Kirk Walker, UCLA Assistant Softball Coach, Sports Equality Foundation

Kirk Walker is an Assistant Softball Coach at UCLA and co-founder of the Sports Equality Foundation, a newly launched TikTok initiative that provides a space for LGBTQ student-athletes and coaches to be their authentic selves and advance inclusion and acceptance within the larger sports community. Kirk was considered the first openly gay NCAA Division I male coach when he came out publicly in 2007 while head coach of Oregon State’s Softball team, and recently was named the Outsports 2020 Male Hero of the Year for his role as a leader for LGBTQ coaches and student-athletes in college sports. We speak with Kirk about his personal journey, the issues facing LGBTQ athletes and coaches, the importance of intersectionality and addressing issues of race and equity in the larger discussion about inclusion and how coaches, athletes and administrators can create more inclusive cultures within their teams and athletics communities.