 Most sports around the world have been defined as men’s activities and women have been excluded or discouraged from participating in many sports through most of the 20 th century  The single most dramatic change in the world of sports in the past generation has been the increase and participation of girls and women in sport

 New Opportunities  Prior to 1970’s women did not play sports because sport teams did not exist  New opportunities have come from political pressure or gov’t legislation  Gov’t Equal Rights Legislation  *Title IX of the Educational Amendment of 1972  *Official rights in other countries are controlled by men who often see participation as disruptive of the social and moral order

 Global Women’s Rights Movement  Has emphasized that females are enhanced as human beings when they develop their intellectual and physical abilities  Has redefined occupational/family roles  Has fueled national/international political action  Expanding Health and Fitness Movement  Awareness has encouraged women to seek opportunities to play sports  Muscles are more widely accepted

 Increased Media Coverage  Seeing women on tv and reading about them encourage women and girls to be active  1999 World Cup/1996 Olympic Games  Women make up half of the world’s population and half of the world’s consumers  NBC experienced high ratings when it targeted women during the 175 hours of coverage of the Atlanta Olympics  Magnificent 7 Documentary: Anything To Win Magnificent 7 Documentary: Anything To Win

 Budget cutbacks (#1 reason $$$$)  Resistance to gov’t regulations  Backlash among those who resent changes favoring strong women  Continued emphasis on “cosmetic fitness”  Homophobia and the fear of being labeled “lesbian”

 Women/girls have been steered into sports unrelated to strength, power and speed—the traits associated with masculinity  Olympic sports figures  IOC had no women members from  women could run the marathon in the games, “Women need to be protected from these demanding events”  HS in GA are far from complying with the law  Gender Equity - Georgia's Title IX Companion Law Targets Rampant Gender Inequities Gender Equity - Georgia's Title IX Companion Law Targets Rampant Gender Inequities

 Female athletes in most N. America hs and colleges seldom receive the same support enjoyed by the boys and men  Gender trends for US college coaching and administration  Over 90% of all national team coaches are men  IOC is only made up of 10% females

 Men have well established connections  Most women don’t have strategic professional connections and networks to compete with males  Support systems and professional development are scarce  Perceptions  There's No Crying in Baseball There's No Crying in Baseball  Seldom organized to be sensitive to the family responsibilities  Sexual harassment is more likely to be anticipated

 Confront discriminatory practices  Insist on fair and open employment  Keep a gender equity report card  Recruit and train women to fill positions  Create a supportive network for women  Use women’s hiring networks

 Gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered people are seen as being outside of normative boundaries and the same is true in sports  The myth that all female athletes are lesbians has been used for nearly a century to exclude and discourage women from playing sports  Myths have created a sense of loneliness and isolation, combined with fears about being outed  Myths have created forms of discrimination experienced by lesbians seeking jobs or promotions  Created fears among heterosexual women about relating to lesbian teammates and coaches

 Lesbians are faced with one of these:  Being completely in the closet  Passing as heterosexual  Covering lesbian identity  Being “out” by not covering identity in all situations  Being “out” by revealing identity to trusted others  Being an open lesbian in sports and the rest of their lives

 Often choose the “don’t rock the boat” strategy  Open lesbians must be prepared to handle everything from angry hostility to cautious acceptance  Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova lost millions of endorsement money when they came out

 Men’s sports have always been key for reproducing dominant forms of masculinity  There has been much at stake in maintaining silence about gay men and discourages athletes from revealing their identities  Message to boys, “Don’t be gay and don’t play like a girl”  Heterosexual men have developed threatening antigay locker room talk that keep gay men in the closet  Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel: 2010 Review - Gays in Sports Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel: 2010 Review - Gays in Sports  Esera Tuaolo on Gay Slurs Esera Tuaolo on Gay Slurs

NBA player Jason Collins