Sports
Athlete Ally responds to Columbia U. wrestling team controversy
Athlete Ally founder feels sting of anti-gay remarks from Columbia University wrestlers
Hudson Taylor (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Hudson Taylor witnessed firsthand the homophobia that is pervasive in the culture of college sports during his years as an All-American wrestler at the University of Maryland. It was what compelled him to co-found Athlete Ally, a campaign to end homophobia and transphobia in sports, at the end of 2010 with his now-wife, Lia.
From 2010-2014, Taylor was a volunteer wresting coach at Columbia University, so when news broke on Nov. 10 that the school’s class of 2017 wrestling team were found to have used homophobic and racist slurs, making jokes about rape and mocking women’s appearances, Taylor returned to speak with the wrestlers he’d once coached.
WASHINGTON BLADE: The news about the Columbia wrestling team had to hit you pretty hard. What are you feeling?
HUDSON TAYLOR: I know these guys and I have coached them. For five years I worked with them to change this behavior and to address the resulting impact from using that kind of language. It made me very sad.
BLADE: In an article you wrote for the Columbia Spectator, you accepted some of the responsibility for the actions of the wrestlers. Why?
TAYLOR: It was me wanting them to know that their actions are affecting people from the coaching staff to the school to the sport itself. My apology was an attempt to show them that and to apologize for not doing more to develop them into young men of better character.
BLADE: The Columbia wrestling team also wrote a letter of apology that stated that a culture change is needed and that it will take place. How will that happen?
TAYLOR: There will be a thoughtful punishment for the people in question followed by a period of reconciliation that will be taken as an opportunity to create something to be proud of. I spoke to the team this past Monday and will continue to work with them in regards to what happened and how to move forward.
BLADE: You have said that maybe in the past you had been talking too much to the wrestlers and not enough with them. Were you aware of their biases?
TAYLOR: No, the attitudes existed in unseen places. I think it speaks to the point that people are getting better at being mindful about what they reveal publicly.
BLADE: The lewd messages that were sent by the wrestlers not only targeted the LGBT community, but also women and people of color. Will Athlete Ally be addressing those communities more in the future?
TAYLOR: You can’t really hope to end forms of discrimination of one type without addressing all of it. Athlete Ally will continue to target homophobia and transphobia in sports by investing in education and policy change. That being said, we are currently involved with the push to end the hijab ban on female players within the International Basketball Federation. It is not core to our work, but we have a responsibility.
BLADE: Athlete Ally’s investment in policy change and education is directed at professional and college sports. The evidence is there that prejudice and discrimination is being taught at early ages. Why not K-12 schools?
TAYLOR: Ultimately yes, attitudes and behaviors are being taught early on. We have targeted professional and college sports because the impact on them is scalable. K-12 is more segmented and there are over 30,000 high schools in the United States. We don’t have enough feet on the ground to make an impact. We do have ideas though and one is to engage the over 200,000 people playing in LGBT sports leagues to go back to their high schools to interact with the students.
BLADE: What else needs to be done going forward to encourage inclusive sports communities?
TAYLOR: We need to use this experience to understand and promote social justice values across all communities. Every incident is an opportunity for reformation. I also think that taking a look at ending gender segregation in school sports is worthwhile. I don’t know what that would look like, but the current situation is breeding bad behavior.
Sports
‘Heated Rivalry’ stars to participate in Olympic torch relay
Games to take place next month in Italy
“Heated Rivalry” stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will participate in the Olympic torch relay ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics that will take place next month in Italy.
HBO Max, which distributes “Heated Rivalry” in the U.S., made the announcement on Thursday in a press release.
The games will take place in Milan and Cortina from Feb. 6-22. The HBO Max announcement did not specifically say when Williams and Storrie will participate in the torch relay.
The Washington Capitals will host Pride Night on Saturday, Jan. 17, when they host the Florida Panthers at Capital One Arena. A special ticket offer featuring a Pride-themed Capitals rainbow jersey is available at washcaps.com.
Fans are invited to a pre-game Block Party at District E beginning at 5 p.m. The event will feature a performance by the band NovaKane. Specialty happy hour food and beverages will be available, as well as giveaways. There will also be a presence by several local LGBTQ+ community organizations.
Egypt
Iran, Egypt object to playing in Seattle World Cup ‘Pride Match’
Game to take place on June 26
Iran and Egypt have objected to playing in a “Pride Match” that will take place in Seattle during the 2026 World Cup.
The Egyptian Football Association on Tuesday said it told FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström in a letter that “it categorically rejects holding any activities related to supporting (homosexuality) during the match between the Egyptian national team and Iran, scheduled to be held in Seattle, USA, on June 26, 2026, in the third round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.” Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran President Mehdi Taj told ISNA, a semi-official Iranian news agency that both his country and Egypt “protested this issue.”
The 2026 World Cup will take place in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The draw took place at the Kennedy Center on Dec. 5.
Iran is among the handful of countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death.
The State Department’s 2023 human rights report notes that while Egyptian law “did not explicitly criminalize consensual same-sex sexual activity, authorities regularly arrested and prosecuted LGBTQI+ persons on charges including ‘debauchery,’ prostitution, and ‘violating family values.’” Egyptian authorities “also reportedly prosecuted LGBTQI+ individuals for ‘misuse of social media.’”
“This resulted in de facto criminalization of same-sex conduct and identity,” notes the report.
The 2024 human rights report the State Department released earlier this year did not include LGBTQ-specific references.
Soccer has ‘unique power to unite people across borders, cultures, and beliefs’
The June 26 match between Iran and Egypt coincides with Seattle Pride. The Washington Post reported the Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026 Local Organizing Committee decided to hold the “Pride Match” before last week’s draw.
“As the Local Organizing Committee, SeattleFWC26’s role is to prepare our city to host the matches and manage the city experience outside of Seattle Stadium,” said SeattleFWC26 Vice President of Communications Hana Tadesse in a statement the committee sent to the Washington Blade on Wednesday. “SeattleFWC26 is moving forward as planned with our community programming outside the stadium during Pride weekend and throughout the tournament, partnering with LGBTQ+ leaders, artists, and business owners to elevate existing Pride celebrations across Washington.”
“Football has a unique power to unite people across borders, cultures, and beliefs,” added Tadeese. “The Pacific Northwest is home to one of the nation’s largest Iranian-American communities, a thriving Egyptian diaspora, and rich communities representing all nations we’re hosting in Seattle. We’re committed to ensuring all residents and visitors experience the warmth, respect, and dignity that defines our region.”
The 2034 World Cup will take place in Saudi Arabia.
Consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death in the country. The 2022 World Cup took place in neighboring Qatar, despite concerns over the country’s anti-LGBTQ rights record.
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