Paul Farber: Tackling homophobia in sports

Recently, I attended the first annual National Gay and Lesbian Athletics conference held at M.I.T. As co-chairman of the new LGBT Center task force PATH (Penn's Athletes and Allies Tackling Homophobia and Heterosexism), as well as a former varsity athlete at Penn, this historic conference held much significance in my life.

Yet, as the theme of the conference "Heroes Among Us" suggests, the importance of this event transcends my own experiences. Finally, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender athletes, coaches, administrators and fans were given a chance to dispel the giant myth that we don't exist.

At the conference itself, 300 attendees from across the country gathered to both affirm the LGBT athletic community's accomplishments and to examine the deep-rooted homophobia within sports. In the context of collegiate sports, our discussions matched the NCAA's repeated recommendations for schools to treat homophobia as it would any issue of student-athlete welfare. And while many institutions protect sexual minorities under their own non-discrimination polices -- such as Penn -- athletic departments often do not receive the same scrutiny.

This may be the result of the false assumptions that non-heterosexual athletes do not exist ("They're not on my team!") or that this issue does not affect straight people. The logic behind those arguments illustrates the hands-off approach many in sports take.

Just like in any area of society, gays and lesbians thrive in athletics -- just because they may not publicly be "out" does not mean they don't exist. Even at the conference, there were several Olympic gold medalists and NCAA All-Americans.

Also, when a team's season can come down to one player in a single moment, any outside distraction can endanger a team's chance of winning. Often living with a fear of disclosure, these individuals take great measures to hide their sexuality so much that it can detract from their performance.

And currently, although there are many programs and support mechanisms offered for student athletes at Penn, there are no resources for those who are LGBT or questioning. Instead, they are forced to deal with their "problem" on their own.

Why do these athletes need special treatment? Well, despite their smaller numbers, gay and lesbian youth are statistically twice as likely to commit suicide as their straight counterparts and disproportionately prone to suffering from depression. Match those numbers with the extreme homophobic and patriarchal nature of sports, and you get a recipe for disaster. Silence breeds isolation and inhibits these individuals from reaching their fullest potential both on the playing fields and in the classroom.

With PATH, we are hoping to initiate a campus-wide dialogue about these issues to bring about change in policy and attitude. By addressing the mutual concerns of the LGBT and athletics communities, we will be able to set up resources designed to help athletes and coaches on both sides of the issue. In bridging this gap, we strive to make athletics a safe and positive environment for all athletes.

After an introductory meeting and hosting a panel discussion about LGBT athletes for QPenn Week last month, we are now hoping to set an agenda complete with immediate plans for action. At our meeting tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the LGBT Center (3907 Spruce Street), we will discuss the possibilities of diversity training for all coaches and mentorships and resources for student athletes by the start of the next academic year. With a diverse membership, consisting of heterosexual and LGBT athletes and fans of all levels, we hope to include the perspective of as many voices on campus as possible.

The power of sport can transform a life. It can empower, challenge and teach important life skills. But as one of the last bastions of homophobia and hatred at this institution, it becomes a demonizing force in certain cases. It's our responsibility to acknowledge that people of all sexual orientations are playing on our teams and that if we don't reach out to them, they will suffer in silence.

Is your team willing to risk glory because you are afraid to talk about homosexuality? Will you lose your next game or next championship because you failed to be proactive? The ball is rolling -- it's now a question of who wants it next.

Paul Farber is the chairman of Penn's Athletes and Allies Tackling Homophobia and Heterosexism and features editor for 34th Street magazine.

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