame is now accepting nominations for the Class of 2014.
Nominees can be gay or lesbian individuals, organizations that have made tremendous strides in recognizing gay and lesbian athletes, or individual "Allies." The nomination form can be found at www.gayandlesbiansports.com and is due by April 22, 2014. The Hall of Fame will induct its second class of honorees at a ceremony on July 12, 2014 at Center on Halsted in conjunction with Out at Wrigleythe nation's largest "Gay Day" at a major league sporting event.
The LGBT Sports community just celebrated an exciting year. Collegiate athletes Michael Sam and Matt Kaplon shared their respective coming out stories with the world and Jason Collins became the first active, openly-gay NBA player. The progress of the LGBT Sports community continues and we must ensure momentum going forward.
"The NGLSHOF recognizes those who have stood up to LGBT stereotypes and worked to break down barriers by bringing people together for the good of sport," according to the group's executive director, Bill Gubrud.
The National Gay & Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame ( NGLSHOF ) was established to honor individuals and organizations whose achievements and efforts have enhanced the fields of sports and athletics for the LGBT community. Some of the current members of the Hall of Fame include Martina Navratilova, Greg Louganis, Billie Jean King, Jason Collins and the Chicago Cubs. A campaign is underway to raise funds in support of our efforts in the community and establish a physical location to display the contributions of inductees. A complete list of the inductees and the giving information can be found at www.gayandlesbiansports.com .