5 Things / advocacy

In my work, I speak a lot about allyship and how we can use our own advantages to lift others up. I like to think in my 10+ years of inclusion work that I've inspired thousands people to be not just allies, but advocates for others. I truly believe that advocacy begets equity, although sometimes it's hard to know what being an advocate looks like in action. I read a few surprising sports stories this week that illustrated this beautifully. 


The Iroquois Nationals lacrosse team (ranked #3 in the world and representing the Haudenosaunee Confederacy here in the U.S.) wasn't on the list of 8 teams for the 2022 World Games. Organizers said the team wasn't eligible because they're not from a sovereign country. This particularly hurts because the Haudenosaunee were the originators of lacrosse. In an awesome display of allyship, the Ireland team gave up their spot to the Iroquois Nationals, acknowledging that lacrosse wouldn't exist without them.


Also this week, the San Diego Loyal Major League Soccer team forfeited the game they were winning after an opposing team member used an anti-gay slur towards an openly gay San Diego player, and there were no consequencesBy not returning to the game after halftime, the team sent a signal to the league, the refs, and other teams that words matter and even in the heat of the moment, hate speech is just not acceptable


We all have it in us to be advocates for others. These stories are big, but your version of advocacy doesn't have to be. You don't need to make headlines to be an advocate. Look around and identify some ways you can use your words, your advantages, and your platform to elevate others. 

Here are some things that inspired me this week:


Wishing you a peaceful week.
Thanks for all you do to build a more inclusive world-

Photograph: depositphotos

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