David McFarland, a global philanthropy advisor and former chair and CEO of the Trevor Project, today launched the new nonprofit organization United for Equality in Sports & Entertainment. The new organization will serve as a national and international advocacy group in achieving equality in sport and entertainment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) athletes and artists.“I am thrilled to announce the launch of United for Equality in Sports & Entertainment (UESE). Sport and entertainment have the unique power to ignite, attract, mobilize and inspire. By their very nature, sport and entertainment provide effective platforms to promote the ideals of respect, acceptance, fairness, sportsmanship and equality for all. As a community that cares, we must take a bigger stance now, particularly for LGBT youth who need the leadership of an organization like UESE. Each one of us deserves a chance to dream for the future, no matter who we are, who we love or how we express our gender. For too many LGBT young people, the built-in safety nets of support, acceptance and caring do not exist in sport,” said McFarland, UESE’s CEO.
Since leaving his leadership post as chair and CEO at The Trevor Project in 2012, McFarland has spent the last year developing and building the infrastructure and mission for UESE. UESE, based in Los Angeles, will steer the conversation around promoting equality for all in sport and entertainment. UESE will collaborate with its partners to raise awareness about the importance of equality as a powerful tool in the advancement of social change and the creation of a safe and educated environment for openly LGBT athletes and artists.
In its inaugural year, UESE will achieve its goals by developing and encouraging dialogue, collaboration and partnerships with national and international sports organizations, the private sector, academia, media and key members of the sport and entertainment communities.
In the coming months, UESE will be announcing its founding partners, which will include numerous high-profile partner organizations and individuals dedicated to promoting equality and social change in the sports and entertainment industries. These partners will include leading innovators and change agents both globally and in the U.S.
