The Out Athlete Fund is stepping in as LGBTQ+ athletes say corporate sponsors are pulling back, leaving less money for training, travel, equipment, and everyday expenses. The fund, boosted in West Hollywood earlier this year, aims to help athletes stay in the game while they chase Olympic and pro goals. Sadly, it’s a time a lot of queer athletes say they can’t afford to ignore.
The LA Times reported a story we know all too well – times are tough in today’s political climate for organizations relying on corporate sponsors. The situation is no better for out LGBTQ+ athletes who also report corporate sponsors and paid speaking opportunities are drying up, cutting off money that pays for training, travel, equipment… life.
One of the athletes highlighted in the Times story is Conor McDermott-Mostowy, a speedskater chasing a spot at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. WEHOonline covered a fundraising event last Fall at GYM Bar for the skater. His agent, David McFarland, told the Times the annual budget to live and train while pursuing that goal can easily climb into the six figures. McFarland says he’s seen a noticeable and serious shift over the last year, with brands that previously leaned into queer visibility now pulling back or ditching those partnerships all together. You need look no further than last year’s Pride festivals, which saw a ton of sponsors jump ship.
McDermott-Mostowy’s situation is blunt. He told the Times he’s pretty sure he’d qualify for food stamps. He also explained the math that keeps athletes afloat, make the team, and a lot of travel expenses get covered. Miss that level, and the bottom drops out. He medaled in the 1,500- and 500-meter events at October’s national championships, and the Times reported he’s heading into the U.S. long track trials Jan. 2 to 5 in Milwaukee as a strong contender.
He’s also been open about being gay. Not as a “campaign,” just as a fact of his life. Still, he told the Times that behind closed doors the message from potential supporters can sound like: we like you, we like the idea, it’s just not the moment we want you as our public face.
The Times report also pointed to Travis Shumake, an openly gay driver on the NHRA circuit, as another example of how quickly the ground can shift. Shumake said he once had deals with major brands and even used a rainbow-colored parachute to slow his dragster. But as support shrank, the Times reported he ended up keeping his car in its trailer for much of the year. When he did race, the parachute was black.
Shumake laid out the price tags too, about $60,000 for an engine, and up to $25,000 for each run down the strip. And when you’re asking for a $100,000 check for a weekend, he said, brands weigh the risk of backlash tied to sexual identity. Not lap times.
A USC Annenberg director quoted in the Times report said there are several forces at play, including tighter sponsorship budgets in a shaky economy, and a broader chilling effect around advertising tied to social issues. Another line in the story lands hard: some companies may have cared about “values,” but the only color that consistently moves decisions is green.
That’s part of why the Out Athlete Fund was created. It’s described as a new 501(c)(3) set up to provide financial assistance and support to LGBTQ+ athletes. McDermott-Mostowy was the first to receive a check, after a November event in West Hollywood raised more than $15,000. Cyd Zeigler, a founding board member and co-founder of OutSports, told the Times the idea is straightforward, help cover costs because a lot of other people aren’t doing it right now.
At the heart of it, it’s really a local fundraiser trying to patch a national hole. Deep-pocketed sponsors bail, and suddenly it’s back to grassroots efforts and individuals passing the hat. That may not sound sustainable, but for an athlete staring at a trials date, it’s money at the moment it’s needed most.
I remember the days when any sponsorship quantified as a professional athlete. If there was a sponsorship than one was not eligible to participate at the Olympics.
Truck Fump.