Kye Allums: An Inspiration To Many

Kye Allums Kye Allums is, indeed, a very brave young man. He could have jeopardized his entire athletic career at George Washington University by coming out as a Transgender person. I see Kye as a role model in many ways. For example, he is a positive role model to other Trans folks who face so much adversity. He is a role model to young African American people who aspire to play Major League College and Professional sports. Best of all I see Kye as a role model to those of us who might have had our dreams shattered in many different ways. Kye may never play organized basketball again because of his injuries. Yet, his attitude seems to remain positive. Three cheers for Kye Allums, his ball team and coaches, and the entire University for their support.  Kye Allums to “Make Some Kind of Difference” as First Transgender NCAA Basketball Player JET’s MyJET247.com posted an article yesterday that follows transgender athlete Kye Allums’ inspiring journey. Last year Allums, a George Washington University student, made history as the first Division I college basketball player to come out as transgender while competing. As a child, Allums felt more comfortable in boys’ clothing and never felt like himself when he tried to be feminine. He identified as a lesbian in high school, but gradually realized that that wasn’t his true identity either. During his sophomore year at GWU, Allums came out as transgender. He has received unconditional support from his teammates and decided to stay on the women’s team because he just wanted to continue playing basketball. (GLAAD covered his story back in November 2010 when Allums first came out publicly.) Coach Mike Bozeman had prohibited Allums from doing interviews during the season to ensure that the players were focused on the game, a decision that Allums says he respects. Unfortunately, his season was cut short because of a concussion—his second this season and eighth overall. Allums hasn’t been cleared yet to play this fall but until then, he plans on telling his story. “It meant a lot to me to be able to help and affect others in a positive way,” he told the Associated Press. “I just want to get my message out there as much as I can while I’m not playing.” If Allums can’t return, he’ll be “trying to make some kind of difference in the world”—a change that Allums’ courageous story undoubtedly continues to create. GLAAD applauds Jet for covering this story and will continue to monitor media coverage of it. Original article