Columbia University wrestling coach
Hudson Taylor has joined singer Cyndi Lauper's Give
A Damn campaign against homophobia.
Hudson, who founded the anti-homophobia
website AthleteAlly.com,
recorded a one-minute-thirty-second video for the campaign.
I founded AthleteAlly.com “with one
single goal in mind,” Hudson says in the video. “To educate,
encourage and empower all members of the sports community to put an
end to homophobia and transphobia in sports.”
“As a straight athlete and coach, I
give a damn because I have seen first hand how homophobic language
isolates and segregates others. I give a damn because I believe in
the power of sport to bring people together.” (The video is
embedded in the right panel of this page.)
Hudson is among the handful of openly
straight sports celebrities speaking out on the issue. Another
athlete is UK rugby star Ben Cohen. Cohen
arrives in the U.S. next month for a four-city tour to raise funds
and awareness for gay charities.
Openly gay celebrities who have
recorded similar videos for Lauper's campaign include singers Chely
Wright, Elton John and Ricky Martin, comedian Wanda Sykes and actress
Meredith Baxter.