About This Video
This webinar, which took place on June 30, 2021, is part of US Equestrian's DEI Community Conversation series.
Centered through the lens of diverse LGBTQ+ athletes and industry professionals, “An Introduction to LGBTQ+ and Becoming a Better Ally” provides helpful information about LGBTQ+ experiences and explores how people can become strong allies to their fellow equestrians, friends, and family. Panelists include Ashland Johnson of the The Inclusion Playbook, Rebby Kern of Equality North Carolina, and Chris Mosier of TransAthlete.com.
This conversation took place in recognition of Pride Month, celebrated every June to honor LGBTQ+ history and raise awareness about achieving equal justice and opportunity for members of the LGBTQ+ community in the United States. While Pride Month has its origins in the U.S., it has become a global movement with nations around the world celebrating Pride and advocating for the rights of LGBTQ+ people in their countries.
About the DEI Community Conversations Series:
US Equestrian’s DEI Community Conversations series will serve as a forum for raising awareness about the various experiences and issues affecting equestrians from under-represented or under-served communities. The series aims to lift traditionally marginalized voices from the equestrian community, and beyond, while building community across the broad network of horse sport enthusiasts. The series is an initiative of the DEI Action Plan’s comprehensive marketing plan strategy, one of 10 strategies to advance DEI in the sport over the next three to five years.
Additional Information
About The Expert
Ashland Johnson (she/her) is an attorney, equity and inclusion strategist, and former Division I athlete. Johnson, Founder of The Inclusion Playbook, has over a decade of civil rights experience working with social justice communities, advising sports leaders, and serving in leadership roles in advocacy organizations. She has worked with major sports leagues and associations, including the NBA, NCAA, NFL, USOPC, and various national governing bodies to strengthen their social responsibility programming, policies, and platforms at the intersection of inclusion, race, gender, and the law. Learn more about Johnson by following The Inclusion Playbook on Facebook and Twitter.
Rebby Kern (they/them) is a nonbinary person of color working to create more inclusive climates for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults. Kern has worked for LGBTQ+ youth-focused organizations serving youth nationwide and locally in the Charlotte region. Kern is the Director of Education Policy at Equality North Carolina. They oversee the Rural Youth Empowerment Fellowship, creating platforms for youth organizing in rural areas to create change and progress for their communities. Kern is a statewide and nationally certified trainer for K-12 school staff and youth-serving professionals offering best practices and policy guidance to garner inclusive climates in schools for youth. Learn more about Kern on Twitter by following @rebbykern and @equalitync.
Chris Mosier (he/him) is an athlete, coach, and educator, and the founder of TransAthlete.com. In 2020, he became the first known transgender athlete to compete in the Olympic Trials in the gender they identify. Mosier is a two-time National Champion race walker after picking up the sport in early 2019. He is also a hall of fame triathlete, an All-American duathlete, and a six-time member of Team USA. Mosier is a thought-leader around the inclusion of transgender and LGBTQ+ people in sport and travels the country giving speeches, presentations, and workshops about his story and how to create more inclusive environments on and off the field. Learn more about Mosier by following him on Instagram and Twitter, and follow his advocacy work at TransAthlete.com.
