COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland Athletics department partnered with Athlete Ally and PFLAG to host the first Maryland Intercollegiate Athletics LGBT Summit on Monday evening at the College Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Center.
Maryland director of athletics Kevin Anderson welcomed current and former student-athletes, intercollegiate athletics staff, University faculty and event supporters to discuss current issues surrounding the LGBT community in athletics.
Former Maryland wrestling All-American Hudson Taylor spoke to the group on his experiences that led him to found Athlete Ally, a nonprofit organization that provides public awareness campaigns, educational programming and tools and resources to foster inclusive sports communities.
“If you're at this level in athletics, it means your athletic ability has opened some amazing doors, has made you some amazing friends and has created so many opportunities,” Taylor said. “The idea that there's an entire population of people that's being excluded from having an equally positive experience, is a tragedy. We can do something about that and we can change that.”
The LGBT Summit featured a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Martha Nell Smith of the Maryland English department. The panel included Maryland field hockey head coach Missy Meharg, Maryland men's soccer head coach Sasho Cirovski, Dr. Robin Sawyer, human sexuality associate professor in the Maryland School of Public Health, Maryland men's basketball player Varun Ram, Maryland wrestler Geoffrey Alexander and Taylor.
“It's our job to make sure that we are always providing a nurturing and caring environment for all of the people around us,” Cirovski said. “We have to create a model of acceptance and tolerance at the university level that can translate back down to younger kids and athletes. We have a responsibility to make sure the conversation reaches people of younger ages.”
Meharg spoke to the progress made in her time at Maryland, and the room for more progress to be made.
“Today, I look at our athletes, and there is openness,” Meharg said. “When you walk out this door, something very big happens and there's a reason for all of us in this room to put Maryland at the forefront of this. I've been at this University for 31 years, and I have always migrated here because of the diversity and intellectual creativity. These are the things we stand for.”
Maryland Athletics was the recipient of the Moving Maryland Forward grant, funded by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, directed by Kumea Shorter-Gooden.
-Terps-
