Have you heard or witnessed microaggressive behavior while on the court, on the field, or in the locker room? Athlete Ally, a student organization, has taken a stand to fight against homophobia and transphobia in the athletic communities here on the Ithaca College campus. According to President Chris Kelley, "[Athlete Ally] strives to build a culture of tolerance throughout the Ithaca community.” This student organization started when former president, Kyle James (current secretary & treasurer) heard about the national organization from a tweet by a professional football player. As James was struck with inspiration from his own personal experiences with this topic, he reached out to the founder of Athlete Ally. The founder encouraged James to start a collegiate chapter. With hard work and dedication, Ithaca College founded the first student-run chapter of Athlete Ally.
Since the student organization started two years ago, the group held events, created campaigns, and started conversations to educate individuals on the hardships that many face as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and a member of the athletic community here on campus. According to James, his favorite part of being a member of Athlete Ally is, "knowing that what we have done has really enforced a change is rewarding."
In recent news, Athlete Ally released a video campaign, called "Overheard at IC: What Ithacans are Saying About the LGBTQ+ Community" that focusses on bringing attention to microaggressions that seem to be common in everyday conversation. Currently, Athlete Ally is working on creating a fundraiser to raise money to donate to the Trevor Project, a non-profit organization that serves as a hotline for LGBTQ+ individuals experiencing mental health issues. This fundraiser is a result of a tragedy that took the life of Leelah Alcorn. The mission of this fundraiser is to put an end to tragedies much like the one in Alcorn's story. Additionally, the student organization is working on creating an education program for the Ithaca City School Districts to create an inclusive space in athletic communities for children of all identities.
In just two years, this student organization has made strides to create an inclusive environment within the Ithaca Community. If you are interested in any of the upcoming projects sponsored by Athlete Ally, please email president Chris Kelley at ckelley2@ithaca.edu or visit their OrgSync page.
To read more about Athlete Ally and other student organization read Club Hub V5 I10
