MLB Hires Ambassador for Inclusion; Kluwe Threatens to Sue Former Team

By John Mack Freeman

There was a bit of movement in the sports world this week on LGBT issues. This week, Major League Baseball recognized Glenn Burke, the first player to ever come out while playing professional baseball. At the news conference, commissioner Burt Selig announced that former MLB-player Billy Bean will be appointed the organization’s first Ambassador for Inclusion. While MLB has a new code of conduct that prohibits anti-LGBT harassment of players and staff, there are currently no out LGBT players in the league. Via PinkNews:

 “MLB continues to lead by example with its social conscience and vision. It is our mission to create an equitable working environment, free of discrimination and prejudice for every player, coach, umpire and member of the MLB family.

“As a young man, I silently walked away from baseball for all the wrong reasons, and today I am truly humbled that the Commissioner’s Office has brought me back to lead the effort on inclusion. I will honor baseball’s great tradition, and be the resource that our current and future players need as they embrace their responsibility as role models to our fans.”

From the world of soccer: former Leeds United player Robbie Rogers will be the subject of a new television comedy series. The player rose to promise in the last year when he became the first out player in any major North American sports league. The new show will follow Rogers life and experiences around the time that he came out.

However, not all sports news this week is so positive. Former NFL  punter for the Minnesota Vikings Chris Kluwe is threatening to sue his former team for refusing to release a report that they commissioned six months ago to see if Kluwe’s strong pro-LGBT stance had been an issue in his dismissal from the team. Kluwe’s attorney said that they expected to have to litigate to see the report. The Vikings had previously stated that they would share the report with Kluwe and his attorney when it was completed, but they have since reneged on this promise.