HIGH FIVE

Deserving athletes, teams, leagues, organizations, and corporations as well as high profile celebrities receive High Fives for their contributions to promoting diversity, inclusion, equality-equity and acceptance for all.

THE KINDRED PRIDE FOUNDATION (KPF)

… for launching Red Shirt Pride Day, a new annual global tradition to be held every first Saturday of June where all LGBTQ+ individuals and allies wear a RED Shirt, not only in celebration of Pride Month but as well as a message of “KindRED” spirit. KPF will inaugurate its Red Shirt Campaign at the official kickoff of its very own Pride Cup multi-sport competition held during Gay Disney weekend in Orlando, Florida. With events welcoming all levels of athletes, the spirit of the competition is “Be Kind Champion” to coincide with Pride Month celebration and RED Shirt Pride.

MLB’S LOS ANGELES DODGERS

… for re-signing outfielder Andrew Toles who has schizophrenia and hasn’t played since 2018, to give him access to team’s health insurance and mental health services. While not expected to play this season, his signing allows him to continue receiving treatment that includes counseling, therapy and medication.

A COALITION OF CATHOLIC NUNS (REPRESENTING OVER 6,000 RELIGIOUS AND NEARLY 30 RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND CONGREGATIONS)

… for releasing a statement on International Transgender Day of Visibility that read: “The Gospel call of unifying love compels us to actively interrupt harmful interactions in daily life and dismantle the systems that reinforce this rhetoric and violence in society, particularly for Black, Indigenous, and other folks of color. We will remain oppressors until we — as vowed Catholic religious — acknowledge the existence of LGBTQ+ people in our own congregations. We seek to cultivate a faith community where all, especially our transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive siblings, experience a deep belonging.”

TOM DALEY AND DUSTIN LANCE BLACK

… on the arrival of their new son. Daley announced his birth with this: “♥ PHOENIX ROSE BLACK-DALEY ♥ Our family has grown in the last week; we welcomed Phoenix to the world on 28/03/23 and he’s just perfect ♥ Robbie is loving being a BIG BRO!”

Congratulations

MATTEL TOY COMPANY, MAKER OF THE BARBIE DOLL

… for introducing a new Barbie with Down’s syndrome, a plus for Down’s; and syndrome patients, and for those without, it’s to encourage children to play with dolls that don’t look like they do.

NBA’S ATLANTA HAWKS

… for launching a $50 million venture capital operation to support women and minority-owned small businesses that often go underfunded by traditional sources.

• UTMB (ULTRA TRAIL DU MONT BLANC) … for holding its first ever UTMB World Series Major® in the U.S. in historic gold-rush town of Auburn, California, also known as the birthplace of mountain ultratrail running.

• LEBRON JAMES, 38-YEAR OLD

NBA SUPERSTAR

… for becoming first player 38 years of age or older to post multiple triple-doubles in a season. According to ESPN Stats and Info, he joins Elvin Hayes, Tim Duncan and Karl Malone, who have only three triple-doubles combined after age 38.

• SAN DIEGO STUDIO, DEVELOPER OF MLB THE SHOW 23

… for including some of the greatest Negro League players — from Satchel Paige to Jackie Robinson — into 2023 edition of the game as playable characters.

• GREAT CANADIAN HELI-SKIING

… for donating a day of heliskiing so two blind athletes could challenge themselves to ski 25,000 feet, raising funds for other blind adventurers to experience the Canadian backcountry. All fundraising monies went toward a five day backcountry trip for the blind and visually impaired.

• DISNEYLAND ANAHEIM IN CALIFORNIA

… for holding its first “officially sanctioned” Pride Nite as after-hours ticketed event. Original Gay Days was never a Disney sanctioned event.