Hudson grew up in an Evangelical Christian family with
missionary roots. As the great-great-great-grandson of
James Hudson Taylor, a prominent nineteenth century
Protestant missionary to China, Hudson learned the
importance of acting on his beliefs.
Committed to civil rights and social justice, Hudson wore a
Human Rights Campaign sticker on his wrestling helmet in
college to show solidarity - as a heterosexual athlete ally -
with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT)
community. This single act drew media attention around the
country and prompted thousands of inspiring, personal
messages.
With this encouragement and support, Hudson became
more committed to his cause and in February 2011 founded
Athlete Ally™, a non-profit organization dedicated to
challenging homophobia and transphobia in sports.
Athlete Ally's mission is to be a resource to encourage
athletes, coaches, parents, fans and other members of the
sports community - whether LGBT, questioning or straight - to
respect all individuals involved in sports, regardless of
perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity or
expression.
Believing in the power of each person's voice, Hudson created the Athlete Ally Pledge and Whydoyoufight.org blog to gather support from athletes and advocates around the country. To further encourage others to join him in building a fully respectful sports culture, Hudson is authoring, The Athlete Ally: Empowering a New Era of Leadership and Inclusion in Sports. The Athlete Ally will guide and inspire coaches, athletes, administrators, fans and parents who are eager to redefine what it means to be an athlete and a leader.
Hudson was named The Huffington Post's "Greatest Person of the Day" on April 8th, 2011 and one of the "Top 150 Reasons to Have Pride in 2010" by Advocate Magazine, and was recently honored by PFLAG with the "Straight for Equality in Sports" award. Hudson serves on the Gay, Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN) Sport's Project's Advisory Board, which works with K-12 schools to create an athletic environment that encourages respect, safety and inclusion for all students and coaches.
For more information on Hudson: www.AthleteAlly.org or www.facebook.com/AthleteAlly
Cocktail Reception Meet and Greet with Hudson Taylor
Thursday, June 2nd 2011 6pm - 9pm
Tickets: $65 per person
Watermark - 800 Ocean Ave Asbury Park, 07712 - www.watermarkap.com. All Proceeds to benefit Athlete Ally - a Non-Profit Organization
Host Chairs:
Frederick C. Raffetto, Esq. and Russell Lewis
Host Committee:
Hon. Barbara Buono, N.J. State Senate Majority Leader (18th Dist.)
Hon. Mary Pat Angelini, N.J. State Assembly Member (11th Dist.)
Hon. Daniel O'Donnell, N.Y. State Assembly Member (69th Dist.)
Hon. Ed Johnson, Mayor, City of Asbury Park, N.J.
Hon. Marylou M. Ferrara, Former Mayor, Township of Hopewell, N.J.
Gary Mottola
Sean Hollingsworth
Paul Vail
Jamie Fox
Melanie Knobel
Andrew Hacking
Robert McGarry
Vin Gopal
Amy Quinn
Susan Belfer
Jennifer S. Krimko, Esq.
Sponsors: Ansell Grimm & Aaron, P. C., Watermark and Falco's Catering
For additional Press information/images of Hudson - rlewis@watermarkap.com |
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