Former college soccer player leads shareholder push against Nike's LGBTQ charity ties

Sophia Lorey, who played women’s soccer at Vanguard University from 2018 to 2021, is set to appear at Nike’s annual meeting to advocate a shareholder proposal from Inspire Investing. The measure calls for tighter oversight of Nike’s charitable contributions, specifically its partnership with the Human Rights Campaign, which Lorey says is at odds with the company’s women’s athletics initiatives such as “Play Like a Girl.”

Inspire Investing, which manages $5.4 billion, has been questioning corporations about policies related to transgender issues, but this proposal focuses on potential reputational and financial risks from charitable ties. Nike’s board responded that the company already conducts robust reviews of charitable recipients and recommended shareholders vote against the proposal. Lorey’s activism stems from her role with the California Family Council, where she opposes transgender participation in girls’ and women’s sports and has promoted parental exemption campaigns against certain school curricula.