Kedzie Teller Joins Athlete Ally as First Quidditch Player
Chaser for the Lone Star Quidditch Club Kedzie Teller accepted the invitation to join Athlete Ally to become the first Quidditch player to join the organization as a professional ambassador.
Athlete Ally is a non-profit organization that works to stand up for the LGBT community in sports and end discrimination against its members. The organization provides awareness campaigns and various other resources in order to achieve its goals of respect, inclusion, and equality to everyone in sports.
As well as a player on the Lone Star Quidditch Club, Teller is a two-time gold medalist for the United States in the Quidditch Games. He came upon Athlete Ally through LinkedIn. He told Eighth Man,
Advocacy for LGBT athletes is something I’ve felt passionate about for quite some time, and as I looked into Athlete Ally’s work, I thought it seemed like an inspiring group, but I didn’t realize I’d ever have the chance to join their team.
Cheryl Lala, Athlete Ally’s Outreach and Program Coordinator, states,
Kedzie has proven himself to be a driven athlete, passionate about the sport he loves and championing equality. We’re excited to partner with him and know his enthusiasm will further propel our efforts of inclusion while spreading our message of ‘allyship.’
Quidditch itself is a sport that has always been an advocator for inclusion. The four maximum rule for the sport states:
A [Q]uidditch game allows each team to have a maximum of four players, not including the [S]eeker, who identify as the same gender in active play on the field at the same time. The gender that a player identifies with is considered to be that player’s gender, which may or may not correspond with that person’s sex. This is commonly referred to as the ‘four maximum’ rule. USQ accepts those who don’t identify within the binary gender system and acknowledges that not all of our players identify as male or female. USQ welcomes people of all identities and genders into our league.” — US Quidditch, “Four Maximum Rule”
As an ambassador, Teller will get the chance to be involved in a variety of ways, including interviews and social media campaigns. We are excited to see him take on his role in the organization!
Have you had a chance to see Teller in action on the Quidditch pitch? Let us know in the comments below!
