Last year in our sports issue, we wrote a profile about Orlando City Soccer Club, the newest expansion team into Major League Soccer. Their commitment to equality was pioneering in many respects, and their model has been replicated by a number of sports teams across the country wishing to reach out to the LGBT community. They were honored with a special award at last year’s MBA Orlando Pride Gala, and this year they are also nominated for an award.
This year, Hotspots reached out to a number of supportive organizations across Florida, and we’d like to profile five of them. Many of them have worked with the community in the past and some of them are established community allies. Others are just beginning LGBT outreach. Here are five sports teams, committed to equality, that you should watch out for in the next 12 months.
TAMPA BAY RAYS
The Tampa Bay Rays was one of three original 
Their last Pride Night, which was held on June 12, was a major success. A portion of each ticket’s proceeds was donated to the LGBT charity of the ticketholder’s choosing. Nadine Smith of Equality Florida threw out the first pitch.
Rays President Brian Auld is very committed to equality; as director of planning and development, he was the person who spearheaded the Rays’ first-ever community outreach initiatives. He is also an active voice in the development of Major League Baseball’s Diversity and Inclusion program.
MIAMI MARLINS
The Miami Marlins, the Major League Baseball team for South Florida, is also committed to 
The Marlins are very involved in the community and Ms. Smith told us about the Marlins’ special partnership with The Miami Foundation. The Marlins were a large supporter of last year’s Give Miami Day, which raised $5.2 million for over 500 local non-profit organizations. Last year, the Marlins hosted the Give Miami Day Community Block Party at Marlins Park, the first time the team hosted a special event in partnership with Give Miami Day. They were so happy to have worked with HIV/AIDS service organization CARE Resource, which provided rapid HIV testing during the block party.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
The Buccaneers is another team that is making huge strides in such a short time. Their LGBT 
Originally under the direction of Bree Parker, the LGBT diversity initiatives are now being organized by Allie Lewis, who hopes to grow the Bucs’ good relations with Florida’s LGBT community even more.
“We actively seek to reach out to all parts of our fan base…If you want to see how welcoming football is, join us on game day. Our field staff, front office, and fan base is both diverse and welcoming of others. Everyone can play a part in helping us ‘Siege the Day’,” Brian Ford said to Hotspots.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
The Miami Dolphins, under the direction of coach Joe Philbin, have made it a priority to 
Last year, the Dolphins organized a one-off event for LGBT fans during the preseason, aimed at welcoming then-St. Louis Rams player Michael Sam to South Florida as the Rams took on the Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium. The event was well-attended and the organization is considering planning a similar event for this football season.
ORLANDO MAGIC
The Orlando Magic has worked for many years to reach out to minority communities, beginning
For the past six years, the Orlando Magic has worked with LGBT rights organizations in Florida and nationwide. The Magic has a long-standing partnership with MBA Orlando, Central Florida’s LGBT chamber of commerce, and one of the Magic’s staff members, Stephanie Allen, sits on the board of the Zebra Coalition. This past January, the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation granted the Zebra Coalition $75,000 to help them better serve LGBT+ homeless youth in the Orlando metro area. The Magic has also partnered with Equality Florida and the Human Rights Campaign.
FLORIDA PANTHERS
The Florida Panthers play their games at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, and the organization has
Two years ago, Panthers defenseman Brian Campbell took part in a viral video that promoted the NHL’s (as well as the Panthers’) commitment to LGBT outreach. He told CBS Miami at the time, “It was something that I believe in, that everyone should believe in. No matter who you are, what you are, and what you believe in, if you’re good to go and play, then you should be out there playing. If it’s going to make our team a better team, then I think it’s a great program and I give a lot of credit to the people who started it up.”
For more information on the Panthers’ upcoming “You Can Play” nights, you can contact Rob Kristiniak at kristiniakr@floridapanthers.com.
To read our past profile on Orlando City Soccer Club, as well as all of last year’s sports issue features,
