A special workshop is being held tonight to create more local allies for gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender athletes. 
Organizer Ian Kennedy, the driving force behind the Chatham-Kent Sports Network, has invited representatives from the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity to speak at the WISH Centre in Chatham tonight.
He says that while the issue is becoming more mainstream, there is still work to be done.
“If you’re not a straight athlete, it’s very difficult in locker rooms and arenas or fields or wherever it might be,” Kennedy says. “The idea behind the workshop is just to break down some of those barriers and make sports more accessible for anybody who can play, regardless of their race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, anything. If you can play the game, then you should be able to play the game.”
Tonight’s free workshop is open to the public, including coaches, athletes, and parents, and runs from 6 until 8.