Hudson Taylor started out as a theatre major at the University of Maryland. He was often around gay actors and actresses, even being there during their coming-out processes.
Taylor also was a standout collegiate wrestler—where he often encountered homophobia in its seemingly most common arena: the locker room. The language bothered him.
"So, as an All-American and team captain [as a senior during the 2009-2010 season], I realized that I was in a position to make a difference on my team," said Taylor, who is straight.
He started by trying to correct his teammate's inappropriate language.
Then he took a huge leap of faith to show that he doesn't just talk a good game. Taylor put a sticker on his wrestling head gear—it was the blue and yellow, representing the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).
"I consider myself a fairly rational person, and me speaking out as an ally could never do more harm to myself than it could do good for others," Taylor said. "It affects me when I see young LGBT kids taking their lives. It affects me to know that sports may or may not be part of the problem. I love athletics; I love coaching. I've been involved in wrestling for the past 18 years. I think I have the ability to make a difference and, in some ways, a responsibility to make a difference."
He did as an undergraduate, and still is a major league supporter.
Taylor created the Athlete Ally Pledge and Whydoyoufight.org blog to gather support from athletes and advocates around the country. Taylor is on a mission to encourage others to join him in building a fully respectful sports culture, and Hudson is authoring, The Athlete Ally: Empowering a New Era of Leadership and Inclusion in Sports. The Athlete Ally will guide and inspire coaches, athletes, administrators, fans and parents who are eager to redefine what it means to be an athlete and a leader.
"I thought the pledge was a really good place to start," he said. "Little by little, the change would be beneficial—and sports no longer would be the last closet and, instead, an open, accepting, inclusive environment."
The Athlete Ally pledge asks the public to sign an online form, encouraging athletes, coaches, parents, fans and other members of the sports community to respect all individuals involved in sports, regardless of perceived or actual sexual-orientation or gender identity or expression.
His website posts the total number of signatures, which is more than 1,300 as of early February, and it's been active for only a few months.
"It's going really well," said Taylor, who has even been pushing to get college athletes to bring the pledge to their athletic departments.
Taylor has received hundreds of e-mails from around the world, all supporting his support for the LGBT community. Many from young LGBT athletes, as well as parents of LGBT athletes, "many who just do not have a voice in this fight," he said. "It's been quite a process."
Moreover, it has not always been a smooth road. Take the athlete who reached out to Taylor about five months ago. The athlete is closeted, in high school. "He's very alone, very scared, doesn't feel comfortable coming out to his dad, who often uses [anti-gay] language. And he's just one of many," Taylor said. "People such as him make my efforts very real, very meaningful.
"People often forget that, yes, there are people who are affected by homophobia and bullying—and I think there's a need and responsibility to do something about it."
Even if speaking up is not popular, as Taylor found out at Maryland.
"I learned a very important lesson," he said. "My teammates were pretty receptive when I was trying to advocate for word consciousness. But all of a sudden when I wore the HRC sticker, it became very divisive, very political. All of a sudden, sides were taken. And I lost some friends from it. Or I should say, I realized who my friends were, and who I didn't want to be friends with. That was pretty difficult."
Taylor said there was no specific issue or incident that pushed him to wear the HRC sticker. Rather, "to repeatedly hear the anti-gay language, and have friends who are gay, it rubbed me the wrong way. It made me want to speak out."
Taylor actually bought the HRC sticker at the organization's store in Washington, D.C.
"I put the sticker on my headgear really just because actions speak louder than words," he said. "Initial reactions were, ugh, kind of comical. Many didn't know what the sticker was, so I told them it was for the Human Rights Campaign"—and he also explained what HRC does.
"For some of my teammates, it made them very uncomfortable. In fact, some teammates threatened to take the sticker off. Some played cat-and-mouse [games] with my head gear. They were trying to express that they didn't approve [of the sticker]."
After several weeks wearing it, Taylor voluntarily removed the sticker.
"It was beginning to feel more and more like my advocacy was overshadowing why I was there: to win a national championship. Plus, I figured I'd have the rest of my life to be an ally and advocate," Taylor said.
As a senior in 2010, Taylor went on to finish fourth nationally.
He is now an assistant coach at Columbia College, and has been applying to law school for the fall.
"I have so much more that I want it to do, that I think it can do. In order for that to happen, and to push it to that next level, I am seeking non-profit status [for Athlete Ally]," Taylor said.
"I don't think the majority of athletes would consider themselves to be homophobic. But I think homophobic language has become a standard in athletics. Phrases like, 'That's so gay,' and 'No homo,' or 'Don't be such a fag' are commonplace in the locker room. A lot of athletes may not feel like that's a problem, or something they should change, but that's a product of athletics. And that's at the heart of the issue, and what we need to work to change."
Taylor isn't alone in his support for the LGBT community. His fiancée, Lia Alexandra Mandaglio, is right beside him. The two are getting married Sept. 24.
"She and I share all the same beliefs and outlooks on the world," Taylor said. "Actually, if it wasn't for Lia, I probably wouldn't be where I am today. As passionate as I am about being an ally, speaking out and making a difference, while I was an undergraduate [student], Lia was a big part of that equation for giving me the self-confidence to start speaking out. Even though I was very sure in my outlook and how I saw things, I think I needed that extra bit of support from Lia to take that next step and keep pushing further and further and further, and doing more and more and more. We're very much a team in everything we do."
Of note: Taylor is being honored by Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) with its Straight for Equality award, given to an ally of gay rights. PFLAG's Straight for Equality award is in its third year and previously has been presented to author Maya Angelou (2009), entertainer Liza Minnelli (2010), actress Sigourney Weaver (2009), NFL linebacker Scott Fujita (2010) and diversity pioneer Johnnetta B. Cole.
For more information about Taylor, or to sign the Athlete Ally pledge, go to http://www/athleteally.com .
