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Posted by Christopher Waldrop
August 12, 2008 |
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Patricia Nell Warren is the author of the bestselling novel The Front Runner, about an openly gay man competing as a figure-skater in the 1976 Olympics. Listening to an interview with her in which she talked about the success of the book, which was first published in 1974, I was struck by how much progress has been made, not just in society but in sports. Perhaps, given the fact that the fight for civil rights has been going on for decades the shift in society towards greater acceptance and tolerance isn’t so surprising. Next year will be the fortieth anniversary of the Stonewall riots. And yet this also highlights how much progress remains to be made. Warren’s forthcoming book is The Lavender Locker Room, about gay athletes through the ages. That openly gay athletes arecompeting in the Olympics isn’t news anymore, though, although it does show how much the Olympic games are about unity and understanding, not just between countries and cultures but individuals as well. For many of us an athlete’s sexual identity is a non-issue. Martina Navratilova is open about the fact that she’s a lesbian, and Greg Louganis is openly gay. These facts are unimportant to many of us, or they may be part of the mosaic of trivia that fans can memorize along with the fact that Louganis’s hometown is El Cajon, California, while Navratilova was born in Prague in what was then Czechoslovakia. That these athletes compete in single rather than team sports is significant, though. As Warren says there are still closeted athletes, and, while coming out may end an athlete’s career in, say, football or baseball, it would also end suspicion and paranoia, not to mention a lot of sneaking around, that could seriously undermine team unity. And for now there are gay sports teams, and even a Federation of Gay Games. Unfortunately these athletes are separate and, in terms of endorsements and recognition, far from equal. I wonder whether such segregation isn’t doing a disservice to the very idea of sport, where the competitions are supposed to be based on what happens on the field, not off. I also wonder whether there will ever be enough acceptance that, even in team sports, there will be enough acceptance that a player’s sexual identity will be a non-issue, that gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and straight players will play alongside each other and be judged on their performance–which is the only thing that matters. Books like Warren’s show how far things have come, and how far they still have to go.
Comments
We are a long way off (but getting there) where we have mixed gendered professional teams at the top level of sports. Yes, we have sports (like Nascar) where gender, sexual orientation are not important as you are using equipment that is equal in measure.
There are co-ed soccer teams (I play on one) and even mized doubles at Wimbledon. But to have a girl play on the England football team is a long way off. Nothing in the rules that say it must be all men, but still a long way off. I know a few girls actually that would probably do well having said that. But anyway, a long way off.
I had a fierce debate years ago in college with a girl in class that stated that the great battle of the sexes tennis match in the 70’s proved that women were men’s equals and stated that women should get just as much prize money at Wimbledon as the men do. I agreed but stated that it should only happen when the women played matches as long as the men did (womens games are best of 3 sets, mens are best of 5).
You have opened an interesting door here, at very least you are are right that this book itself highights a door that needs to be shoved open and studied a bit more.
Can gay men kick any less harder than straight men? No. And believe me, women can kick pretty hard too. It’s a shame though some people can not be open minded enough in this day an age to get over this.
Federation of Gay Games? It sounds like something in a Saturday Night Live lineup?
I think gender/race/sexual orientations specific events do nothing but promote marginalization.
I’m not surprised that the gay athletes in the Olympics aren’t a major focus, though. The Wing-Nuts are too busy trying to make sure the gays can’t marry. As if gay people could desecrate the institution of matrimony an more than we heterosexuals. I’d like to see them try it, in fact. I dare them. I double dare them
James and John, good points, and thanks for the information. I’m a big fan of billiards but I’ve never understood why billiard competitions are divided into men’s and women’s. Karen Corr or Alison Fisher could definitely hold their own against Mika Immonen or other men.
Morgan, I have mixed feelings about focusing on the sexual orientation of athletes. For the most part it doesn’t matter. On the other hand it does potentially raise awareness and tolerance. If a gay athlete succeeded spectacularly at a big event only the most extreme Wing-Nuts would refuse to celebrate.
And, yeah, why does it matter who marries whom? Actually it’s happened in other countries–Spain, and the Netherlands, just to name a couple. It hasn’t harmed them or marriage in those countries.