On Our Court, Everyone Is Welcome.
Among the first of its kind in the country, this youth-focused initiative affords LGBTQ+ youth the ability to participate in athletics as their authentic selves. Youth have access to a wide range of sports activities, from structured sports leagues and tournaments to summer camps and unstructured recreational activities.
Lead by Program Director, Gio Santiago, the LGBTQ+ Youth Sports League is dedicated to helping LGBTQ+ youth utilize the program to address, influence, and embrace mental and behavioural health solutions to the challenges these youth may face.
The LGBTQ+ Youth Sports League continues to rely on research findings from The Trevor Project as to the rationale for why this program is needed for LGBTQ+ youth. For more information on their research, please visit The Trevor Project website.
Meet Our Program Director
Gio Santiago
As a Black trans man, veteran, mentor, and pillar in the community, Gio brings the representation and experience to make the LGBTQ+ Youth Sports Leagues a success. He helped create the country’s first transgender-specific clinic in 2015 after realizing a lack of resources during his transition at Louis Stokes Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Gio has since founded META Center Inc, an Akron-based nonprofit dedicated to educating, motivating, and inspiring transgender youth in need of resources and support.