03/04/2021
๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ข๐จ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฐ๐๐ฅ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ข๐จ๐ฏ๐จ๐ง๐ง๐ข ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ ๐จ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐
๐ข๐๐ฅ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐๐๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐๐+ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐!
As a Black trans man, veteran, mentor, and pillar in the community, Gio brings the representation and experience needed to make the LGBTQ+ Youth Sports Leagues a success. He helped create the countryโs first transgender-specific clinic in 2015 after realizing a lack of resources during his transition at Louis Stokes Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He is currently the Northeast Organizer for Equality Ohio, an organization that identifies and transforms systems and institutions so LGBTQ+ Ohioans can fully access legal and lived equality. He is also the founder of META Center Inc, an Akron-based nonprofit dedicated to educating, motivating, and inspiring transgender youth in need of resources and support.
Gio is working hard to create programs at the Studio West Fieldhouse, starting with basketball and volleyball leagues, that will be able to serve hundreds of LGBTQ+ youth every week. He is also working on sports clinics and summer camps where kids will be taught about sports and will be able to develop life skills, as well as a speaker series designed to give the community the opportunity to hear from inspirational LGBTQ+ athletes. This amazing initiative is going to provide LGBTQ+ youth with structured fun, social support and leadership, as well as a safe space for each kid to freely express themself.
We truly believe Gio is the perfect person to guide this project to fruition as his background speaks volumes to the kind of impact he will bring to the Fieldhouse and our community!