Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has agreed to serve as our It Takes A Team! team captain. This is a fitting role for her since it was due to her generous fundraising assistance in 1996 that It Takes A Team! became a reality. From the beginning she believed that the Women’s Sports Foundation’s efforts to address homophobia in sport should also include homophobia in men’s sports. She believes, and we agree, that to effectively eliminate homophobia in sport, it is necessary to pay attention to how it affects people of all genders in sport. As team captain, she endorses It Takes A Team! as the premier education resource for addressing LGBT issues in sport and will assist in our fundraising efforts to ensure that It Takes A Team! has the financial resources we need to continue to work toward making sport a safe and respectful place for athletes of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Thank you, Martina, and we look forward to working with you as captain of our team.
Lesbian Athlete Files Lawsuit Against Coach for Sexual Orientation Discrimination
Published: Friday, October 03, 2008
Basketball player Jennifer Colli charges that her scholarship from Southern Methodist University was revoked after she complained to the athletic director and women's basketball coach, Rhonda Rompola, that Rompola was discriminating against players based on their sexual orientation.
Olympic Softball Silver Medalist Lauren Lappin Comes Out
Published: Tuesday, September 23, 2008
USA softball player Lauren Lappin recently announced that she is a lesbian — a bold move for any athlete, considering the still-hostile cultural environment of sport. At the 2008 Olympic Games, Lappin talked about what some of the hardest parts for her were and how her family and teammates were a great support. Lappin hopes that her story of learning to embrace and accept herself will help others to see that the transition doesn't have to be hard.
When should media report on the personal life of gay and lesbian athletes?
Published: Tuesday, September 23, 2008
When NBC Olympic coverage failed to acknowledge that Australian diving gold medalist, Matthew Mitcham, was openly gay, many people wondered if this omission was a sign of homophobia or just an oversight. This omission was notable when the personal lives of heterosexual athletes were routinely included in Olympic TV coverage. Read sports commentator Bob Costas’ interview about media coverage of gay athletes.
Coach Helps Bring 'New Era' to PSU
Published: Wednesday, April 30, 2008
With the hiring of a new women's basketball coach, Penn State University is beginning to shed years of discriminatory practices. Former coach Rene Portland, known for her "no lesbians" policy, was replaced with coach Coquese Washington this year. Discover what It Takes A Team! Director Pat Griffin had to say about the change.
Gay Athletes on Campus: Progress and Prejudice in College Sports
Published: Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Organizations such as the Women's Sports Foundation, GLAAD, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the NCAA are teaming up to combat homophobia in sport. These organizations are compiling resources to figure out where the problems still lie and how to fix them.
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