Sedona Prince became one of the early stars of the 2021 NCAA tournament in San Antonio, Texas last month when one of her TikTok videos, posted to Twitter, caught major national media traction. Highlighting the small rack of free weights and pile of yoga mats in what has been generously described as a “weight room,” Prince’s viral video exposed just one facet of the NCAA’s unequal resources allocated to the women’s basketball tournament compared to the men’s.

“If you aren’t upset about this problem, then you are a part of it,” they concluded in the video with an implicit call to action to make some noise about the obvious disparity.

This isn’t the first time Prince has publicly called attention to the problems within the NCAA, and nor was this viral moment simply an accident, as Prince has been putting in the work for some time to build up her TikTok platform. They confess that with all the time spent planning and editing her videos, “TikTok is a job for me now.” Speaking about using her voice for good in an Instagram Live interview with Wake Forest track and field athlete Aleeya Hutchins last Tuesday, she discussed the importance of speaking out about women’s and LGBTQ+ rights issues as well as what the process of coming out was like for them.

“It was difficult. I came out when I came to college. I didn’t really have relationships in high school at all. I wasn’t really focused on that, didn’t really know who I was as a person. I knew I was gay freshman year of high school, but I just didn’t accept it until I could really be who I wanted to be, and that was in college, when I was out of my hometown in a much bigger place with people I didn’t know. And I’m like, “I’m just gonna be whoever I wanna be.” I started realizing I love women and I’m gay, and it was big for me because I grew so much. Now I’m so open with my story and who I am as a person, my sexuality, for the purpose of hopefully helping other kids open up and be comfortable with who they are.”

@sedonerrr

Y’all really knew before me huh? #gay #lgbt #fyp #highschool

♬ Space Cadet – Metro Boomin – waddup

Now with a post-March Madness following of over 1.7 million and counting, Prince continues to use her her TikTok as a space for out visibility and pride, affirming, “I have a really strong and powerful voice, and I can make a difference with what I say. So, now I’m able to use it for things that are much bigger than me and just my story.” Since returning home from the San Antonio tournament “bubble,” Prince has posted a number of videos together with her girlfriend Rylee, often poking fun of the almost 2-foot height difference between the couple.

@sedonerrr

Couple’s lifting challenge #lgbt #wlw #lifting

♬ She Make It Clap – Soulja Boy Tell ’em

Click here to watch the full interview with Sedona Prince on episode 5 of Aleeya Hutchins’ Instagram Live interview series, Tap In.

Prince also spoke to former college basketball athlete and Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts:

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