Off the Bench: Queer Players in Sports and Sports Fandom – A Panel Discussion on Athleticism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 

Representation and the struggle for inclusion of LGBTQIA+ identities have long triggered pressing discussions both on the pitch and in the stands. The recent 2022 FIFA World Cup broadcasted LGBTQIA+ prejudice on a global level in a way never before seen in sports history, while numerous state legislatures in this country continue to advance laws that ban transgender students from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity. These phenomena bring LGBTQIA+ issues to the forefront of debates in locker rooms, athletic associations, different levels of government, and leadership of major sport franchises.

Organized by the Queer Space Studies Initiative and the Office of Academic Initiatives and Strategic Innovation, a panel discussion between scholars, sports professionals and activists will critically discuss the social and political context of inclusion and exclusion of LGBTQIA+ communities in sports and sport fandom.

Panelists:

Moderator: Stefanos Milkidis, Ph.D. Candidate, CUNY Graduate Center

Stefanos Milkidis is a New York-based scholar, artist and educator, whose practice spans between research, writing, and creative production. His work focuses on the intersections of queer theory, human geography, social and cultural ruminations on space, urban histories, and visual culture studies.

Stefanos has an academic training in visual arts (B.A., M.A., M.F.A) and American Studies (M.A.). He is an adjunct professor at Lehman College and BMCC, and a visiting lecturer in the Math and Science department at Pratt Institute.  

Ryan Keesee, Community Engagement Liaison and Activist in Atlanta, GA
Ryan Keesee currently serves as the Volunteer and Community Engagement Coordinator at Inspiredu in Atlanta. As a Ph.D. student in the Georgia State Education Policy Studies program, Ryan connected his passion for soccer with his research in LGBTQ+ history to explore the representation and inclusion of queer fans in sporting spaces, specifically soccer.
 
Ryan is currently a player for Hotlanta soccer and Board Member of All Stripes Atl, a LGTBQ+ supporter group of Atlanta United F.C.

Vikki Krane, Professor at Bowling Green State University
Vikki Krane is a professor of teaching excellence in Kinesiology and Sport Management at Bowling Green State University. They also are affiliated with the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and American Culture Studies programs. Krane’s scholarship focuses on sex, gender, and sexuality in sport and their current scholarship focuses on intersex and transgender athletes.
 
Krane has been the editor of The Sport Psychologist and the Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal. Krane earned their doctorate at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, master’s at the University of Arizona, and bachelor’s degree at Denison University.
 
John Dorn, Soccer Coach and Executive
John Dorn has spent a lifetime in game playing, coaching and managing soccer including 15 years with the Chicago Fire Football Club. He coached at Brother Rice High School, Moraine Valley CC and Loyola University before being named the first Director of Soccer for the Chicago Fire development teams.
 
John resides in Chicago full time and NYC part time for work and is proud to have become an advocate for the LGBT+ community in sports over the past year. He enjoys all outdoor activities and sports, except golf, which continues to drive him nuts.