Nike Launches New LGBT Line for Gay Pride

Nike loves its gay athletes.

By Jamilah King Jun 13, 2013

We knew this was coming. One June 8 Jason Collins, the first openly gay major men’s professional athlete, tweeted a photo of himself standing with his old college roommate before marching in Boston’s Gay Pride Parade. Collins was wearing a black Nike t-shirt with #BeTrue emblazoned on the front in rainbow-colored lettering. 

Now we know that it’s official: Nike is launching a new line specifically targeting its gay athletes and customers. The new Nike #BeTrue collection includes t-shirts, shoes, flip flops, and iPhone cases

Esquire tweeted photos of the collection on Tuesday:

Huffington Post’s Gay Voices doesn’t think that this is Nike’s one-off attempt to captialize on the noteriety of openly gay athletes. 

Sports leaders, the media and advocacy groups are currently touching down in Portland, Ore. for the second annual Nike LGBT Sports Summit in Portland, Oregon.

The event, founded by Outsports’ Cyd Zeigler, the National Center for Lesbian Rights Sports Project Director Helen Carroll and LGBT sports pioneer Pat Griffin, takes place June 12-15 and will include college and professional athletes, coaches, athletic administrators, political figures, LGBT advocates, journalists and more.

The country’s highest profile openly gay athletes have signed endorsement deals with the company. Along with Jason Collins, the WNBA’s Brittney Griner has an endorsement deal with Nike that also allows her to also wear the company’s menswear.