Above: Students attend an optional Ally Week talk given by
former NCAA All-American wrestler Hudson Taylor, founder
and executive director of Athlete Ally.
Xavier Marks Athletic-Themed Ally Week
By Nick Byrne '11
On Wednesday morning, members of the Xavier community poured into the gymnasium to hear three-time NCAA All-American wrestler Hudson Taylor address the student body about several social issues, including sexism, racism, and discrimination against the LGBT community.
Mr. Taylor, founder and executive director of Athlete Ally—a nonprofit organization that encourages inclusivity through sport—is committed to raising awareness and sensitivity on LGBT issues.
Shortly after enrolling at the University of Maryland, Mr. Taylor, a straight man, befriended several LGBT students in his theatre class and became increasingly aware of the pain caused by homophobic, sexist behavior and language—language that was frequently used in the Terrapin locker room.
“Sports teach boys how to become men,” Mr. Taylor said. “I was taught that what is good is masculine, and what is bad is feminine. If I wanted to make fun of one of my teammates, all I needed to do was associate him with femininity. How do we do that? By using homophobic or sexist slang. That formed the foundation of our locker room language. A language that is so common, and a culture that is doing little to challenge it.”
In an effort to stand in solidarity with his classmates and the LGBT community, Mr. Taylor decided to wear an equality sticker on his wrestling headgear. Though he encountered criticism from his peers, Taylor received thousands of emails from closeted athletes, expressing thanks and sharing their own experiences of homophobia in sports.
“My sport has been my entire life, and this idea that there is an entire population of people that are being systematically excluded from having an equally positive experience because of a culture that we create is a tragedy,” Mr. Taylor said. "But it got me thinking. If a wrestler can get over 2,000 emails for wearing a sticker, imagine if I had been a football player!”
This experience inspired Mr. Taylor to start Athlete Ally.
“There has never been a successful social justice movement for a minority group without the support of the majority," he said. "If we are serious about ending any form of discrimination, it cannot just be the responsibility of those who are impacted by it. We all share the responsibility equally."
Motivated by Mr. Taylor’s message, varsity football captain Zachery Cilmi ’16 stood before his peers Thursday and promised to promote “allyship” within the Xavier community.
“We are all very different—from the color of our skin, to the height and shape of our bodies, to our ethnic backgrounds, to our sexual orientation,” Cilmi said. "I believe that is important, whether or not you are an athlete, that we are judged by the things that really matter—our honesty, our integrity, the effort we put forth in school and in practice, and most importantly how we treat and help others who are different from us.”
Following his speech, Cilmi invited members of the student body to take the Athlete Ally Pledge.
“As an Ally, I am a person who finds commonalities and respect for someone who is different from me,” Cilmi said. “I hope that we can create an environment in which the people who deny their true self can actually accept who they are.”
In solidarity for members of the LGBT community, several members of the Xavier community then stood together and voluntarily recited the pledge: “I pledge to lead my athletic community to respect and welcome all persons, regardless of their perceived or actual sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Beginning right now, I will do my part to promote the best of athletics by making all players feel respected on and off the field.”
To read more about Ally Week on Xavier's Clubs and Activities page, click here.