GLSEN

[GLSEN]

At Home in the Outfield

A breeze glides through the air as the sun dips below the tree line. The air is cooler than expected in Santa Monica on a May evening, but it’s perfect weather for baseball.

Jake Hofheimer, 17, cheers from the dugout as the ball jumps off a teammate’s bat. His mop of dark, curly hair peeks from underneath his still-crisp hat as a sideways smile crosses his face. This is Hofheimer’s first season with the New Roads School baseball team. He doesn’t play as much as he would like, but that doesn’t bother him because on the team, he feels like one of the guys, not Jake Hofheimer, transgender baseball player.

H/T: ESPN

[GLSEN]

How the NBA Is Making a Home for LGBTQ Youth Like Me 

Basketball is a sport that I hold near and dear to my heart. Born and raised in the hometown of five-time NBA championship winners, the San Antonio Spurs, I played for several years and found a sense of comfort in the game that I couldn’t really find anywhere else. When I was on the court, it was like the world stopped. I felt like I was home. I could forget all my other responsibilities, and I could just focus on something that I loved very much.

As I got older, I stopped playing basketball and focused on my advocacy work. I wanted to make school a safer and more affirming place for youth, regardless of how they identified or expressed themselves, so I started working with GLSEN and improved the GSA at my school. Things were starting to look pretty good. Everywhere seemed to be a safe space, until I realized I forgot the one place I used to call home: the basketball court.

Read more on the GLSEN Blog!