Sports

Teaming up

U.S. Tennis Association continues partnership with gay group

Published

11 years ago

October 22, 2014

Jonathan O'Brien, Gay and Lesbian Tennis Association, gay news, Washington Blade

Jonathan O’Brien on his way to the finals at a recent Gay and Lesbian Tennis Alliance tournament, the Capital Classic XXII, hosted by the Capital Tennis Association. (Photo courtesy Chris Burch Photography)

The last three years have seen much attention on the diversity training and programs that are in place in professional sports in the United States.

In 1993, the United States Tennis Association began an initiative to focus on minority participation in the tennis community. By 2003, the initiative became a department known as USTA Diversity & Inclusion.

They have established five targeted guides to reach out to key minority communities across the United States that include African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics and the LGBT community.

The guides are distributed to local programs and clubs and community tennis associations throughout the 17 established geographical Association sections in the United States with the goal that anyone from anywhere should be able to compete and play the sport of tennis.

“This outreach program has been built to attract and retain members in the USTA,” says D.A. Abrams, chief diversity officer of the Association. “Diversity is fine, but you need the inclusion.”

Back in 2010, the Gay and Lesbian Tennis Alliance met with the Association for the first time to discuss how they could both benefit from collaborating together.

The Alliance is the international governing body for the LGBT tennis community and sponsors about 65 tournaments for its 10,000 members throughout the world. Just last month, the two governing bodies signed a partnership agreement which will create a formal link between the two entities.

“The fact that a national governing body such as the USTA has partnered with the international GLTA speaks volumes about their commitment to us,” says Dan Merrithew, Alliance commissioner/secretary.

The Association was established in 1881, has 700,000 members and invests 100 percent of its proceeds to promote and develop the growth of tennis, from the grassroots level to the professional levels.

The only tennis organization the United States Tennis Association has ever partnered with before this agreement is the American Tennis Association, which is the oldest African-American sports organization in the United States.

“We don’t normally sponsor or partner with tennis organizations,” says Abrams of the United States Tennis Association. “This partnership was a mixture of a good business decision and the right thing to do.”

The partnership agreement will involve tournament support, advertising, media associated with tours, press releases, logos, merchandise and more.

The Alliance hosts an annual tour championship where the top eight ranked players in each division (Open, A, B, C, D singles and doubles) compete for the respective world titles, becoming essentially an LGBT Grand Slam of tennis.

The event rotates between two consecutive years in North America followed by one year in Europe. At the championship in Palm Springs, CA from Feb. 6-8, the event will be titled the GLTA World Tour Championships sponsored by the United States Tennis Association.

According to Merrithew, the partnership is going to offer more exposure for LGBT tennis clubs around the United States and encourage more players to join.

“Tennis is still very much a white country club sport in the United States and many people don’t feel welcome in the USTA leagues,” Merrithew says. “This partnership sends a clear message to kids that it is OK to be gay and play tennis.”

Another area that will be addressed in the outreach is the pockets of the U.S. where there are no LGBT tennis clubs such as North Dakota and South Dakota along with outreach in other countries around the world.

The Alliance now has a tournament and club in Cape Town, South Africa and is in the process of developing clubs in South America.

There is still one more thing that the Alliance is hoping to achieve.

“LGBT Day at the U.S. Open is something that many of us have been thinking about for a long time,” Merrithew says.

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Sports

‘Heated Rivalry’ stars to participate in Olympic torch relay

Games to take place next month in Italy

Published

1 week ago

January 23, 2026

Staff reports

(Photo courtesy of Crave HBO Max)

“Heated Rivalry” stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will participate in the Olympic torch relay ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics that will take place next month in Italy.

HBO Max, which distributes “Heated Rivalry” in the U.S., made the announcement on Thursday in a press release.

The games will take place in Milan and Cortina from Feb. 6-22. The HBO Max announcement did not specifically say when Williams and Storrie will participate in the torch relay.

Sports

Capitals to host 10th annual Pride night

Pre-game block party planned at District E

Published

2 weeks ago

January 16, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

(Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

The Washington Capitals will host Pride Night on Saturday, Jan. 17, when they host the Florida Panthers at Capital One Arena. A special ticket offer featuring a Pride-themed Capitals rainbow jersey is available at washcaps.com.

Fans are invited to a pre-game Block Party at District E beginning at 5 p.m. The event will feature a performance by the band NovaKane. Specialty happy hour food and beverages will be available, as well as giveaways. There will also be a presence by several local LGBTQ+ community organizations.

Egypt

Iran, Egypt object to playing in Seattle World Cup ‘Pride Match’

Game to take place on June 26

Published

2 months ago

December 11, 2025

Michael K. Lavers

(Photo by fifg/Bigstock)

Iran and Egypt have objected to playing in a “Pride Match” that will take place in Seattle during the 2026 World Cup.

The Egyptian Football Association on Tuesday said it told FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström in a letter that “it categorically rejects holding any activities related to supporting (homosexuality) during the match between the Egyptian national team and Iran, scheduled to be held in Seattle, USA, on June 26, 2026, in the third round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.” Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran President Mehdi Taj told ISNA, a semi-official Iranian news agency that both his country and Egypt “protested this issue.”

The 2026 World Cup will take place in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The draw took place at the Kennedy Center on Dec. 5.

Iran is among the handful of countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death.

The State Department’s 2023 human rights report notes that while Egyptian law “did not explicitly criminalize consensual same-sex sexual activity, authorities regularly arrested and prosecuted LGBTQI+ persons on charges including ‘debauchery,’ prostitution, and ‘violating family values.’” Egyptian authorities “also reportedly prosecuted LGBTQI+ individuals for ‘misuse of social media.’”

“This resulted in de facto criminalization of same-sex conduct and identity,” notes the report.

The 2024 human rights report the State Department released earlier this year did not include LGBTQ-specific references.

Soccer has ‘unique power to unite people across borders, cultures, and beliefs’

The June 26 match between Iran and Egypt coincides with Seattle Pride. The Washington Post reported the Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026 Local Organizing Committee decided to hold the “Pride Match” before last week’s draw.

“As the Local Organizing Committee, SeattleFWC26’s role is to prepare our city to host the matches and manage the city experience outside of Seattle Stadium,” said SeattleFWC26 Vice President of Communications Hana Tadesse in a statement the committee sent to the Washington Blade on Wednesday. “SeattleFWC26 is moving forward as planned with our community programming outside the stadium during Pride weekend and throughout the tournament, partnering with LGBTQ+ leaders, artists, and business owners to elevate existing Pride celebrations across Washington.”

“Football has a unique power to unite people across borders, cultures, and beliefs,” added Tadeese. “The Pacific Northwest is home to one of the nation’s largest Iranian-American communities, a thriving Egyptian diaspora, and rich communities representing all nations we’re hosting in Seattle. We’re committed to ensuring all residents and visitors experience the warmth, respect, and dignity that defines our region.”

The 2034 World Cup will take place in Saudi Arabia.

Consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death in the country. The 2022 World Cup took place in neighboring Qatar, despite concerns over the country’s anti-LGBTQ rights record.