Playing for Our Team

03/11/10

Olympic Film Series Addresses Sexism, Racism and Homophobia in Sports

There were many good things that came out of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Shaun White propelled snowboarding to another level. Johnny Weir made men’s figure skating cool again. (Let’s be honest. He made it “cool” for the first time). And both the men’s and women’s hockey teams took home silver medals. There were plenty of other notable moments, which I’m sure everyone heard about in some shape or form. There just isn’t enough space on this blog for me to mention them all.

On the other hand, there is enough space for me to mention one moment that didn’t get much attention. Apparently, during the course of the Winter Olympics, there was a two-night film series put on by Pride House and the Vancouver Queer Film...

Posted at 02:13 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

02/28/10

Johnny Weir Is Fantastically Fabulous

For those of you weren’t aware, Johnny Weir is fantastically fabulous. And not just because of his figure skating outfits, either. Johnny Weir is fantastically fabulous all around. He’s a beautiful skater and a creative fashion designer who unfortunately became the butt of a few broadcasters’ jokes during the airing of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

There are a few out gay and lesbian athletes who are competing in the Winter Olympics this year (and more than a few closeted ones as well), and Curve even gave you a few a names to look out for. But no other athlete has received more attention than Johnny Weir. And it’s not because of his mad skating skills. Weir received attention because of his outrageous outfits and his flamboyance instead, which...

Posted at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

02/19/10

Brittney Griner May Push Gender Boundaries, But Not on Purpose

Brittney Griner is sick. And I’m not talking about the, “I’ve got a cold” kind of sick. I’m talking about the, “I’m a woman, I’m 6′8″ and I can throw down” kind of sick.

As a freshman at Baylor University, Griner has surpassed every woman who has ever come before her in the dunking sphere. Sure, Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker can dunk. But Griner can slam it home, hang on the rim and swing around with authority.

The world of women’s basketball has never seen a player like this before. Griner has the athletic skills and build of any budding male college basketball star, which has brought her “gender” into question. She has an 88-inch wingspan, almost unheard of for a woman athlete. Simply...

Posted at 03:25 PM | Permalink | Comments: 2

02/08/10

Time For Pro Sports To Catch Up

With the recent developments in the sports world, as far as retired and active players coming out of the closet, many high-profile LGBT individuals have been weighing in.

Ian McKellen, the famous actor who is often known for his outspoken and courageous comments concerning LGBT issues, made a recent statement to BBC radio about the presence of homophobia in professional sports.

“When it comes to the business of simply being honest about who they are,” he said. “Some of them [sports stars] become little shrinking violets because they're afraid, probably, of being booed from the terraces, and that must be a horrible experience, and shame on people who do it.”

McKellen also added that, “It ain't going to stop someone being a fantastic...

Posted at 11:34 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

01/21/10

“Our Group” Supports LGBT Athletes

For a long time now, there has been a need for an organization to help support the concerns of LGBT athletes around the country. “Our Group” was born out of that need. According to the website, Our Group “is an outreach, support and advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) high school and college student-athletes and allies. It serves as a network to connect LGBT student-athletes with other LGBT student-athletes. Our Group is also dedicated to educating athletes, coaches and fans so that the sports community is an accepting one for ALL athletes, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.”

I don’t know about you, but I personally like the sound of that mission statement. An organization like Our Group can help...

Posted at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

01/11/10

Where is She Now: Martina Navratilova

One of the most influential and talented athletes of our time, Martina Navratilova left an indelible mark on tennis as well as the LGBT community. She retired in 1995, and she’s been keeping herself busy ever since.

Now that she’s not swinging a tennis racket and running back and forth across a tennis court, Navratilova decided to obtain her pilot’s license even though she’s afraid of heights and her diver’s license even though she’s afraid of drowning. She has also dabbled in photography and painting, and even authored a few mystery novels.

As far as political and social causes go, it’s widely known that Navratilova is a prominent LGBT rights activist. But she also campaigns regularly for the safety of animals and the environment...

Posted at 04:00 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

12/31/09

These Athletes are Family

As we close out another decade, I thought it might be a good idea to reflect on all of the incredible gay and lesbian athletes who have impacted the sports world with their remarkable courage and talent throughout the past few decades. This year, we have the pleasure of adding Gareth Thomas to that list. The reality is that Thomas might not have been able to come out had it not been for all of those gay and lesbian athletes who paved the way for him.

Here’s a quick rundown of some of those athletes. Their athletic achievements and strength of character deserve to be recognized:

• Bill Tilden — In 1920, Tilden won the...

Posted at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

12/23/09

Gay Rugby Player Proves He’s Tough Enough

For all of those naysayers out there who falsely believe that gay men aren’t tough enough to play professional sports, I suggest you look up Gareth Thomas.

Thomas is a perennial all-star in the world of rugby—one of the toughest and most brutal sports in the world. Oh, and did I mention the fact that Thomas is also gay?

Thomas, a former Wales captain, told the UK’s Daily Mail, “I don't know if my life is going to be easier because I'm out, but if it helps someone else, if it makes one young lad pick up the phone to ChildLine (a LGBT teen suicide line), then it will have been worth it.”

And that’s the whole point in a nutshell. Thomas basically summed up the formidable effect a visible gay or lesbian professional athlete can have...

Posted at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0

12/18/09

Transexual Sportswriter Broke The Mold

I managed to unearth this story after conducting a simple search on Google related to LGBT athletes and news. My first thought was, how come we didn’t hear a thing about this on the national level?

Mike Penner was a sportswriter for the L.A. Times, which is easily regarded as one of the top-selling (and top-read) newspapers in the country. Penner made waves in 2007 when he came out as a transsexual and wrote about it in a sports column for the Times. He changed his name to Christine Daniels and began living fully as a female. I remember the column distinctly. It was heartfelt and open, and revealed years of gut-wrenching insecurity and pain. All that Daniels asked was that readers didn’t treat her any differently. She wanted to remain a respected...

Posted at 04:50 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

12/11/09

Homophobic or Beautiful

That is the question that has been raised in reference to a recent women’s basketball marketing campaign by Florida State University. FSU has decided to showcase its women’s basketball team in a new light. Instead of portraying the players as tough and competitive, the campaign seeks to display them as “soft” and “beautiful.” (seminolehoops.com/teamkayli.shtml)

The main point that FSU is trying to get across is that women basketball players can be both athletic and beautiful at the same time.

However, some people are viewing the campaign much differently. They believe that the “glamour” shots only reinforce homophobia in women’s college...

Posted at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1

	03/11/10 Olympic Film Series Addresses Sexism, Racism and Homophobia in Sports There were many good things that came out of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Shaun White propelled snowboarding to another level. Johnny Weir made men’s figure skating cool again. (Let’s be honest. He made it “cool” for the first time). And both the men’s and women’s hockey teams took home silver medals. There were plenty of other notable moments, which I’m sure everyone heard about in some shape or form. There just isn’t enough space on this blog for me to mention them all. On the other hand, there is enough space for me to mention one moment that didn’t get much attention. Apparently, during the course of the Winter Olympics, there was a two-night film series put on by Pride House and the Vancouver Queer Film... Posted at 02:13 PM \| Permalink \| Comments: 0
	02/28/10 Johnny Weir Is Fantastically Fabulous For those of you weren’t aware, Johnny Weir is fantastically fabulous. And not just because of his figure skating outfits, either. Johnny Weir is fantastically fabulous all around. He’s a beautiful skater and a creative fashion designer who unfortunately became the butt of a few broadcasters’ jokes during the airing of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. There are a few out gay and lesbian athletes who are competing in the Winter Olympics this year (and more than a few closeted ones as well), and Curve even gave you a few a names to look out for. But no other athlete has received more attention than Johnny Weir. And it’s not because of his mad skating skills. Weir received attention because of his outrageous outfits and his flamboyance instead, which... Posted at 12:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments: 0
	02/19/10 Brittney Griner May Push Gender Boundaries, But Not on Purpose Brittney Griner is sick. And I’m not talking about the, “I’ve got a cold” kind of sick. I’m talking about the, “I’m a woman, I’m 6′8″ and I can throw down” kind of sick. As a freshman at Baylor University, Griner has surpassed every woman who has ever come before her in the dunking sphere. Sure, Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker can dunk. But Griner can slam it home, hang on the rim and swing around with authority. The world of women’s basketball has never seen a player like this before. Griner has the athletic skills and build of any budding male college basketball star, which has brought her “gender” into question. She has an 88-inch wingspan, almost unheard of for a woman athlete. Simply... Posted at 03:25 PM \| Permalink \| Comments: 2
	02/08/10 Time For Pro Sports To Catch Up With the recent developments in the sports world, as far as retired and active players coming out of the closet, many high-profile LGBT individuals have been weighing in. Ian McKellen, the famous actor who is often known for his outspoken and courageous comments concerning LGBT issues, made a recent statement to BBC radio about the presence of homophobia in professional sports. “When it comes to the business of simply being honest about who they are,” he said. “Some of them [sports stars] become little shrinking violets because they're afraid, probably, of being booed from the terraces, and that must be a horrible experience, and shame on people who do it.” McKellen also added that, “It ain't going to stop someone being a fantastic... Posted at 11:34 PM \| Permalink \| Comments: 0
	01/21/10 “Our Group” Supports LGBT Athletes For a long time now, there has been a need for an organization to help support the concerns of LGBT athletes around the country. “Our Group” was born out of that need. According to the website, Our Group “is an outreach, support and advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) high school and college student-athletes and allies. It serves as a network to connect LGBT student-athletes with other LGBT student-athletes. Our Group is also dedicated to educating athletes, coaches and fans so that the sports community is an accepting one for ALL athletes, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.” I don’t know about you, but I personally like the sound of that mission statement. An organization like Our Group can help... Posted at 10:51 AM \| Permalink \| Comments: 0
	01/11/10 Where is She Now: Martina Navratilova One of the most influential and talented athletes of our time, Martina Navratilova left an indelible mark on tennis as well as the LGBT community. She retired in 1995, and she’s been keeping herself busy ever since. Now that she’s not swinging a tennis racket and running back and forth across a tennis court, Navratilova decided to obtain her pilot’s license even though she’s afraid of heights and her diver’s license even though she’s afraid of drowning. She has also dabbled in photography and painting, and even authored a few mystery novels. As far as political and social causes go, it’s widely known that Navratilova is a prominent LGBT rights activist. But she also campaigns regularly for the safety of animals and the environment... Posted at 04:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments: 0
	12/31/09 These Athletes are Family As we close out another decade, I thought it might be a good idea to reflect on all of the incredible gay and lesbian athletes who have impacted the sports world with their remarkable courage and talent throughout the past few decades. This year, we have the pleasure of adding Gareth Thomas to that list. The reality is that Thomas might not have been able to come out had it not been for all of those gay and lesbian athletes who paved the way for him. Here’s a quick rundown of some of those athletes. Their athletic achievements and strength of character deserve to be recognized: • Bill Tilden — In 1920, Tilden won the... Posted at 12:27 PM \| Permalink \| Comments: 0
	12/23/09 Gay Rugby Player Proves He’s Tough Enough For all of those naysayers out there who falsely believe that gay men aren’t tough enough to play professional sports, I suggest you look up Gareth Thomas. Thomas is a perennial all-star in the world of rugby—one of the toughest and most brutal sports in the world. Oh, and did I mention the fact that Thomas is also gay? Thomas, a former Wales captain, told the UK’s Daily Mail, “I don't know if my life is going to be easier because I'm out, but if it helps someone else, if it makes one young lad pick up the phone to ChildLine (a LGBT teen suicide line), then it will have been worth it.” And that’s the whole point in a nutshell. Thomas basically summed up the formidable effect a visible gay or lesbian professional athlete can have... Posted at 10:39 AM \| Permalink \| Comments: 0
	12/18/09 Transexual Sportswriter Broke The Mold I managed to unearth this story after conducting a simple search on Google related to LGBT athletes and news. My first thought was, how come we didn’t hear a thing about this on the national level? Mike Penner was a sportswriter for the L.A. Times, which is easily regarded as one of the top-selling (and top-read) newspapers in the country. Penner made waves in 2007 when he came out as a transsexual and wrote about it in a sports column for the Times. He changed his name to Christine Daniels and began living fully as a female. I remember the column distinctly. It was heartfelt and open, and revealed years of gut-wrenching insecurity and pain. All that Daniels asked was that readers didn’t treat her any differently. She wanted to remain a respected... Posted at 04:50 PM \| Permalink \| Comments: 0
	12/11/09 Homophobic or Beautiful That is the question that has been raised in reference to a recent women’s basketball marketing campaign by Florida State University. FSU has decided to showcase its women’s basketball team in a new light. Instead of portraying the players as tough and competitive, the campaign seeks to display them as “soft” and “beautiful.” (seminolehoops.com/teamkayli.shtml) The main point that FSU is trying to get across is that women basketball players can be both athletic and beautiful at the same time. However, some people are viewing the campaign much differently. They believe that the “glamour” shots only reinforce homophobia in women’s college... Posted at 12:20 PM \| Permalink \| Comments: 1

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