Breaking the "Control"

After reading several posts from Pat Griffin’s LGBT Sport Blog, I found one post very interesting, “When Coaches Bully.” First off, this story is extremely sad. The fact that people in our world can be that mean to another human being makes me very upset. Also, these were not just any people; they were this “S.W.’s” coaches! I am not sure how often this happens, (in a near perfect world this would have been the first time) but occasions like this could be one reason why female athletes who are lesbian do not come out and say it. This, women athletes not coming out in public, has been a huge issue in sports over the years. In one of our readings, "Ideological Control of Women in Sport," homophobia and the problems it causes are brought up. The article talks about how men have been “holding down” women throughout sport, a sort of “control.” One of the ways that men have this “control” is through homophobia, and more directly, the problems homophobia causes concerning lesbian athletes. Birrell and Theberge talk about how lesbian women NEED to admit to the public their sexuality. They say that when women remain silent, “it undermines the sense of pride that precedes unity and action.” I believe that this is very true because when women say they are lesbian in public it shows men that women will “protest their (men’s) oppressive treatment.”

Overall, I believe that it would benefit women if lesbian women were able to feel comfortable and confident telling the public about their sexuality. However, people like the coaches mentioned by Pat Griffin keep “controlling” women and, in some cases, not letting them be who they truly are. I think that what is happening in Texas with “S.W.” is very important for the future of women escaping this “control.” If people like the coaches know that what they are doing is completely wrong and illegal, then this discrimination and the threats will slowly go away. When all of this happens it will allow women athletes to talk about their sexuality without fearing punishment in their respective sport.