Scroll To Top
Women

WNBA Becomes First Pro Sports League to Market to LGBT Fans!

WNBA Becomes First Pro Sports League to Market to LGBT Fans!

WNBA Becomes First Pro Sports League to Market to LGBT Fans!

It's a win/win for everyone!

TracyEGilchrist

It seems so like such an obvious win/win for all involved it’s a wonder it didn’t happen sooner, but the WNBA has announced it will market specifically to LGBT fans, making it the first pro sports league to do so, reports the LA Times.

The marketing push will include teams participating in outreach at pride festivals, advertising with lesbian media, and advocacy work, according to the Times.

“For us it's a celebration of diversity and inclusion and recognition of an audience that has been with us very passionately,” WNBA President Laurel Richie told the Associated Press. “This is one of those moments in the 'W' where everybody comes together.”

Richie went on to say that the league embraces all its fans but that they are well aware that their lesbian fan base has been “very, very supportive.”

One player who's thrilled that the WNBA has committed to its LGBT fans is Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner, the No.1 draft pick for 2013 who came out last year.

“I'm so glad that we're finally making a push to the LGBT community, who is a strong supporter of the WNBA,” Griner said about the news. “Our league being the first to make that push and bring more attention to it is great. We'll pave the way and show it's fine and there's nothing wrong with it. More sports need to do it. It's 2014, it's about time.”

 

 
Advocate Channel - The Pride StoreOut / Advocate Magazine - Fellow Travelers & Jamie Lee Curtis

From our Sponsors

Most Popular

Latest Stories

Related Stories

Most Recent

Recommended Stories for You

author avatar

Tracy E. Gilchrist

Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP, Executive Producer of Entertainment for the Advocate Channel. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.

Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP, Executive Producer of Entertainment for the Advocate Channel. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.