In this episode of the Better Together Arizona podcast, ONE Community President and Co-Founder, Angela Hughey is joined by President of the Phoenix Mercury, Vince Kozar. 

Vince shares his story as an openly-gay leader in sports and how his personal values have helped make LGBTQ+ inclusion a core value of the organization. 

Under Vince’s leadership, the Phoenix Mercury have established themselves as pioneers in LGBTQ+ inclusion in Arizona. They were the first sports team in the state to host a Pride Night, sponsor Phoenix Pride, and actively march in the local Pride parade. 

The Phoenix Mercury was also the first major league sports team to sign the ONE Community UNITY Pledge, demonstrating their deep commitment to fostering an LGBTQ+ inclusive workplace. 

Making sure everyone feels welcome is a huge priority for Vince and the Phoenix Mercury organization. There is a certain magic that fans feel when attending Phoenix Mercury games, whether they're attending their first game, or 50th.  

“We have people showing up to our games saying: ‘I feel safe.’ ‘The fans look like me, the other families look like mine.’ ‘The athletes on the court look like me.’ - it’s a beautiful thing.”