Name: Kate Borows-Lai

Social Justice Group: Sports and Equality

Date of Fieldwork: November 17, 2017

Name of Organization: Athlete Ally

Person (people) with whom I met and their job titles: Allison Grover

Type of Fieldwork: Interview

What I did:

Allison Grover came to the school, and we asked her questions about what she does, her opinions on things like title 9 and transgender people in sports. We also asked what we could do to raise awareness about LGBTQ issues in sports.

What I learned:

I learned that athletes can be extremely influential when it comes to social justice issues. For example, when a diver in Indiana said that he thought transgender people should be allowed to use whichever bathroom they wanted, the public listened and made that a reality. Athlete Ally is looking for a famous ambassador (especially a football player, because football is a very conservative sport) to announce that they are an ally to LGBTQ people. Athletes aren’t doing that though, because they’re afraid of being called gay. When Athlete Ally visits schools more conservative places, like Mississippi and Kentucky, students are more hesitant about LGBTQ issues in sports. I also learned that social media has made a big difference in the last few years, because it’s easier for major athletes to send messages to their fans.

What I learned about Social Justice “work” and/or Civil and Human rights “work” from this fieldwork:

I learned that it’s important to get ideas out in the world, however possible. Athlete Ally used famous athletes to spread their messages. I also learned that there are many opinions out there, and there aren’t always only two sides.