Athlete Ally is a nonprofit LGBTQ athletic advocacy group based in the United States. They focus on making athletic communities more inclusive and less discriminatory and helping athletes to advocate for LGBTQ equality.
History
![Hudson Taylor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Hudson_Taylor_.jpg)
As an athlete in high school and college,
Hudson Taylor
James Hudson Taylor (; 21 May 1832 – 3 June 1905) was a British Baptist Christian missionary to China and founder of the China Inland Mission (CIM, now OMF International). Taylor spent 51 years in China. The society that he began was respons ...
often observed the use of homophobic language and demeaning humor, especially in sports. Soon after enrolling at the University of Maryland, he befriended LGBT students in his theatre classes and became increasingly aware of the pain caused by homophobic behavior. Hudson, who is not gay, felt it was imperative that he confront an aspect of sports that no athlete should be proud of: sports marginalize LGBT athletes, coaches and others through systemic homophobia and transphobia. He decided to take action as a straight ally to change athletic culture for the better. To stand in solidarity with the LGBT community, Hudson wore an LGBT equality sticker from the
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for LGB ...
on his wrestling headgear in college. Though he encountered criticism from his peers, he received positive attention from the media, and received thousands of emails from parents and closeted athletes, expressing thanks and sharing their own experiences of homophobia in sports. This inspired Hudson to launch Athlete Ally. When he blogged about experiencing
homophobia
Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitude (psychology), attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, h ...
in collegiate sports, he received hundreds of emails from
closeted
''Closeted'' and ''in the closet'' are metaphors for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and other (LGBTQ+) people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and human ...
athletes. In 2013, Taylor received an Emery Award for his work with Athlete Ally.
Education
Athlete Ally educates athletic communities at all levels—sport governing bodies, teams, and individual athletes—to understand obstacles to inclusion for LGBTQ people in sports and how they can build inclusive communities on their teams or within their organizations. We hold trainings across the country on college campuses, with front office staff of major sports leagues and institutions like the NBA, NCAA and the MLB and with individual athletes. We have partnered with teams in major cities like Seattle, New York, and Washington DC, to host Pride Nights and raise awareness about LGBTQ issues.
Athlete Ally visits K-8, high schools, colleges, and corporate campuses to educate and empower athletes and to educate others on the value of allyship. Athlete Ally has a network of speakers ranging from its Executive Director and three-times All-American Wrestler Hudson Taylor to professional athlete ambassadors.
In the past Athlete Ally has conducted all student-athlete Keynote speeches; facilitated conversations on policies and practice with athletic department representatives; held roundtable discussions with SAAC representatives on the LGBTQ-inclusiveness of their athletic departments; held joint meetings with the LGBTQ Center on campus to discuss partnerships and more. Every campus speaking engagement is customized with a campus based on the needs and interests related to LGBTQ inclusion.
Athlete Ally campus chapters decide on and enact programming specific to their campus based on Athlete Ally’s mission. This includes hosting pride nights, giving educational workshops on LGBTQ-topics, working to adopt inclusive policies at the school and/or conference level, and advocating for anti-discriminatory policies at a city, state, regional and national level. Athlete Ally works with chapters daily to assess their campus culture to figure out appropriate programming. Athlete Ally currently has 35+ campus chapters.
Athlete Ally has a strong relationship with the National Basketball Association. The organization has conducted trainings at the NBA's Rookie Orientation Program, as well as at Junior NBA Coaches Forums.
Sport policy
Athlete Ally works to ensure athletic communities are as LGBTQ inclusive as they should be. The organization works closely with teams and institutions like the NCAA to develop clear and accessible policies around LGBTQ inclusion. In 2012, Athlete Ally co-authored with Dr Pat Griffin the NCAA’s first LGBTQ equality guide—Champions of Respect—for college coaches, athletes, and administrators. In 2017, Athlete Ally launched the Athletic Equality Index (AEI) to measure LGBTQ inclusion policies and practices in the NCAA’s Power Five conferences. The AEI brings the LGBTQ movement into a new era of advocacy, transparency and accountability. Institutions will no longer be able to cite a lack of data and reporting as a rationale for inaction, and will offer an industry-wide benchmark for the progress needed to achieve the full dignity and inclusion of the LGBTQ community in sport.
Athlete Ally also applies pressure to global sport governing bodies to ensure their policies around LGBTQ inclusion are existent and consistent. In 2017, the organization launched an ongoing campaign demanding that World Rugby adopt transgender-inclusive policies.
In 2015, Athlete Ally joined the #WomenInFIFA movement to push FIFA Congress to enact proposed reforms for women in soccer.
Athlete Ally created the landmark campaign, Principle 6, which successfully lobbied the International Olympic Committee to include sexual orientation in the Olympic Charter.
Athlete Ally successfully launched a global campaign calling on FIBA to overturn its discriminatory ban on players competing in hijabs.
Athlete activism
Athlete Ally believes athlete activism should be expected and accepted. They incubate athlete activism through their Ambassador Program for athletes and sports institutions to advance LGBTQ civil rights, including mobilizing athletes and teams to voice their opposition to laws and policies that discriminate against LGBTQ people. Athlete Ally helped organize Boston sports teams to support the Mass Public Accommodations Bill and worked with the NBA, NCAA, and ACC to move games and championships out of North Carolina over the passing of anti-LGBTQ law HB2. In addition, Athlete Ally partnered with transgender high school wrestler Mack Beggs to publish a PSA pushing back against the anti-trans bathroom bill introduced in Texas Special Session.
Board of directors and advisory board
The Athlete Ally board is composed of some of the most respected and qualified individuals in sports, media, and LGBT advocacy. The board works to implement the mission and vision of Athlete Ally and develop its strategic plan.
The board of directors includes Hudson Taylor, Mike Balaban,
Sean Avery
Sean Christopher Avery (born April 10, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. During his career in the National Hockey League (NHL), he played left wing for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers and Dalla ...
,
Brian Ellner
Brian Ellner is an LGBT rights activist, media and political strategist. He was formerly the executive vice president for public affairs at Edelman in New York and currently leads BCW's U.S. corporate practice, in addition to his role as US Publi ...
, Alison Grover, Laura Clise, Lia Parifax,
Sam Marchiano Susan Anne "Sam" Marchiano is an American television sportscaster, documentarian and activist who is adjunct faculty at the NYU Tisch Sports Institute for Sports Management, Media and Business. In addition to teaching Leagues and Governing Organiz ...
, Frederick Raffetto, Frank Selvaggi, Robert Smith,
Joe Solmonese
Joe Solmonese is a political strategist and activist who served as president of the Human Rights Campaign of the United States and its affiliate the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. He was appointed to this position on March 9, 2005, replacing C ...
, Mark Stephanz, Sandye Taylor, Andrew Ward, Deborah Block and
Christine Quinn
Christine Callaghan Quinn (born July 25, 1966) is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she formerly served as the Speaker of the New York City Council. The third person to hold this office, she was the first female and firs ...
.
"EXCLUSIVE: Former Speaker Christine Quinn joins board of nonprofit for gay athletes"
''New York Daily News
The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...
'', February 4, 2014.
Athlete Ally also includes an advisory board of athletes, media, academics and other sports professionals that help drive the organization's programmatic work. The advisory board includes:
*Brendon Ayanbadejo
Oladele Brendon Ayanbadejo (; born September 6, 1976) is a former American football linebacker and special teamer who played in Canadian Football League (CFL) and the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons. He played college footb ...
, chairman of Athlete Ally Advisory Board, NFL player
*Kathleen Behrens, executive vice president, Social Responsibility & Player Programs, NBA
*LZ Granderson
Elzie Lee "LZ" Granderson (born March 11, 1972) is an American journalist and former actor, currently writing for the Los Angeles Times as a sports and culture columnist. He was a senior writer and columnist for ''ESPN The Magazine'', a co-host ...
, journalist and commentator, CNN & ESPN
*Brett Haber
Brett Haber is an American sportscaster. He is a host for the Tennis Channel and several other national and regional sports outlets.
Sportscasting career
In the mid-1990s Haber was an anchor on ESPN's flagship news program '' SportsCenter''. ...
, sportscaster, The Tennis Channel
*David Kopay
David Marquette Kopay (born June 28, 1942) is a former American football running back in the National Football League who in 1975 became one of the first professional athletes to coming out, come out as gay.
Life
Kopay attended Notre Dame High ...
, former National Football League Player, author of ''The David Kopay Story''
*Mark Kriegel
Mark Kriegel is an American author, journalist, and television commentator.
Early years
He is the son of author and essayist, Leonard Kriegel. He grew up in New York City, and attended Stuyvesant High School, Swarthmore College, and the Columbi ...
, commentator on NFL Network's morning show ''NFL AM'', Author of ''Namath: A Biography''; ''Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich''; and ''The Good Son: The Life of Boom Boom Mancini''
*Beth A. Livingston, assistant professor of human resource studies, Cornell University
* :Akil Patterson, director of programs, Greco-Roman wrestler, Terrapin Wrestling Club
*Nick Rogers, president, Minnesota United Football Club
*Robbie Rogers
Robert Hampton Rogers III (born May 12, 1987) is an American former professional soccer player. He played as a winger and as a left back. Rogers has also represented the United States men's national soccer team. In February 2013, Rogers came ou ...
, professional soccer player
*Erin Sharoni, host, "Romering the World", Jim Rome on Showtime
*Rennae Stubbs
Rennae Stubbs (born 26 March 1971) is an Australian tennis coach, television commentator, and former professional player. She is the host of The Power Hour on Amazon Prime Video Sports Talk. She worked at the Seven Network between 2011 and 201 ...
, professional tennis player
See also
* Gay–straight alliance
A Gay–Straight Alliance, Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA) or Queer–Straight Alliance (QSA) is a student-led or community-based organisation, found in middle schools, high schools, colleges, and universities. These are primarily in the United ...
* Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for LGB ...
* It Gets Better Project
It Gets Better is an Internet-based 501(c)3 nonprofit with a mission to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth around the globe. It was founded in the United States by gay activist, author, m ...
References
External links
* {{Official website, http://athleteally.org/
Sports foundations based in the United States
LGBT sports organizations in the United States
Organizations established in 2011
2011 establishments in New York City
Sexual orientation and sports
Anti-homophobia