Bison Student-Athletes Attend 2023 Athlete Activism Summit
7/6/2023 4:06:00 PM | Softball, Student-Athlete Enrichment
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Joining over 200 other college athletes from over 30 campuses, Bucknell softball's MaKenzie Hilling and Madison Roukey attended the Athlete Activism Summit in Seattle, Wash. during the final weekend in June. The event, which is hosted by the Athlete Ally organization in partnerships with Adidas and the University of Washington, is in its second year and is designed to build community, educate, and commit to action in an effort to expand LGBTQI+ inclusion and allyship on campuses across the country. This was the first year that representatives from Bucknell were able to attend.
Throughout the four-day summit, athletes from around the country engaged in conversations surrounding obstacles to inclusion, ways to strategically approach those obstacles, and ways to collaborate moving forward. There were also a number of presenters and opportunities for athletes from different universities to connect.
"I enjoyed hearing the experiences of other student-athletes attending the summit. Their stories were so impactful, and it was amazing connecting with so many great people throughout the weekend," said Roukey.
"The standout segment that I will take with me is where the people in attendance went into breakout groups. Within these groups we had multiple questions to answer," Hilling said. "The questions seemed minor, but hearing other athletes within the LGBTQIA+ community share similar experiences truly made me feel how connected we are. Finding people within the community that are open to talking about these things was an eye-opening experience and allowed me to finally feel a part of a group."
The guest speakers were also impactful for both Hilling and Roukey. Among them were Adidas community architect Alli Simon, Athlete Ally senior field organizer Gio Santiago, and MMA fighter Fallon Fox.
"A notable session that stuck with me was Gio Santiago – one of my favorite people and public speakers," Roukey said. "He discussed why creating a safe space in sport is so important and how, through intersectional activism, we can create a more accepting sports environment."
All participants at the summit were invited to attend the Seattle Sounders' Pride Match against Orlando City at Lumen Field, and on the final day the group was invited to walk with the Sounders in a pride march through the city.
Bucknell's own Athlete Ally chapter, which was founded in the fall of 2021, has continued to grow and advocate for equality while spreading a message of inclusivity within the Bucknell Athletics community. More Bucknell teams worked with the group to organize Pride Games in 2022-23, showing their support for the LGBTQIA+ community and standing firmly against any discrimination or violence.
"Coming back to Bucknell, I hope to bring the tools to help us as athletes recognize inequitable systems within our sport and be an advocate and voice for change," Roukey said. "Creating a safe space for all our student-athletes is what's most important, starting with the softball team and spreading beyond."
"Attending this summit was a huge step forward for Bucknell's Athlete Ally chapter," said Hilling. "Attending these types of events is extremely important to further educate ourselves to help others within the LGBTQIA+ community. This summit was full of techniques and action plans to help further create an inclusive campus community."
