Helping the Cleveland LGBTQIA+ community earn the spotlight on a national stage

The Cleveland branch of Stonewall Sports had won a bid to become the host city for the national tournament in 2020. Stonewall Sports is a community-based, nonprofit sports organization for LGBTQIA+ people and their allies that has chapters in nearly 30 cities across the United States. Stonewall Sports was one of the first LGBTQIA+ organizations I joined after coming out in 2017.

After responding to an RFP from the board of directors, I was chosen to help create the official logo and brand the entire event. I leaned into strong, iconic figures from Cleveland’s architectural history to portray a sense of hometown pride and with the recent passing of anti-discriminatory legislation in Cuyahoga County, push the idea of a “spirit of progress” in our culture.

The pandemic forced the cancellation of the event, so unfortunately my work only ever lived in unrefined proposal documents and very early digital promotions. Nevertheless, I will cherish this exercise to work so tightly with my peers and the entire Stonewall team to help with their mission to provide nonprofit, inclusive, low-cost, fun local sports leagues that are rooted in philanthropy and give back to their communities.