This week we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the passage of Title IX. For anyone who still does not know what Title IX is – it’s a federal law passed in 1972 that prohibits sex discrimination in education. Perhaps the biggest area of Title IX’s impact is high school … [Read more...]
Update on Lesbian Golf Coach’s Lawsuit Against the University of Minnesota
In December, 2010 I blogged about a lawsuit filed by Katie Brenny, a lesbian golf coach at the University of Minnesota who alleged that she was discriminated against on the basis of her sexual orientation. Included in the lawsuit were charges against the Director of Golf at the time, John … [Read more...]
Coaching and Preaching: When the Football Field Becomes A Church
Ron Brown, an assistant football coach at the University of Nebraska, has been on the public hot seat since he spoke against a proposed Omaha city ordinance banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In his testimony, Brown listed his address as Memorial Stadium … [Read more...]
Measuring LGBT Equality in Sports
Yesterday Campus Pride launched their Out To Play Project, an initiative focused on fostering LGBT equality in collegiate sports, with their first ever list of “The Best of the Best” college athletic programs that are “LGBT friendly.” The schools included on this inaugural … [Read more...]
It Gets Better? Not For Women Coaches.
Here is an excellent article that explores the state of women in coaching and discusses the disturbing statistics that tell us the number of women coaching women’s teams has declined even as the numbers of women athletes participating in college sports has risen. On the other side, women are … [Read more...]
NYU Athletics Department Delivers Inspiring “It Gets Better” Message
First, let me apologize for my absence. I needed to take a break from blogging for awhile, but I am rejuvenated and back. This It Gets Better video made by the NYU Athletics Department is a great way to reenter the blog world. It is an inspiring and important message from athletes, coaches, … [Read more...]
Sexist Tweets, OK. Racist Tweets, Not So Much
In the space of two weeks reporters for national media have gotten themselves into hot water for tweets about sporting events. First up – Roland Martin of CNN who was disturbed by the David Beckham underwear ad broadcast during the Super Bowl. His homophobic tweet calling for a little causal … [Read more...]
Power, Penn State and Joe Paterno’s Legacy
This week Joe Paterno, the former Penn State iconic football coach, was laid to rest. In his 46 years as the Nittany Lions coach, he accomplished athletic goals most coaches can only dream of: National championships, the winningest record in college football, the undying devotion of current and … [Read more...]
Fired Lesbian Coach and School Reach Settlement
In November, I posted an article about a lesbian high school coach who was fired from her teaching and coaching position. Here is that post.Apparently the coach and the school have reached a settlement agreement. It is unclear from the article what the terms of the settlement are, but I hope that, … [Read more...]
Update on Lawsuit Filed by Kilgore, TX Lesbian Softball Player and Her Mother
Last January I started the year describing a situation in a Kilgore, TX high school where a lesbian softball player was, according to allegations in her lawsuit against the school, athletic director and coaches, treated outrageously by her coaches. Skye Wyatt’s lawsuit alleges that her … [Read more...]