Athlete Ally is an organization that aims to eradicate homophobia in sports and today it announced that several professional women’s soccer players have voiced their support. One of the players, the Western New York Flash’s Sarah Huffman, quietly came out as part of her statement on the site.
“I am proud to be an athlete ally because I dream of a world full of equal opportunities and treatment,” Huffman said. “I believe that sports are a place where everybody belongs. Discrimination based upon sexual orientation, race, gender have no place in the world – nevertheless sports. I am excited to be an ally and stand up for people like me in the LGBT community.”Sarah (who is called Huffy by friends and fans) is 29 and is a Midfielder for the Flash. She was a star player at the University of Virginia and went on to play for the Washington Freedom, the Norwegian team Røa IL, and the U.S. national women’s soccer team.
Joining Sarah in announcing their allegiance are Heather O’Reilly, Sydney Leroux, Abby Wambach, Estelle Johnson, Megan Rapinoe, Keelin Winters, Liz Bogus, Lydia Vandenbergh, Erin McLeod, Leslie Osborne, Amy LePeilbet, Karina LeBlanc, Meleana Shim, Marian Dougherty and Lori Lindsey. Megan Rapinoe, who first came out publicly in a similar way to Huffman (mentioning herself as a gay athlete during a conversation about homophobia and sports) also made a statement about joining the organization in achieving their mission.
“I want to be an Ally because I have walked in your shoes, and walked the road ahead of you, and want you to know you will be okay, and you have more support than you ever dared to dream of,” she said.Visit AthleteAlly.org to find out more about the non-profit and make sure to check out a women’s pro soccer game near you. The players support you!
