Tag Archives: Athlete Ally

Next week Athlete Ally will hold its inaugural awards gala where baseball legend Yogi Berra will be among the honorees. The event celebrates the pioneering actions by individuals and organizations in 2014 that helped create LGBT inclusive athletic environments and eliminate anti-LGBT prejudice. This first-of-its-kind event is an unprecedented LGBT-straight alliance embodying the Athlete Ally motto: Victory Through Unity. “I …

Via press release: The video is the newest fundraising tactic by the Russia Freedom Fund, which aims to raise a million dollars by the end of the Olympics to support LGBT Russian activists. The video was produced by the Fair Games Project, an Indiegogo campaign launched by filmmaker Michael Rohrbaugh. The Fair Games Project also produced a powerful gun violence PSA that received significant attention last year. Athlete Ally is …

A coalition of 40 human rights groups have issued a joint letter to the top ten corporate sponsors of the Sochi Olympics which demands that they denounce Russia’s abuses against LGBT people. Via press release: Corporate sponsors of the Sochi Winter Olympics should act now to urge Russia to halt the rising tide of discrimination, harassment and threats against lesbian, …

A couple of months ago I reported that Athlete Ally and All Out were joining to offer gear that promotes Principle Six of the International Olympic Committee, which declares opposition to discrimination based on “race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise.” Sales commenced today, reports the New York Times: Andre Banks, executive director of All Out, said the merchandise “allows us …

Athlete Ally and All Out have joined forces to urge the International Olympic Committee to uphold its own Principle 6, which bans discrimination at the Olympic Games. The groups intend to make Principle 6 into a method of denouncing Russia’s anti-gay laws without actually risking the arrests of attendees or the medals of supporting athletes at the Sochi Games. Frank …

“When given the choice to stand up and affirm Principle 6 of the Olympic charter, the IOC simply backed down. And so we now head into uncharted territory in Sochi, a place where LGBT people – and others trying to support them – will be subject to persecution because of these heinous laws passed after Sochi was named the host …

Athlete Ally has launched a petition campaign which demands that the International Olympic Committee chose Madrid as the host city of the 2020 Summer Games. Via press release: On September 7 the IOC will choose the host city for the 2020 Olympic Games. Of the three finalists, Tokyo, Madrid and Istanbul, one city shines above as LGBT friendly. And only …

Vogue reports: Athlete Ally and All Out are searching for a high profile, international designer to create an anti-homophobia motif for Olympians to wear during Russia’s Winter 2014 Olympics. The move challenges Russia’s new laws against “gay propaganda”, which were introduced in June and make it illegal to equate gay and heterosexual relationships, or to distribute information about gay rights. …

Four-time Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis has penned a lengthy column in which he objects to any boycott of the Sochi Olympics.  An excerpt: Boycotting sends the wrong message and will only harm the hard-working athletes set to compete in the 2014 Olympics, not the Russian government itself. I know from personal experience. My first Olympics I won Silver at …

The NFL Players Association has launched a line of gay pride shirts on their website. All proceeds from the shirts will go to Athlete Ally, the anti-homophobia in sports organization founded by Hudson Taylor.  Via press release: “I am extremely proud to be a part of this collaboration between Athlete Ally and the NFLPA’s One Team Shop to raise awareness …

Featuring Hudson Taylor and Brendon Ayanbadego.

“Yesterday was an incredible day for athletes everywhere. Jason Collin’s courage and leadership in coming out reminds me of how important it is for an athlete to be able to be true to him or herself. As an Athlete Ally, I want to support every athlete to feel comfortable and confident being themselves and to make sure that all people …

Denver Nuggets star Kenneth Faried, who has two moms, has become the first NBA player the join Athlete Ally, the group founded by former collegiate wrestling star Hudson Taylor. Amanda Terkel reports at Huffington Post: “Becoming an Athlete Ally gives me the opportunity to spread a message of inclusiveness throughout the NBA and our country,” said Faried in a statement …