BOSTON – This month, Northeastern's LGBTQA Resource Center celebrated OUTober by sponsoring a variety of events in support of the LGBTQA community. The Northeastern Athletic Department jumped aboard, taking part in a photo campaign to promote the celebration of LGBTQA identities and raise awareness of phobia. Student-athletes, coaches and administrators joined together last week in a collaborative effort to celebrate diversity on campus. The gallery can be viewed here.

 
"It's important for athletics, and for me personally, because one of our core values within the department is the appreciation of difference," said Peter Roby, director of athletics and recreation. "We want to make sure that people in our department and student-athlete community feel welcome, respected and safe, and we want to send a message to the rest of the Northeastern community that athletics is an ally. We also want to partner with the LGBT community to make sure we promote inclusiveness and make this the kind of place where everybody can thrive."
 
Members from throughout the athletic department were involved in the campaign, including student-athletes from the Northeastern women's basketball program.
 
"I think it's important, especially in women's sports, because there are a lot of LGBT people," said Zoe Zwerling, a sophomore on the women's basketball team. "Our team is very accepting—they know I'm out, and no one has ever made me feel uncomfortable. It's really important to just have that open conversation about it. Obviously, here at Northeastern, we're pretty lucky to have such a good awareness about it, so it's nice to spread the word and acknowledge how good it is here and how lucky we have it."
 
The student-athletes recognized the importance of serving as allies and supporting people of all backgrounds.
 
"I wanted to be involved in this because I have friends and peers who are members of the [LGBTQA] community, and I just want them to feel comfortable in who they are," said Francesca Sally, a senior captain on the women's basketball team. "If our support of this allows one more person to come out and be honest about who they are, then we've done our job."
 
Roby also discussed the unique role of sports in today's society, as well as the athletic community's responsibility to effect change.
 
"It's clear that athletics is a big part of our society that gets a lot of attention—both good and bad—but that people are really passionate about it, and they pay attention to it," he said. "The beauty of sport is it has the power to bring people together and bring attention to really important issues. I think we have an opportunity and, to some extent, an obligation, to use that platform to bring issues to light that are important and can make a difference. We think it can be a real catalyst and an example for our society in general."