Brittney Griner is one of those players that makes an impact just by living and being herself. Her 6’8″ frame and natural skill set on the court allows her to be a major threat effortlessly to every team in the league. Fans can relate to her quirkiness, wit, and she isn’t afraid to be a goofball. Perhaps her biggest impact thus far, however, is living UNAPOLOGETICALLY as an openly gay Black woman. This is one of the reasons why she was awarded the Visibility Award at HRC’s Houston Gala this past Saturday!
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the largest civil rights organization in the country that focuses on equal rights and treatment of the LGBT community and represent over 1.5 million members and supporters across the U.S. Take a look at Brittney’s adorable acceptance speech below (she’s really shy when speaking in front of crowds):
And her work does not stop here! Earlier last week, she also announced her partnership with Texas Wins, a statewide coalition of community leaders, educators, athletes, and veterans who are committed to ending discrimination of all Texans. The native Houstonian is advocating for common-sense nondiscrimination laws that ensure Texans are judged based off of their work abilities and not their personal love interests. In last week’s press release, Brittney told Texas Wins:
“I am very fortunate, in this stage of my life, to be valued for my skills on the court—judged not on who I am but on how well I play the game. That’s the standard all of us—gay, straight, or transgender—should be held to in every job we have. Everyone deserves an equal shot at success and no one should be fired based simply on sexual orientation or gender identity.”
(Photo Credit: Texas Wins)
Congrats to you Brittney, and we are proud of you! Well deserved, and continue to be a committed force in the fight against bullying and for equality!
(To learn more about the great works of HRC and how you can contribute, visit http://www.hrc.org/. )
(To find out more about Texas Wins and to take the pledge against discrimination, visit http://www.txwins.org/.)
