Iona College’s Mass Communication Department sponsored a program designed for athletes to discuss diversity within the media and issues dealing with the LGBTQ communities, race, and immigration.

One of the athletes that took part in the discussion on April 3 was junior James Walker, who ran track and field in high school and even attended the junior Summer Olympics in 2011.

Walker, who is gay, described struggling with his sexual orientation in high school. It was not until college that he opened himself up and became more comfortable with his sexual orientation.

“It was hard for me,” Walker said. “As time moves on, you identify who you are. You become more open in college.”

Walker explained that many athletes avoid coming out since they do not want to be humiliated, but that attitude is slowly changing.

“We have more athletes coming out,” he said. “Stereotypes are now becoming more broken.”

Taylor Edelmann, another speaker at the event, talked about his experience of embracing his gender identity. Edelmann is transgender.

“I was just kind of keeping it to myself in high school,” he said. “I eventually did open up when I reached college.”

Edelmann graduated from SUNY Purchase College and played on both the men’s and women’s volleyball teams.

Shontay Richardson, a senior at Purchase College, plays on the women’s lacrosse team, as well as having been a cheerleader and rugby player.

Identifying as gender-queer and preferring a gender-neutral pronoun, Richardson grew up in a southern Baptist family. When Richardson’s sexual identity was revealed, some family members were supportive.

“My brother is accepting of the issue,” Richardson said. “This is who I am.”

Dr. Anthony Kelso, an associate professor of Mass Communication, moderated the panel and put together the entire speaker series, which involved two other campus events discussing diversity in the media. He discussed the current status for professional athletes coming out as gay.

“There are a diversity of opinions,” Kelso said. “We are in a different generation now.”

Kelso then showed three video clips about high-profile gay athletes: Megan Rapinoe, Jason Collins and Michael Sam.