Athletics

Support: Dr. Bob Corb, Counseling Center psychologist, is a student athlete resource and Ally to the LGBT community. He can be reached at 827-5531 or robert.corb@ucr.edu

LGBTRC Library Resources

Books:
  • 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)
How safe and inclusive is your team for LGBT athletes and coaches?
Copyright PGriffin
  • 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?
Reasons why coaches need to address homophobia in athletics:
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  • 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.