The Seattle Mariners today joined fellow Seattle professional teams in a show of support for greater inclusivity for transgender and nonbinary students in K-12 sports in the state of Washington.

The Mariners, Seattle Kraken, OL Reign, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Storm have joined together to endorse the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) and its newly released Gender Diverse Sport Inclusivity Toolkit. The digital toolkit is a resource guide for coaches, teachers, administrators and parents to foster inclusive practices and education to create an equitable playing field for all student athletes.

The teams also announced a partnership with Intentionalist in a month-long program to drive support for local LGBTQ+-owned small businesses.

Gender-Inclusive Toolkit

As the presence of gender diverse students increases on athletic teams and in classes and other activities, continued efforts toward inclusive practices and education are more important than ever. The toolkit addresses the national dialogue around transgender and nonbinary students, teaching best practices and provides resources to assist in the development of supportive and non-discriminatory environments for young people.

“The Seattle Mariners are deeply committed to increasing youth participation in physical activity by removing barriers and building a culture of inclusion. We believe in equal opportunity for trans and nonbinary students to participate and excel in sports. We applaud WIAA for providing resources and education to help make Washington more equitable for all,” said John Stanton, Seattle Mariners Chairman and Managing Partner.

Designed by experts at WIAA and Gender Diversity, a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding of the wide range of gender diversity, the free, digital toolkit is available for all youth coaches, K-12 teachers and administrators and parents in Washington. The toolkit can be accessed and downloaded at WIAA.com/DEI.

Seattle’s pro sports teams are lending their collective voices to the project in an effort to make Washington the most inclusive place for youth sports participation in the country. Mariners manager Scott Servais and outfielder Mitch Haniger participated in a public service announcement with representatives of the other teams to encourage the toolkit’s use.

Other participants include Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC midfielder), Mitch Hoffman (WIAA Executive Director), Jewell Loyd (Seattle Storm guard), Sue Bird (Seattle Storm guard), Karen Wilkins-Mickey (Seattle Seahawks, VP of Diversity Equity and Inclusion), Quinn (OL Reign midfielder), and Dave Hunter (Seattle Kraken Pro Scout).

In partnership with Aidan Key, Director of Gender Diversity, WIAA was the first state activities association to enact policy regarding transgender sport and activity participation. Successful policy and practices supporting the participation of all students, regardless of how they identify, was developed in 2007 by the WIAA office and written into the handbook for the 2007-2008 school year. The WIAA assessed and improved its Gender Identity Participation philosophy and eligibility rules in 2019 and continues to stand as one of 16 state athletic associations with fully inclusive policies that help facilitate the full participation of trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming students in high school athletics.

SPEND WITH PRIDE: SUPPORTING LGBTQ+-OWNED BUSINESS

Seattle’s professional sports teams – in collaboration with Intentionalist – are also partnering through the month of June to collectively promote and encourage the community to visit and buy from local LGBTQ+ owned small businesses throughout the region in a program called “Spend with Pride.”

"LGBTQ-owned businesses have long provided an important space where the community can feel safe, seen, and connected,” said Laura Clise, Founder and CEO of Intentionalist. “We are excited to partner with Seattle Sounders FC, Seattle Storm, Seattle Seahawks, OL Reign, Seattle Mariners, and Seattle Kraken to encourage the community to ‘Spend with Pride’ and support LGBTQ-owned businesses during Pride Month and throughout the year.”

Fans of all teams will be encouraged to visit Intentionalist.com/Spend-With-Pride to view a list of local businesses taking part in the promotion. During the month of June, fans can upload receipts from participating businesses for chances to win jerseys or prize packs from each team.

Teams will be encouraging this activity all month long, with the ultimate goal of reaching $25,000 in spending at local LGBTQ+ owned businesses. If the goal is reached, all five teams will make a collective donation to support local nonprofit Gender Diversity.

PRIDE ACTIVITIES

The Mariners Pride Night will be held in August, when ballpark capacity is expected to be increased, to provide the opportunity for more fans to participate in the annual event, which is a partnership with the Greater Seattle Business Association.

During the week of June 21-27, both T-Mobile Park and Lumen Field, home of the Sounders and Seahawks, will light their distinctive rooftop arches in rainbow colors to celebrate Pride.