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I'm a glass-half-empty girl. Give me solid proof that things are looking up and I might start to refill that drink. That being said, my hat's off and my glass is raised for the efforts of the people I mention here in this story. They give me hope that things are going in the right direction for the LGBT sports community.
At the beginning of October, the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) began to tackle homophobia and transphobia in sports. As a first step they are "collecting the stories of LGBT athletes, coaches and allies who can shed light on the challenges and barriers homophobia and transphobia present." The organization is also interested in success stories surrounding those issues.
The organizations It Takes A Team (Education Campaign for LGBT Issues in Sports), NCLR (National Center for Lesbian Rights), Sports Project and Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) were also in on the action. So What did all those acronyms do?
It Takes A Team Director Pat Griffin summed it up this way. "Our conversation focused on how each of our organizations addresses LGBT issues and discrimination in sport based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We also talked about how we can collaborate with each other to extend our influence and effectiveness."
Pat's a busy woman. At the end of the month she's headed to Indianapolis to co-host a national think tank called "Equal Opportunities for Transgender-Student Athletes." She and Helen Carroll, director of the NCLR Sports Project have worked to gather legal, medical and athletic participants from across the U.S. to share knowledge and perspectives. Again from Pat's blog:
"Think tank participants represent a broad range of transgender and non-transgender professional and personal expertise related to transgender and gender variant experience. The WSF and NCLR will issue a joint report following the think tank which will include policy recommendations and guidelines for athletic administrators, coaches, parents and student-athletes."
My thanks go to Pat Griffin's Sports' Blog for this good news and her individual effort in working with the other organizations toward this goal. Check out the GLAD survey and add your story to the mix, here.
