Adidas Amends Contracts to Prohibit Dropping Gay Athletes Who Come Out of Closet

The Associated Press
The Associated Press

On Thursday, Adidas made LGBT athletes more comfortable to publicly confess their sexual orientation by announcing that the contracts for athletes that the sportswear company represents will feature a clause assuring the athletes Adidas will not terminate or alter the original contract as a result of their public confessions.

Adidas CFO Robin Stalker stated: “Adidas acknowledges and adheres to the principles of diversity, as this is a central part of the Adidas group philosophy. Therefore Adidas warrants that this agreement will neither be terminated nor modified in case the athlete comes out to the public as a member of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community.”

Adidas has advocated for the LGBT cause. In October 2014, the company signed British diver Tom Daley , who is gay, to represent their NEO label. Daley publicly stated he was gay in December 2013.

Nike preceded Adidas in trumpeting gay athletes, signing Brittney Griner, who is a lesbian, to model men’s clothes in 2013, and making a publicity splash by re-signing NBA benchwarmer Jason Collins after he came out as gay.

 

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