I highly recommend Kate Fagan's memoir. In fact, I would go so far as to say that anyone who wants to understand how homophobia affects women in sport, this is required reading.The Reappearing Act by Kate Fagan (Skyhorse, 2014) The Reappearing Act is a gripping memoir written with honesty and wry … [Read more...]
Making Connections: White Privilege in the LGBT Sports Advocacy Community
Last week I just happened to turn on CNN at the exact moment that President Obama walked into the White House press conference to make a surprise statement in the aftermath of the Trayvon Martin Murder trial outcome.+ACY-nbsp+ADs I almost never watch TV during the day, but it was blazing hot and wicked … [Read more...]
Psychotic Coach Behavior: Have We Really So Totally Lost Our Way in College Athletics?
On Tuesday Outside the Lines aired a segment featuring a video of Mike Rice, the Rutgers men+ACY-rsquo+ADs-s basketball coach, physically, emotionally and verbally bullying players on his team during practice. Not just one time at one practice, the video was a montage of several instances of the … [Read more...]
Coaches, Athletes and Sex: Not a Good Game Plan
In December, Bev Kearney, the highly successful women+ACY-rsquo+ADs-s track and field coach at the University of Texas, was looking forward to a new contract from the university with a substantial raise.+ACY-nbsp+ADs In early January she resigned to avoid being fired for having a consensual relationship with a … [Read more...]
The Power of One Sentence: Heterosexism in Coaches’ Biographies
If you peruse professional biographies for coaches, administrators and other staff on collegiate athletic department websites, you will notice a common characteristic of the vast majority: At the end of the description of each staff member+ACY-rsquo+ADs-s professional accomplishments, a one sentence … [Read more...]
From Russia, But Not With Love
Russia is sending a message to LGBT people, but it is definitely not a love note.+ACY-nbsp+ADs As much of the western world is moving toward greater acceptance and legal protections for LGBT people, Russia is moving in the opposite direction. National polls tell us that average Russian citizens are largely … [Read more...]
Straight Women Allies in Sport: Rare Sightings of An Important Species
Over the last several months an impressive number of high profile straight men in sport have stepped forward to speak out publicly in support of marriage equality and the inclusion of LGBTQ people in sports as well as against anti-LGBTQ bullying in schools. … [Read more...]
The Incredible Omnipresent Yet Invisible Lesbian Athlete
For someone like me who has made a career advocating for the elimination of the discrimination and harassment that LGBT people experience in sport, it has been a dizzying two years of progress.+ACY-nbsp+ADs The topic of LGBT inclusion in sport is now a standard fixture in mainstream sport media. Everyone … [Read more...]
Purple? Man, That’s So Gay!
This is what the banner said. The banner was held up by student spectators at a nationally televised high school football in Alabama.+ACY-nbsp+ADs You can read about it here.+ACY-nbsp+ADs The purpose of the banner was to insult the opposing school team whose team color was purple. The thinking goes like this: In … [Read more...]
The Olympics Are Coming!
The London Olympic Games begin in a little over a week so, of course, speculation begins about the number of openly LGBT athletes will be competing.+ACY-nbsp+ADs This Advocate articleidentifies a handful of openly lesbian and gay athletes who will be competing and I am sure this number will increase as we … [Read more...]