Playing for Pride 2025 Fundraising Efforts for Athlete Ally
Kedzie's Story
Sports have been a constant in my life. As a kid, they were an outlet – something to focus on, something to challenge me, and a place to make friends. In high school, they became a way to push myself and prove what I was capable of. In college, they gave me confidence, community, and a sense of belonging. And now, as an adult, they’re still a part of my daily routine, offering balance, motivation, and a break from the everyday grind. Many of my happiest moments have come in the heat of athletic competition...and I'm far from done.
But for all the good sports have brought me, they’ve also been a source of pain. As a young gay athlete, I experienced and witnessed my fair share of homophobia. Long before I came out, I was a target for bullying both on the field and in the locker room. I often questioned whether I should keep playing; whether there was a space for me – or people like me – in sports. But I’ve always been someone who turns doubt into fuel, and every experience, good or bad, only deepened my love for the game. If someone told me I couldn’t, I made sure to show them that I could. And I did.
Now, at 34, my goal is to show young athletes that they can let their passion, performance, and individuality shine. I want them to know that they are enough, no matter their orientation or identity. They don’t have to choose between being an athlete and being themselves.
That’s why I’ve dedicated my athletic journey to more than just competition. Every tournament I enter, every race I run, is an opportunity to raise funds, amplify causes, and push for a more inclusive and beautifully diverse world. This year I am making that commitment by Playing for Pride and raising money for Athlete Ally. I am asking you to join me to raise money for an organization at the intersection of LGBTQIA+ rights and sports. Together, we can build the world's largest dream and make sure young people dont have to choose between being themselves and playing the sports they love.
We need to build the world's largest team:
Team Inclusion.
Athlete Ally is leading the way with over 31 College Chapters and over 400 pro Athlete Ambassadors.
With your support they can activate the athletic community to leverage its social capital for LGBTQIA+ inclusion.
Join me.
Set, Match, Love.
A little more about my history using sports to fundraise and my partnership with Athlete Ally:
Since beginning my advocacy efforts in 2016, I have raised more than $22,000 for queer organizations.
My primary partners and beneficiaries in this work have been Athlete Ally and the Federation of Gay Games.
I was honored to join the Athlete Ally team in January 2016, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to end the rampant homophobia and transphobia in sports and to activate the athletic community to exercise their leadership to champion LGBTQI+ equality.
I joined the Federation of Gay Games as an ambassador in early 2021 as part of the lead-up to the Hong Kong and Guadalajara Gay Games in 2023 , the largest and most inclusive sports and culture event in the world. Built upon the core principles of Participation, Inclusion, and Personal Best, the quadrennial Gay Games brings together people from all over the world for an event that leads with diversity, respect, equality, solidarity, and sharing.
Athlete Ally is lodged in my heart and I want you to join me to support their work during this critical time.
