Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims on Current TV

Pennsylvania candidate and civil rights advocate Brian Sims talks about Romney’s stance on marriage equality. Sims also tells his personal story, of coming out as gay while a championship college football player.

Brian Sims is one of The Advocate's "40 under 40"

Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims is one of The Advocate's "40 under 40":

Brian Sims • 33
Philadelphia
Candidate, Pennsylvania House of Representatives

The state that spawned the political career of Rick Santorum may be seeking a little redemption on the national landscape. And Pennsylvania may find it in Democrat Brian Sims, who, in an April 24 primary, is attempting to unseat a Democratic incumbent in the state House. There’s no Republican challenger in the race, so the victor will likely take office. If that’s Sims, he’ll be the state’s first openly gay legislator.

The son of two retired Army lieutenant colonels, Sims is widely credited with turning around Equality Pennsylvania, a once-floundering LGBT group that has since pushed successfully for municipal LGBT protections around the state.

But Pennsylvania woefully lacks comprehensive LGBT rights laws. Sims is fighting to change that. “Pennsylvania is not an archaic state,” he says.

5 May 2012 / Premiere of "Legalize Gay" on LOGO, featuring Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims

"Legalize Gay" - co-produced with Rogue Culture Productions and Logo television - is a documentary that captures the courage and conviction of a new generation of activists -- gay and straight -- as they campaign for LGBT equality in marriage, non-discrimination in sports and at work, same-sex sex education, standing up to bullying and forging inclusive college campuses. They often take these stands in parts of the country hostile to gay and lesbian rights. A movie by Christopher Hines.

The film features Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims, as well as athlete allies Hudson Taylor and Ben Cohen.

www.legalizegaymovie.com

Premieres on MTV's Logo network, 8 p.m., Saturday, May 5, 2012

Congratulations to Brian Sims, future Pennsylvania state representative

Our warmest congratulations to Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims, who won the Democratic primary for a seat from Philadelphia in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The official election isn't until November, but Brian is running unopposed.

Brian will be the first gay member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, but his campaign went far beyond equality issues. We wish him good luck in his service to the people of Pennsylvania.

Brian Sims tells his True Gay Story

I'm From Driftwood is a 501(c)(3) non-profit forum for true lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer stories. Earlier this year, founder and Executive Director Nathan Manske and two companions successfully completed a four-month, 50-state Story Tour collecting LGBTQ stories from towns and cities across the country. They're pulling some of the most relevant, important and sometimes just enjoyable stories from their archives and sharing them with HuffPost Gay Voices.

Here's the story of Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims. It's a great one!

Sports personalities feature high on Campus Pride's "Hot List" of 25 top speakers for student events

From Campus Pride:

Campus Pride officially releases the 2011 HOT LIST! The list represents our "Top 25 LGBT Favorites" -- lecturers, comedians, musicians. poets, artists, researchers, activists and more. Every year Campus Pride picks the most diverse, provocative, inspiring and enlightening artists/speakers as a resource for your LGBT student organization. The purpose is to provide a recommendation of the BEST OF THE BEST in planning your campus events and activities.

The artists/speakers listed are not only our SIZZLING HOT PICKS but they also rate highly among recommendations from LGBT young adults at colleges and universities across the country. If you want to create change -- PICK FROM OUR TOP 25 LGBT FAVORITES!

BURNING HOT: Learn more about each artist/speaker and don't forget to mention the Campus Pride HOT LIST!

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On the list you'll find speakers such as:

Ben Cohen, MBE
Campus Pride Hot Tag -- Speaker/Lecturer, Sports

Ben Cohen, MBE, is an England Rugby World Cup champion, and among the world’s greatest athletes. He ranks second in all-time scoring for England, and first among straight professional athletes to focus his philanthropic efforts for the benefit of the LGBT community. In May 2011, Cohen founded the StandUp Foundation, Inc., the world’s first foundation dedicated to raising awareness of the long-term, damaging effects of bullying. The StandUp Foundation funds those doing real-world work to stop bullying, regardless of to whom it happens. Because lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are often targeted by bullies, the foundation gives particular attention to this community. Cohen and his foundation considers removing homophobia from sports as central to his personal mission.

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Hudson Taylor
Campus Pride Hot Tag -- Speaker/Lecturer, Sports

Hudson Taylor is a competing athlete and Division I college wrestling coach at Columbia University. He graduated from the University of Maryland as a Division I three-time All-American wrestler in 2010 and currently ranks among the top-five pinners in NCAA history. Hudson grew up in an Evangelical Christian family with missionary roots. Committed to civil rights and social justice, Hudson wore a Human Rights Campaign sticker on his wrestling headgear in college to show solidarity — as a heterosexual athlete ally — with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. This single act drew media attention around the country and prompted thousands of inspiring, personal messages. With this encouragement, Hudson became committed to speaking louder as an athlete ally and created the Athlete Ally Pledge and Whydoyoufight.org blog to gather support from athletes and advocates around the country.

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LZ Granderson
Campus Pride Hot Tag -- Speaker/Lecturer, Sports

LZ Granderson is a senior writer and columnist for ESPN the Magazine and ESPN.com, as well as a regular contributor for ESPN’s Sports Center, Outside the Lines and First Take. A member of the National Association of Black Journalists, Mr. Granderson was a Columbia University Hechinger Institute Fellow, a 2009 GLAAD Award winner for online journalism and won first place in the opinion writing category for the 2008 Excellence in Journalism awards given by the National Lesbian Gay Journalist Association. He recently ignited an intense national community debate with his op ed piece, "Gay is not the new black" on CNN.com.

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Brian Sims
Campus Pride Hot Tag -- Speaker/Lecturer, Sports, Politics

In 2000, Brian Sims was the captain of the Bloomsburg University football team in northeast Pennsylvania, and following the greatest season in the Division II school’s history he did the unthinkable: he came out of the closet! In doing so, the regional All-American and team captain became the only openly gay college football captain in NCAA history and the most notable college player to ever come out. Sims is currently running for the Pennsylvania State House and was formerly the Staff Counsel for Policy & Planning at The Philadelphia Bar Association. In addition to his practice, Sims serves as the former President of the Board of Directors of EqualityPA and as the Chairman of GALLOP (Gay & Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia). In 2009 he was selected as a State Political Leaders Fellow by the Center for Progressive Leadership and joined the National Campaign Board of The Victory Fund. He also travels and speaks about his experiences in college level athletics for LGBT students and allies.

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Michael Holtz
Campus Pride Hot Tag -- Lecturer/Speaker, Sports

Michael Holtz is an inspirational public speaker, inspiring people how to live their best lives and to embrace their uniqueness, empower themselves, and enrich the lives of others. He is also the founder and race director for the Swim for Equality series which has a race in June from Swim for Equality from Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay and in September 24 in Malibu, California. Through it all, Michael has trained, competed and achieved numerous prestigious honors to date. These include: Compete magazine's Athlete of the Year; Mr. Gay USA 2011; and first runner-up Mr. Gay World 2011. International Olympic and US springboard diving legend Greg Louganis describes Michael as, "A very committed, young, energetic man and a wonderful role model for what is good in the LGBT Community in Sports and Awareness.

5 November 2011 / Federation of Gay Games at Compete Sports Diversity Expo and Awards

Visit the FGG booth at this event, meet Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims, and more!
More info HERE.

A message from Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims on National Coming Out Day

Yesterday was National Coming Out Day in the US, and Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims posted this great video:

Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims on the cover of Compete Magazine

Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims is the cover story of the October issue of Compete Magazine. They look at his evolution as a public figure, with the latest step being his candidacy for the Pennsylvania legislature.

Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims and other LGBT sports figures on list of who's who in gay Philadelphia

In Philadelphia magazine's list of who's who in gay Philadelphia, the "jocks" page features Joanna Lohman, a starting player with the Philadelphia Independence, a professional women’s soccer team that surprised everyone by placing second last year in the national championship; Wayne Knaub, commissioner of the Greater Philadelphia Flag Football League (GPFFL); and Meegan Coll, a member of the Flying Phoenix Dragon Boat team.

And Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims, who recently nnounced a run for the Pennsylvania state legislature, appears on the "Legal Eagles" page:

Sims started his advocacy by helping elect Judge Dan Anders to the Court of Common Pleas. “Dan was trying to join Ann Butchart on the bench, and it was really important to me that he was running as a member of the LGBT community,” says Sims, an attorney who’s now running for the State House in the Democratic primary against Babette Josephs who’s held the seat for almost three decades. The ex-football- star—a Division II champ—is a former Army brat who lives in the Gayborhood with his 170-pound Newfoundland. He credits his dad with teaching him to be a leader. “He’s shown me my entire life that a strong, intelligent, capable man can also be compassionate and empathetic,” says Sims. “He was a career Army officer who has a doctoral degree, has traveled the world, has been married to the same woman his entire life, and is loved by all of his children. There’s a lot to look up to there.”

Outsports top-100 moments in LGBT sports history: numbers 41-50

Here's a reminder of the latest ten stories in the Outsports series:

Over the rest of the summer we will release our list of the 100 most important moments in gay-sports history. We have focused on specific moments, whether they be a few minutes or a day, that have shaped the course of our history; Many of the faces of those moments will be familiar to our readers.

We focused on what we consider to be the “gay-sports movement.” There were certainly amazing gay and lesbian athletes before the Stonewall riots in 1969, but there wasn’t a push for gay equality in sports until after that fateful day in New York City. Our moments range from July 1, 1969 to July 1, 2011.

We note in this group two Gay Games-related entries: the founding of FGG member organization IGBO, and the coming out story of Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims.

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41) The founding of the International Gay Bowling Org. / 1980 / bowling
42) Lana Lawless wins right to play on LPGA Tour / 2010 / golf
43) Brian Sims tells his story / 2009 / college football
44) Kye Allums comes out / 2010 / college basketball
45) Hudson Taylor openly supports gay rights / 2010 / wrestling
46) NBA fines Kobe Bryant $100k / 2011 / NBA
47) Rene Portland leaves Penn State / 2007 / college basketball
48) Figure skater Andrej Nepela named Slovakia athlete of the century / 2000 / figure skating
49) IOC ends mandatory gender testing / 1999 / Olympics
50) Rick Welts comes out / 2011 / NBA

Brian Sims speaking today at Philadelphia LGBT media summit

NLGJA National Convention & LGBT Media Summit Frday 2:30 pm, Panels & Workshops

Moderator: LZ Granderson
Panelists: Steve Buckley, Jemele Hill, Joanna Lohman, Jeff McMillan, Brian Sims, Hudson Taylor

Being gay in sports isn’t just for retirement anymore. In the past year, out athletes are playing on the field under the global glare of mainstream sports coverage, leaving the locker room and heading home to their same-sex partners – all openly. In this plenary, hear from some of the biggest names in sports, and the people who cover them, about how media coverage and league culture have to adapt to the new reality of the gay professional athlete.

Info HERE.

Brian Sims finishes term as President of Equality Pennsylvania

From Pennsylvania Gay News, news about Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims:

After two years at the helm of the board of Equality Pennsylvania, president Brian Sims has stepped down, and the agency has brought on both new board leadership and members.

Sims will end his term Sept. 1, and Adrian Shanker, the Allentown-based vice president of Pennsylvania Diversity Network, will replace him.

“I knew for certain what I wanted Equality Pennsylvania to look like three months, six months, 12 months out,” Sims said of his decision, “and I would have run for another term if I thought the organization still needed the internal work done that I’ve been doing, but we are in a very strong place right now.”

Sims led the board through a period of integral redevelopment, said Equality PA executive director Ted Martin.

“He brought stability to an organization that was going through a lot of transition,” Martin said. “And he maintained that stability that allowed the organization to get where we are today.”

In the past two years, Equality PA took such steps as hiring Martin as executive director, expanding its board to include members from all corners of the state and launching its 501 (c)(4) political arm and Harrisburg office.

Additionally, the agency has noted policy achievements such as the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s relaxation of its gender-marker regulations for transgender individuals, and organizational developments including the successful town-hall meeting series and the hiring of an outreach coordinator in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign.

Most recently, the organization finalized its paperwork to launch a political action committee, the first of its kind in the state that will focus specifically on electing LGBT and ally candidates.

“I think the PAC can provide a wake-up call to a lot of elected officials,” Martin said. “The LGBT community isn’t just talk; the LGBT community is now action. We can offer funds, support candidates and issues and work to elect good people.”

Last weekend, Martin attended a conference with about 40 other heads of statewide LGBT organizations and said that, with the creation of the PAC, which is expected to formally launch in mid-September, Equality PA is on equal footing with other agencies.

Sims said the 501 (c)(4) and PAC were goals of his two years ago that he’s thrilled have come to fruition.

“Giving Pennsylvania’s gay citizens a voice in the political atmosphere will be one of the defining characteristics of this organization 50 years from now,” he said. “We’re going to be extremely active in the next political cycle, and I think 2012 will see Equality Pennsylvania all over the country.”

The new PAC will mesh well with Shanker’s goals of building an LGBT and ally voter base and remind ally lawmakers of their commitment to the LGBT community.

Shanker, 24, comes to the presidency after spearheading successful efforts to secure three pro-LGBT ordinances in the Lehigh Valley in the past year — domestic-partner measures in Easton and Allentown and an LGBT nondiscrimination ordinance in Bethlehem.

“I’m very excited to be leading Equality Pennsylvania through this exciting time in Pennsylvania, where I think we have an opportunity to start making some real change locally and at some point soon hopefully at the state level,” Shanker said.

While his longterm goal centers on helping bring Pennsylvania “out of the Stone Age” and passing pro-LGBT measures such as a statewide nondiscrimination ordinance, he will also focus on educating lawmakers — in some creative ways.

For instance, at last weekend’s Pride celebration in Wilkes Barre, Shanker encouraged those traveling to nearby New York to get married to mail the receipts from all of their wedding expenses to their elected representatives, to demonstrate “how much they’re spending in another state because our state has failed in its responsibility to adequately represent its citizens by providing equal rights. We don’t have one right from the state of Pennsylvania, so we’re going to be aggressively educating our elected officials about the need for such laws as marriage equality, nondiscrimination, antibullying and hate-crime prevention.”

Shanker, who will resign from his role at PDN to take on the EQPA board presidency, will be joined by newly elected vice president Lisa Kustra, the Pittsburgh-based CEO of a consulting firm.

Also new to the board are Philadelphia-based members Adam Hymans, a board member at the William Way LGBT Community Center and donor engagement officer at The Philadelphia Foundation, and Rick Naughton, an attorney with Sellers Dorsey and former board member at Equality Forum.

The board also welcomed Dr. Michelle Angelo of Wayne, Fiona Hensley of Meadville and Jessica Rothschild of Scranton.

Read more: PGN-The Philadelphia Gay News. Phila gay news. philly news - EQPA gets new board prez launches PAC

Brian Sims on being part of Ben Cohen's Stand Up tour

An extract from Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims' guest post on the Compete Magazine "Standing Up with Ben Cohen" blog:

For my part, I’d known for several weeks that the tour was the kick-off of the organization but I hadn’t known that it would also coincide with Ben’s retirement from professional rugby, news of which broke just days before the start of the tour. The idea that a world-famous athlete would leave his sport, and his home country, to start an organization wholly dedicated to eradicating bullying in all forms was more than just inspiring, it was the definition of heroic.

So in mid-May I hopped on a plane from Philadelphia to Atlanta, where I was asked to introduce Ben at the launch of his tour. I was joined by Shane from Campus Pride and quickly whisked away to the offices being used to launch the endeavor. Just as quickly, I was introduced to a filmmaker, Chris Hines, who was in the process of making a documentary film for Logo about Ben’s efforts and about the intersection of athletics and the LGBT community.

My kind of stuff!

What followed was an experience that was entirely unexpected and as inspiring and motivating as anything I’ve had the incredible fortune to do over the last several years. As a gay rights advocate and policy attorney, I have spent years studying the impact that pro-LGBT activism has on our rights and on our allies, and I know that the statistical impact of straight allies of gay rights is oftentimes significantly greater than anything that I or any other gay activists can offer. Quite literally, a Ben Cohen reaches an audience that doesn’t want to be reached by “gay” organizations, or by pro-equality messages. His voice is unique in that regard and it follows that he brings an almost limitless ability to reach new allies.

After filming my own interview and talking about my own experiences as an athlete and gay rights advocate, I was able to sit with Ben on camera and talk openly and honestly about our experiences in athletics, with sports fans in general, and as people fighting for equality. I learned quickly that Ben is not out to make a buck. In fact, I’m fairly certain that he actually is out to save the world, or at least as much of the world as he can get his message out to.

Read in full HERE.

Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims coverboy of Philadelphia Weekly

The cover story of the current issue of Philadelphia Weekly features Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims:

Walking down the 1100 block of Rodman Street, sweat visible through his fitted blue T-shirt, Brian Sims isn’t slowed down by the heat as he darts from doorstep to doorstep, placing fliers on porches and encouraging anyone he sees to vote. It’s the day before Philadelphia’s primaries, and Sims has election fever.

Bellowing to every passer-by that he hopes to “see you at the polls tomorrow!” the 210-pound former Bloomsburg University defensive lineman oozes machismo. He punctuates almost every sentence with a charming smile. “Beautiful lawn! Are you registered to vote for tomorrow?” he gleams at a woman who is walking into her home near the corner of 11th Street. He’s hoping she says yes and nods his head in satisfaction when she does.

Sims isn’t running for office, but the 32-year-old lawyer is making politics his business, hoping to give a fresh, young look to LGBT rights by breaking down stereotypes and false perceptions that too often stymie the movement. Sims, a self-professed “professional gay,” who gets paid to tell his coming-out story at colleges around the country, says he isn’t trying to redefine what being gay means, but contends homosexuality is “an everybody thing.”

“The rainbow flag is a symbol of the LGBT community because we are a broad community,” says Sims, the president of Equality PA—a group that fights for LGBT rights on the state level.

Keep reading HERE.

And more on this cover story:

We’re auctioning off the jersey he sported from the cover and donating the proceeds to the William Way Community Center, a safe community center for people in the LGBT community. Sims is also part of the WWCC’s “Homecoming Court” a new event that’s launching 8 p.m. on Saturday.

“We are thrilled to be creating a new community event that throws open the doors of the Community Center for the Saturday evening of Gay Pride Weekend,” says Chris Bartlett, the center’s executive director. “The William Way is the Center of our community, and we want to be a central part of the LGBT pride celebration too.”

Bid for the jersey and learn more about the event HERE.

Listen to this morning's radio program with Brian Sims and Pat Griffin

GLSEN's Pat Griffin and Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims appeared this morning (10am to 11am Eastern Daylight Time) on Radio Times, on Philadelphia public radio station WHYY:

Gay Americans are living and competing openly in the workplace, in politics and elsewhere. But what about the playing field and sports arena? Are they safe spaces for athletes to come out of the closet?

Recent events in the NBA, with the president of the Phoenix Suns coming out as gay as an NBA ad denouncing homophobia was airing even as basketball players Kobe Bryant and Joakim Noah were being fined for using anti-gay slurs on the basketball court and on camera. The events have cast new light on the questions surrounding homophobia in sports.

Joining us to discuss these questions are people who have grappled with the issues themselves:
PAT GRIFFIN is a former college athlete, coach and then professor and now directs the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s Changing the Game initiative addressing LGBT issues in K-12 school-based athletic and physical education programs.
BRIAN SIMS led his Division II college football team to the national championship game, and is the president of Equality Pennsylvania and chairman of the Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia.

• Find the podcast of the broadcast HERE
  
• Or listen on our player below:

Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims, educator Pat Griffin, and Will Sheridan discuss gay athletics on live radio program this morning

Listen this morning (10am to 11am Eastern Daylight Time) to Radio Times, on Philadelphia public radio station WHYY (you can call in; learn more HERE):

Gay Americans are living and competing openly in the workplace, in politics and elsewhere. But what about the playing field and sports arena? Are they safe spaces for athletes to come out of the closet?

Recent events in the NBA, with the president of the Phoenix Suns coming out as gay as an NBA ad denouncing homophobia was airing even as basketball players Kobe Bryant and Joakim Noah were being fined for using anti-gay slurs on the basketball court and on camera. The events have cast new light on the questions surrounding homophobia in sports.

Joining us to discuss these questions are people who have grappled with the issues themselves:
PAT GRIFFIN is a former college athlete, coach and then professor and now directs the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s Changing the Game initiative addressing LGBT issues in K-12 school-based athletic and physical education programs.
BRIAN SIMS led his Division II college football team to the national championship game, and is the president of Equality Pennsylvania and chairman of the Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia.
WILL SHERIDAN came out two weeks ago, three years after a four year starting career on Villanova University’s basketball team as it rose to national prominence.

• Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane can be heard over the airwaves from 10-11 am Eastern time on 90.9 FM in the Delaware Valley, and is rebroadcast from 10-11 pm.
• You can listen live HERE.
• Radio Times is also heard live on the Sirius - XM channel NPR Now 122.
• NPR Talk Sirius 123 airs Radio Times again from 6 pm.
• Find the podcast of the broadcast HERE
  
• Or listen on our player below:

Ben Cohen and Brian Sims in Atlanta

Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims was asked to launch the first stop in Ben Cohen's Stand Up Acceptance Tour in Atlanta (photo via Compete Media).

How the news gets out in the strangest ways

Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims regularly speaks on the theme of "LGBT Athletes and allies" to university groups. And the news gets out in various ways, including student newspapers, on Facebook, etc. Sometimes the news takes a curious path, as for this announcement that appeared on the website of Fox Sports:

SIMS TO SPEAK ABOUT LGBT ATHLETES AND ALLIES
LexisNexis Feed US Fed News

Updated Apr 8, 2011 12:23 PM ET
ALTOONA, Pa., April 5 -- Pennsylvania State University at Altoona issued the following news release:

Penn State Altoona will present speaker Brian Sims and his presentation titled "LGBT Athletes and Allies" on Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at 6 p.m. in rooms 101-103 of the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts.

In 2000, Brian Sims was the captain of the Bloomsburg University football team in northeast Pennsylvania. Following the greatest season in the Division II school's history, he did the unthinkable: he came out of the closet. In doing so, the regional All-American and team captain became the only openly gay college football captain in NCAA history and one of the most notable college players to ever come out. Today, Sims is the president of the board of directors of Equality Pennsylvania and the chairman of the Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia. A member of the National Campaign Board of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, the Philadelphia policy attorney lectures regularly about the policy and legal challenges facing the LGBT civil rights movement and travels to universities and colleges to speak about his college football experience. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com

So... Penn State Altoona issues a press release, which is published in the Hindustan Times, which feeds to Fox Sports via Lexis-Nexis. Whatever it takes!

Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims on Outsports podcast

In their latest podcast, the guys at Outsports interview Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims, who talks about his visits to dozens of schools since the Outsports article about him came out in 2009.

You can listen to at Outsports or on our player below: