)Vice President Kamala Harris just gave a powerful nod to LGBTQ athletes—and to a phrase many in the queer sports world know well: Courage Is Contagious. It’s the tagline of Outsports, a longtime platform uplifting LGBTQ voices in athletics. For years, Outsports has used the phrase to capture the ripple effect of bravery—how one athlete’s decision to come out can inspire many others. And now, Harris is amplifying that message. Speaking at the Leading Women Defined Summit, Harris said, “Fear has a way of being contagious… And we are witnessing that no doubt.
But I say this also my dear friends: Courage is also contagious.” She continued, “When one person, when a few stand with courage… the courage to say, ‘what is happening is wrong’… the courage to say that there is a way we must chart to get through this. Understanding our power….Courage is contagious.” From MSNBC to BET to even Stephen A. Smith, the phrase is making headlines. And for the LGBTQ sports community, seeing it embraced at the highest levels of government? That’s a win.
