Athletics

Coming on Strong: Gender and Sexuality in Twentieth-Century Women's Sport (1994)
Jocks: True Stories of America's Gay Male Athletes (1998)
Strong Women, Deep Closets: Lesbians and Homophobia in Sport (1998)

Do you use or allow athletes to use language or jokes that demean or ridicule women, LGBT's or other minority groups?
Does the team or your coaching staff use anti-gay or anti-female slurs to tease or taunt each other?
Does your team or coaching staff expect LGBT athletes or coaches to keep their identities a secret?
Does your team or coaching staff know of and encourage the use of resources on campus that provide social support services for LGBT students?
Is homophobia discussed amongst the team?
How would you react if an athlete or coach came out to you?
How would you react if an athlete or coach came out publicly on campus or participated openly in LGBT events or organizations?
How would you react if a LGBT athlete brought a same-sex date to a team social event where hetero athletes brought dates?

Coaches have a responsibility to make their teams safe for all athletes, including LGBT athletes.
All athletes interact with LGBT peers, teachers, coaches, friends or family members.
Discrimination against LGBT coaches and athletes is often not addressed because they are too afraid to protest or there is no legal protection in place.
Because there are few LGBT coaches or athletes who feel safe enough to disclose their identities, other athletes and coaches often believe that destructive stereotypes of LGBT people are true.
Naming LGBT people in athletics as the problem rather than homophobia perpetuates ignorance, fear and bigotry.
Unless coaches take action against homophobia, the next generation of young coaches will inherit the same prejudices many of us who are coaching now have lived with.

LGBT Resource Center