It’s About Respect

Hudson Taylor Discusses His Motivation Behind the Athlete Ally Pledge

Would any civil rights movement in this country have succeeded if there hadn’t been people outside the affected group who stood up and demanded change? Would women or blacks have achieved equality under the law if they hadn’t been able to change the minds and hearts of their Americans, and in turn have them stand with them in solidarity?

When it comes to advancing equal rights for gay Americans, it certainly doesn’t hurt when someone who “doesn’t have a horse in the race” becomes a vocal ally.

That’s exactly what Hudson Taylor has become in just the last year. It wasn’t what he sought, and it wasn’t part of any agenda, but Hudson has willingly accepted the role of being one of our top straight allies in the world of sports. Since a story about him appeared on the website Outsports in February 2010, the attention Hudson has been receiving has continued to grow. As a result he has started his own non-profit organization: Athlete Ally, a resource that encourages those involved with sports to pledge their respect for all people. As of March over 1,500 individuals had signed the pledge.

A champion wrestler in high school, Hudson received a scholarship to wrestle at the University of Maryland, where he eventually became an All-American and team captain. On the other side of campus, however, his life as a theater major exposed him to a much more diverse group of people. He witnessed a number of his classmates’ coming out journeys, and was changed by the experience. The contrast between that environment and that of the locker room – where derogatory, homophobic language was the norm – had an effect on him.

“I was very complacent, very silent for a long time,” said Hudson, who made it his mission to get his teammates to use a more respectful tone.
“For a long time I didn’t consider myself an ally or an advocate; it was never an issue that was near and dear to me.”

But by being immersed in such opposite campus communities Hudson learned that he was the right person to try to make a difference. When he was named a team captain he was able to do more than simply encourage his teammates to watch their language – he insisted upon it. And while not everyone on the team shared his liberal political leanings, Hudson said getting the team to act more respectfully was not as difficult as one might think.
“When it’s about pure respect of other people, my teammates got it,” he said, pointing out that the team was “100 percent on board.”

When representatives from the Human Rights Campaign came to campus to recruit volunteers and supporters Hudson got involved, figuring that actions could speak louder than words. He began to wrestle with an HRC logo sticker on his headgear, and although most were unaware of its significance it did cause a mini-uproar among a few who felt he should leave it off the mat.

By that time, however, there was no turning back and Hudson had committed himself to being an advocate for GLBT equality. At Maryland his activism was not known by too many, but as a current assistant wrestling coach at Columbia University in New York City his work and his views are known to most. The press he has received in the last year did not escape the sidewalks of the Ivy League institution, where he says he is stopped regularly by those who want to offer positive comments. His fellow coaches have also got in on the act, as one even stepped up to accompany Hudson to and participate in a NOH8 photo shoot.

The reaction has been overwhelming. In response to the initial Outsports story, Hudson received over 500 e-mails, mostly from young, closeted teenagers: “There were so many people, telling me so many amazing stories. … (That is when) I realized there isn’t a voice in this fight in athletics, at least not coming from my position.”

That was his calling. He filmed his own “It Gets Better” video, but then decided he needed to do more. That’s when Athlete Ally came into existence.
“It just started with a blog,” said Hudson, who went online to ask people the question: “Why do you fight?” Deciding the blog wasn’t pro-active enough, he created the website, wrote the pledge, and started asking members of the athletic community “to make a commitment to ending homophobia in sports.” He was offered help by designers, lawyers and public relations specialists, and soon will have his 501(c)3 status in the state of New York.

One activist who is enamored with Hudson’s work is Philadelphia attorney Brian Sims. Sims is a former collegiate football star-turned gay activist who regularly educates athletic departments about ways to eliminate homophobia from sports. He says the vibe he has gotten from Hudson is “100 percent positive!”

“What’s not to like?” asked Sims, who maintains that he would “trade one straight ally for five gay activists any day.”
“If you’re a straight ally, you’ve had to sort through the table of options in front of you, and weigh all those against your upbringing and experiences. … And if you come out on the other side (as an active voice for equality), then that’s pretty extraordinary.”

Sims believes Hudson is a true example of what college and professional athletes are really like when it comes to progressiveness and tolerance. The difference: Hudson is taking an active role while most others remain mostly apathetic.
“Athletes today, for the most part, are smart, savvy, well-traveled, educated businessmen,” says Sims, suggesting that the closed-minded, loudmouth sports star who makes headlines with homophobic comments is really in the minority amongst his peers.

On top of all the support and accolades he has received from former strangers, there is one person who has been by Hudson’s side the entire time. He refers to himself and fiancée Lia as “the dynamic duo (of equality advocacy).”
“None of this would’ve happened without Lia,” said Hudson. “She has always been my sounding board for anything that I wanted to do, that I continue to do.”

Currently Lia is finishing up her final year of law school at George Washington University in D.C., after which the dynamic duo hope to be reunited in New York where they can use their powers to promote equality in unison.

The Athlete Ally site will be expanding, since Hudson’s new goal is to turn it into a resource and tool for young people needing to connect with and learn from others like them. And he’ll be back on the mat soon, too, as he gears up to make a run at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Coaching and wrestling could easily occupy all of Hudson’s time, but he makes sure to allow room for his newest passions: ending homophobia in sports and marriage equality. He may seem like an unlikely champion for these ideals, but to him it’s simply a matter of standing up for what is right.

“The capacity for change is there, but there’s not enough people working for change, so I’m gonna do what I can.”

ATHLETE ALLY PLEDGE
I pledge to lead my athletic community toward respecting and welcoming 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.

HUDSON TAYLOR CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
• Two-time ACC Wrestler of the Year
• Two-time ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year
• 3-time Top 5 finisher at NCAA Championships (197-pound class)
• Tied for 5th in NCAA career pins with 87
• Holds Maryland Terrapins records in career pins, wins (165) and single-season pins (24)