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Standing Up Against Homophobia in Sports:
The Ben Cohen Acceptance Tour
a town hall meeting with
International Rugby Star Ben Cohen
2003 World Cup Champion, England
Friday, May 27, 2011, 4:30 p.m.
University of Washington, Kane Hall Room 210
Seating is limited; doors open at 4:00 p.m.
Reception to follow 6-7 p.m.
Kane Hall, Walker-Ames Room
RSVP to dawg...@uw.edu by May 23, 2011
Paid parking is available on campus in the Central Plaza Parking Garage.
This free event was made possible by a generous contribution from Microsoft Corporation.
The University of Washington is honored to welcome international rugby superstar Ben Cohen MBE to campus for a conversation about ending homophobia in sports and bullying in schools. Ben will be joined by special guests from varying aspects of sports in a panel discussion about the movement to end homophobia in the athletic world.
The English star is on a North American tour to discuss his new foundation, The Ben Cohen Stand Up Foundation, which supports organizations that advance equality and combat bullying against LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) youth. Ben, who is married with two daughters, is among the world’s great athletes, ranking second in all-time scoring for England. He is first, however, among straight professional athletes to focus his philanthropic efforts for the benefit of the LGBT community.
 “I am passionate about standing up against homophobia and feel compelled to take action. It is time we stand up for what is right and support young people who are being harmed. As athletes, it is not enough just to have
strong bodies. We must have strong characters and use our voices to support those who need and deserve it,” said Ben. He most recently took a stand against professional basketball player Kobe Bryant for Bryant’s homophobic slur against an official. Others soon joined in a chorus of concern for bullying, intolerance and discrimination against the LGBT community.
We welcome you to join the conversation with Ben and these members of the UW community:
Town Hall Panelists with Ben Cohen:
David Kopay, UW graduate and America’s first professional athlete (NFL) to come out
Jennifer Hoffman, Assistant Professor, UW College of Education, Center for Leadership in Athletics
Jennifer Self, Director, Q Center, UW’s LGBTQ resource and services center
Shannon Kelly, Associate Athletic Director, UW Intercollegiate Athletics
Community and Campus Program Partners:
GLSEN Washington State – Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network
Microsoft Corporation
Rugby Washington
Seattle Quake Rugby
UW College of Education’s Center for Leadership in Athletics
UW Student Life
UW Q Center
UW Intercollegiate Athletics
UW Men’s and Women’s Rugby Teams
For more information, please contact UW's Student Life at dawg...@uw.edu
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