Athlete Ally welcomes former NFL Running Back Sean James as Pro Ambassador
Today Athlete Ally announces that Sean James, former NFL running back, has joined Athlete Ally as our newest Pro Ambassador. Athlete Ally Ambassadors help the organization promote lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) inclusion in sports by speaking out to their peers, sports and fan bases.
James, a Mississippi native, is a former college athlete and Minnesota Vikings player. After his time with the NFL, James has dedicated his time to working with young people in athletics. In 2012, he founded Be In The Know About Bullying, a project to educate and mentor students to become leaders and stop bullying.
“Throughout history sports have been a platform for social change. We have seen trailblazers like Jackie Robinson and Jessie Owens tear down racial walls though sports and seen the impact that we as Americans allow sports to have on our thoughts and beliefs,” James said. “Just like Robinson and Owens contributed to the African-American Civil Rights movement, we are now seeing a new generation of athletes contribute to the LGBT Civil Rights movement. I continue to be an ally for the LGBT community because I am a fervent believer that as athletes we possess the power to fuel change.”
“Sean James has dedicated his career to athletics and empowering young people to exhibit good sporting behavior,” said Hudson Taylor, Founder and Executive Director of Athlete Ally. “We look forward to working with Sean, and are proud to have him join 10 other NFL players who are also exercising their leadership to champion LGBT equality.”
James joins more than 130 other Athlete Ally Pro Ambassadors, including NFL players, Brendon Ayanbadejo, Connor Barwin, Eric Barton, Scott Fujita, Chris Gocong, D’Qwell Jackson, Chris Kluwe, Marcedes Lewis, Ephraim Salaam, and Donté Stallwort, to further equality and acceptance within athletic communities.
Read more about James here: http://www.athleteally.org/allies/sean-james/
Athlete Ally’s mission is to educate and activate athletic communities to eliminate homophobia and transphobia in sports and to exercise their leadership to champion LGBT equality. Founded in 2012, Athlete Ally has worked with the NBA, WNBA, and MLB on matters of respect and inclusion; led the Principle 6 campaign that convinced the International Olympic Committee to include sexual orientation in the non-discrimination clause of the Olympic Charter; and counts more than 100 college, professional, and Olympic athletes among its dedicated and active Ambassadors.