Dalton Maldonado is an American high school basketball player and LGBTQ+ rights activist, who came to national prominence when he shared his harrowing tale of intimidation when he came out at a high school basketball game in Kentucky.
In 2015, he was featured as one of the most influential people in the LGBTQ+ community by the magazine Out, and he was named "Person of the Year" by Outsports. He grew up in Kentucky and became known after coming out after a basketball game. His coming out gained national attention after being featured in Outsports. Maldonado wants to make sure no other teen endures the harassment he received after coming out in December 2014.
Following reports that Maldonado had been harassed because of his sexuality by the rival team from Bryan Station High School, both schools were challenged in the press. Both schools said that they had conducted internal investigations and denied any wrongdoing. The Fayette County Public Schools administration's investigation concluded that the event "was inaccurately reported and mischaracterized" by media.
After coming out, Maldonado's picture was left out of the two-page spread that commemorated his basketball team in his senior yearbook. In addition to the team photo, there were individual call-outs for every member of the team except Maldonado. His school, Betsy Layne High School, claimed that the omission was accidental and that the school district "holistically supports Dalton Maldonado just as we do all our students". They point out that the book includes 15 photos of Maldonado, including many that show him playing basketball.
On June 20, 2016, Broadway Sings for Pride premiered its 6th anniversary benefit concert "Ovation" in New York City, at Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan. This milestone event was filled with singing (from pop to Broadway), stories, special celebrity guests, and more. The show honored Tyler Clementi Foundation and AIDS pioneer and activist Ruth Coker Burks. Broadway Sings for Pride is a multiple award-winning, non-for-profit organization that brings together Broadway talent, activists, and celebrities, to educate the public, raise awareness of the needs of LGBTQ+ youth, and support these young people, so that they may reach their full potential.
Maldonado addressed the audience with an inspirational speech during the benefit concert, where Shefik served as Videographer. Maldonado was also invited to speak at The Atlantic's inaugural LGBTQ+ summit in Washington D.C., in December 2015, aiming to "convene wide-ranging conversations on queer identity in America, at the end of a game-changing year in arenas from politics to pop culture".
Credits
- Videographer: Shefik
Last Updated: May 1, 2023
