First, I’m racing in this crazy event on Team Kick A$$ (it’s about fundraising, after all), and I would appreciate any donation you can make. $5? $10? Amazing, thank you! The donations go to prevention and education of HIV and AIDS, along with helping people living with the virus. While so many people have become desensitized to the issue, it is still an emotional, physical and financial burden to those people living with HIV and AIDS. And again, thank you for any donation you can make!

You can also be part of the event! In addition to raising money for a good cause, the event promises to be a lot of fun. You’ll climb over a makeshift Hollywood sign, scramble through a “traffic jam,” and even cross the La Brea tar pits (hopefully cleanly). How often do you get to race down the streets of Los Angeles with wild obstacles in the middle of the street? I think it’ll be a ton of fun.

You can donate to my team here, and you can find more registration information here. Either way, thank you for supporting APLA!

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That’s because HIV and AIDS aren’t gay issues, he adds, but a global crisis that belongs to all of us. “AIDS is a huge issue and one that can’t be ignored,” he says. “I was asked to help and I couldn’t say no.” And while he took some ribbing from his fellow teammates for dropping trou, he says, “Of course there was a bit of banter. On the whole, the team and friends were all very supportive.”

In fact, his teammates have been supportive all year as Harding’s profile in Europe and the U.S. has risen. Last year the men’s grooming-products firm Bluebeards Revenge did a search for the world’s manliest man. It was done after a composite of the ideal masculine man was created, which combined George Clooney’s hair, Gerard Butler’s eyes, Brad Pitt’s nose, Jason Statham’s mouth, and Daniel Craig’s body. Harding, who received 160,000 votes, was the hands-down winner.

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When he missed on the Hall of Fame vote again this year, failing to top 50 percent for the third time, Galindo felt some of that rejection all over again. He rarely turned serious during his 15-minute chat with reporters, but he spoke quietly and carefully when asked whether he suspected bias.

“It always comes to the forefront when I don’t get nominated or selected to do something. ‘Is that why?’ ” Galindo said. “That was my whole life growing up in amateur skating. (Not being) the All-American boy. But times have changed. … Still, it’s always in the back of my mind, so I can’t say no.”

Ann Killion at Sports Illustrated adds:

Off the ice, Galindo was a breakthrough figure for skating. He is Mexican-American, raised in a trailer park in San Jose and struggled financially over the years to keep skating. Shortly before his ’96 performance, he came out as a gay man – a revolution in a sport where homophobia remains closeted still. In 2000 he announced he was HIV-positive.

Galindo deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. Skating officials were so certain that he would be elected, they planned how to handle and market the event. But he failed to get the required 51 percent of the votes.

Throughout his competitive career, Galindo struggled to be accepted by the figure skating powers. So there’s good reason to speculate that the old guard still doesn’t want to acknowledge his accomplishments.

While figure skating is a stereotypical “gay” sport, the homophobia there is well-documented. Resentment about the stereotype rains down from the mostly straight people running the sport. Four-time U.S. champion Scott Hamilton has not held back at times when talking about gay people. From our friends at Rainbow Ice:

It is clear from [his] book that Hamilton has attempted to do some soul-searching on the issue. “‘Homophobic’ was an accurate description of my feelings toward gay men,” he wrote (p. 192). “I used to joke about the lifestyle, partly because I had spent the previous 16 years fending off the cruel humor directed at me. ‘Fairy,’ ‘sissy,’ ‘faggot,’ I had heard them all.” Hamilton’s story is a clear example of how homophobia affects U.S. male skaters regardless of their personal orientation.

From Hamilton’s general tone, it is difficult to imagine that he will ever be fully pro-gay, but he makes an effort. His final words on the subject (p. 194) deal with the fact that in skating, all things boil down to the essentially personal and honest nature of the sport: “If your sexuality is an important part of your makeup and you want to show it on the ice, then go for it. Do what makes you happy. Some people will like it, and some won’t.”

Even as recently as 2010, homophobia showed its ugly face by keeping Johnny Weir from an Olympic medal.

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“I want to be on Dancing with the Stars,” he tells PEOPLE. “It would be such a blast.” …

“I don’t know about the outfits, but I’ve worn worse,” laughs Louganis, who as a child wore “sequins, headbands and poofy sleeves” for jazz routines. “I’ve never done ballroom but I want to try … Dance really captures something you just can’t put into words.”

The Facebook campaign currently has over 1,500 likes. It would be great to have such a successful gay athlete on the show, so please do head to their page and “like” it too. Past athletes on the show have included Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith, Kristi Yamaguchi, Apolo Anton Ohno, Jerry Rice and Kurt Warner.

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To support the campaign the LMA will be sending the HIVsport red ribbon ‘Badge of Hope’ to all 92 league managers and will asking them to  wear the badge over the World AIDS Day period to show their support for the 33 million people living with HIV and AIDS across the world.

“For the past five years the football managers and their association have shown magnificent support in helping to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS,” Andy Harvey, Chair of HIVsport said. “Every manager who chooses to wear the badge does so voluntarily and this is an incredibly powerful message of hope they give to everyone around the world who is affected by HIV and AIDS.”

“We are delighted once again to support this important campaign and to show that the football world can help raise awareness of HIV and AIDS at this time of year,” Richard Bevan, Chief Executive of the LMA, said.

World AIDS Day is Dec.1.

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Part of Outsports’ series on our 100 most important moments in gay sports history.

Figure skating 1996: Prior to the U.S. figure skating championships in 1996, Rudy Galindo had a rough few years. His father died of heart attack, and a brother and a coach died of AIDS. Galindo was himself openly gay (rare in sports, even in figure skating) and he poured all his efforts into the January 1996 U.S. figure skating championships in his hometown of San Jose.

Golden Skate.com captured Galindo well:

Galindo didn’t just come out of the closet—he brought out the high heels, the boa, and the sassy attitude. Or at least he did in many of his exhibition programs. But in order for any of that, Galindo had to become relevant, and he did that in a big way by winning the national title in his hometown of San Jose, Calif.

“When I wasn’t placing well and was getting standing ovations, I was told it was because I was flamboyant and openly gay,” Galindo recalled. “I was in the best shape of my life in 1996, I skated well, and I was rewarded with the appropriate marks.”

After testing positive for HIV, Galindo left competitive skating but continued skating in ice shows and dove into AIDS activism. He still lives in the Bay Area and coaches. But Galindo’s biggest legacy will be his no-apologies statement as an openly gay elite athlete.

“In my heart, I think that I opened some doors for people,” Galindo said. “I think that figure skating now values the more flamboyant skaters under the new system. It is better suited to those who have artistic strengths.”

Here is Galindo’s long program that won him the 1996 title.

For more information:

• Golden Skate 2011 profile of Galindo.

• Rudy Galindo making a difference.

• Galindo’s Wikipedia page.

• Galindo’s website (last updated in 2007).

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I’m proud to take a stand and fight back against the AIDS epidemic. There are too many lives at stake for any of us to ignore the damage and the heartache that HIV has brought to millions of people from all walks of life, including myself.

I am excited to do whatever I can to raise AIDS awareness so that the number of new HIV cases are reduced and make sure that people living with HIV get the health care they need.

I especially want to urge the young men and women of my generation to join me in this commitment by registering, raising pledges and turning out in great numbers for AIDS Walk Wisconsin.

As long as there’s an NFL season, the Packers host the Denver Broncos on Oct. 2, the day after the AIDS Walk.

You can follow AIDS Walk Wisconsin on Facebook.

Hat tip to Garth Z.

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Pau Gasol

Today is World AIDS Day and a good time to reflect on athletes who are doing their best to fight the disease. Two of them are Magic Johnson (former Los Angeles Laker) and Pau Gasol (current Laker). Johnson tested positive for HIV 19 years ago and his struggle against the disease helped motivate Gasol to get involved.

“I was 11 years old at the time,” said Gasol, who grew up in Barcelona. “It had a huge impact on me. At the time, all I knew about AIDS was that it equaled death. One of the best players in the history of the sport that I loved was going to die. That’s what I thought.”

Gasol has traveled to Africa to promote AIDS awareness, contributing both his time and money (Steve Aschburner of NBA.com has a terrific profile of Gasol the activist). Along with NBA players Al Horford and Russell Westbrook and the WNBA’s Candice Wiggins, Gasol has cut a PSA that started running Wednesday (video below).

For Johnson, he is now as known for being a successful businessman and activist as for being a basketball legend. The announcement in 1991 that he had the AIDS virus shocked the world since it was then considered a death sentence. Johnson has not only survived but thrived and Sunday was honored by the AIDS Healtcare Foundation with its first “World AIDS Day Magic” award.

“Who would ever have thought that somebody would admire you and it’s not about basketball,” Johnson told Billy Witz of Fox Sports. “I haven’t played in 15 to 20 years and now when people come up to me it’s never about basketball. I guess I’ve turned the page on another chapter in my life.”

Johnson is focusing his attention on minority communities:

“A lot of people can’t afford to buy their drugs or leave their community to go get tested or get the proper health care,” Johnson said. “We have to educate people, especially in the black and brown community. That’s been my focus through the last 10 years, through the churches, through the schools and through the colleges as well. The numbers are too high. When you think about the new cases, more than 50 percent are African-American. We’ve got to bring those numbers down and work on the stigma as well, (plus) the it-can’t-happen-to-me (perception).”

The NBA AIDS awareness PSA:

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Check out the video after the jump.

Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS is a two-day, 150-mile, supported cycling event taking place Sept. 25-26, 2010 with multiple riding options allowing participants to choose 45, 75 and 100 mile routes. Founded in 2001, LSRFA benefits AIDS Outreach Center of Tarrant County (AOC), AIDS Services of Dallas (ASD) and the Resource Center Dallas (RCD). Monies raised by the ride are used by the beneficiaries to offer services including housing, hot meals, food pantries, HIV testing, counseling and other basic needs for more than 4,000 clients with HIV/AIDS in North Texas. LSFRA has distributed more than $1.8 million to its three beneficiaries since 2001.

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I am happy to support this year’s GMFA/RVT Gay Sports Day. Sport is an important part of my life and it’s great to see a community come together and enjoy sport in such a fun and accessible way. Plus it raises vital funds for the important work carried out by GMFA and the other charities which will benefit from the day.

I would encourage everyone to form a team and take part or show your appreciation by making a donation on the day. I will personally be donating items that will be part of an auction at the end of the event. Best of luck to all the competitors and have a fantastic day.

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