The
bold questions are the ones we recommend including in your initial video discussion. Following each question are suggested comments or points to make if participants do not raise them in the discussion. If disagreements arise, these points can be helpful information to invite participants to think about the question from different perspectives. Discussions are most productive when participants receive new perspectives that challenge prejudice or fear based on stereotypes or misinformation. Discussions are least effective when participants merely air prejudiced beliefs without an opportunity to think about the discussion from different perspectives or think about new information.
Discussion leaders should review the suggested discussion questions before showing the video and choose questions they believe are most appropriate for their group. Leaders should also decide on how many questions to use based on the time available for discussing the video.
Because this short introductory video focuses on a small number of gay and lesbian athletes, it does not directly address some issues. For example, all of the athletes in the video are white or black and identify as either gay or lesbian. Bisexual or transgender athletes or other lesbian and gay athletes of color face additional challenges and their experiences are not represented in the video. We strongly encourage discussion leaders to choose some questions that address these issues so that participants have the opportunity to understand some of the diversity in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender experience. This purpose may be accomplished by
asking questions such as:
- What specific challenges might face gay male athletes of color?
- What specific challenges might face bisexual or transgender athletes?
"Transgender," a new word for many people, is the self-chosen term of many people who do not conform in dress, appearance, or identity to traditional gender expectations. For example, females who do not have a .feminine. appearance or identity or males who do not have a "masculine" appearance or identity sometimes identify themselves as transgender. Transgender people are not necessarily lesbian, gay, or bisexual, but people often assume that their non-conforming gender expression indicates that they are.
Overall Points to Make in the Discussion of the Video
- All team members and coaches deserve to be safe and treated with respect and fairness.
- Making athletics safe for LGBT athletes and coaches is up to the whole team.
- Making athletics safe for all is good for the whole team.
- Team captains, coaches, and others in leadership positions play an important role in making a team safe and fair for LGBT team members and coaches.
Commitment to Subsequent Discussions. It may be difficult to accomplish closure on many questions. Participants should be assured that there will be opportunities to continue the discussion, among themselves or in subsequent meetings. We recommend that subsequent shorter discussions be devoted to addressing questions for which there was no time during the initial session. We recommend that participants revisit the topic regularly to increase the comfort level of students, parents, and staff and to emphasize the importance of creating safe educational environments in athletics settings. Taking advantage of "teachable moments" traveling to a game, in the coffee room, or after practice can provide opportunities to extend the discussions initiated in this session. Setting aside 15 minutes to discuss a question once a week or once a month could also be effective.
Discussion Questions for All Audiences
General Questions About the Video1. What are your overall reactions to the video?
Remind participants of the discussion guidelines.
Encourage as many participants to talk as you can.
Limit your participation and encourage others to speak.
2. What are some of the ways being a lesbian or gay male affected the athletes in the video?
Point out that some of the athletes were closeted out of fear of negative or disrespectful treatment rather than discomfort with being gay or lesbian.
Note how the reactions of teammates and coaches played a role in how the athletes in the video felt.
3. How did the lesbian athletes of color in the video describe how race affected their experiences?
Point out that racism is a primary issue for many people of color; and sexual orientation a secondary one - both must be addressed in order for them to feel safe and honest.
Point out that racism precludes many lesbians and gay men of color from finding a safe place within the primarily white gay or lesbian community.
Point out that homophobia among straight people of color often makes it difficult for lesbians and gay men of color to find support among teammates.
Point out that youth of color reported higher incidence of verbal harassment, physical harassment and physical assaults because of their race or ethnicity than white youth.
- 54.3% of youth of color report having been verbally harassed in school in the past year compared with 18.4% of white youth.
- 10.8% of youth of color report having been physically assaulted in school in the past year compared with 2.4% of white youth.
- 22.3% of youth of color report having been physically harassed in school in the past year compared with 7.6% of white youth.
4. Think about the coaches and teammates of the lesbian or gay athletes in the video. What were your reactions to how they responded to having gay or lesbian members
of their teams?
Note that some reactions were positive and some were negative.
The leadership of the coach appears to be crucial; especially in influencing athletes' reactions to having a LGBT teammate.
5. What would it have been like for you to be a teammate (or coach) of one of the
athletes in the video?
Remind participants of the discussion guidelines.
If participants are reluctant to talk, ask them to talk about what they think makes this topic so difficult to discuss.
Invite students to think about how fear and prejudice influences our attitudes about gay and lesbian people.
General Questions about LGBT Issues in Athletics
1. What are some examples of anti-gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender discrimination in athletics?
Name-calling
Less playing time
Using anti-gay terms as motivational speech
Negative recruiting
2. How might fears about lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender people affect heterosexual athletes and coaches?
Heterosexual athletes don.t want to be seen as LGBT.
Stereotypes of gays limit heterosexuals. ability to appreciate their LGBT teammates or coaches.
Fears creates tension on teams and damages the learning environment.
Fears about sharing the locker room with LGBT teammates - see FAQs, which address this issue.
Peer pressure to participate in anti-gay activities or discussions to establish themselves as heterosexuals.
3. What specific sports do you think are more or less welcoming to lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender athletes and coaches? Why?
Which sport isn.t the point.it.s that some sports are considered more or less masculine or feminine and enforce more rigid standards of masculine and feminine behavior.
How are individual and team sports different and similar?
4. How might the sport experience be different or the same for gay male athletes and lesbian athletes?
Note how the lesbian label is used to try to make women feel that being athletic or muscular is "unfeminine."
Male team sport athletes are perceived to be more homophobic than other athletes are. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
Note the connection between assumptions about sexual orientation and rigid gender roles.
Coaches' leadership and education are critical in challenging sexism and homophobia in men's and women's sports.
In common: at a time in life when everyone is talking about dating and social activities, sharing dating struggles, LGBT athletes cannot talk about their relationships without fear; or are silent because they must lie to avoid discrimination.
5. People who do not conform to traditional gender expectations (i.e., males who are slight or not athletic or females who are strong and muscular) are often discriminated against even if they are not bisexual, gay, or lesbian. How do you think this affects athletes and coaches?
Some non-gender conforming students do not play sports or participate in certain sports because they fear being associated with gays or lesbians.
Pressure for boys to be ultra masculine or girls to be ultra feminine to avoid questions about sexual orientation
Pressure to express anti-gay attitudes to avoid being perceived as gay
Students who do not conform to traditional gender stereotypes are often assumed to be gay and harassed for that.
6. Why do you think there are relatively few openly lesbian, gay, and bisexual athletes?
Few highly visible celebrity pros; because of fear of loss of corporate sponsorships
Limited legal protections; depending on state, school anti-discrimination policies and type of harassment
Coaches who discriminate against openly gay or lesbian athletes or insist that they remain closeted
In team sports there is often pressure from teammates and coaches to remain closeted.
7. What factors do you think could complicate the decision of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender athletes and coaches of color about whether or not to come out to their team?
Level of racism on the team; this is the primary factor for LGBT of color
Dealing with racism is hard enough, concern about inviting more discrimination by coming out makes life even more difficult.
Concern about being ostracized by other athletes of color
Assumptions of lack of academic ability based on racial stereotypes
8. What are the benefits of having openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender athletes/coaches?
Team commitment and positive chemistry; no secrets, honesty
Ability to focus on athletic goals, fewer distractions caused by fear, tension, silence
9. How could being a lesbian, bisexual, gay, or transgender athlete of color be different from being a white gay, bisexual, or lesbian athlete?
Doubly discriminated against
Having to deal with stereotypes of race or class: For example, African-American athletes have lower academic expectations, higher athletic expectations, and greater financial need; Asian athletes excel academically, but are not athletic.
10. What do you think makes some athletes or coaches uncomfortable about having lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender members of a team?
Don't want to deal with the personal lives of people on their team
Do not feel competent to deal with them
Fear that people will think they are LGBT
They believe the stereotypes of LGBT people
Fear of lack of fan and administrative support
Personal prejudices or beliefs that condemn LGBT people
11. What factors do you think motivate straight athletes and coaches to support gay or lesbian members of their teams?
Commitment to the values of respect and social justice
Improved team performance
Knowing and caring about a teammate first and then finding out they are gay
Having friends or family members who are LGBT, going to a high school with a Gay- Straight Alliance
Secure sense of who they are and are not concerned about perceptions of others
12. What factors could contribute to how people might respond to an openly bisexual, lesbian, gay, or transgender athlete on a team?
Coaches. reactions and leadership
Team captains. reactions and leadership
Education materials and programming for the team
Utilizing campus support services
Valuing the LGBT athlete.s friendship, participation on the team
13. What factors could contribute to how people might respond to an openly bisexual, lesbian, gay, or transgender coach?
Administrator support
School policies
Educational programs
Climate in which diversity is respected
Inclusion of LBGT coach families and significant others in social activities
The coach is successful and has good rapport with team members
14. How might the experience of a lesbian, bisexual, gay, or transgender athlete be different in individual or team sports?
Individual sports may not have to deal with team dynamics during competition (i.e., whether they are passed the ball)
Team unity issues are more prominent in team sports
Individual sport athletes are more open to differences, don.t require as much conformity to demonstrate team unity
15. How would you respond to people who say they are uncomfortable being in the locker room with lesbian, bisexual, gay, or transgender athletes?
Ask what beliefs are the basis for their concerns.
If concerns focus on fear of unwanted sexual advances, this is a sexual harassment issue that applies to students and employees of any sexual orientation or gender.
If sexual harassment policies are clear; this isn.t an issue because once informed; any unwelcome advance by anyone becomes harassment.
Challenge the assumption that gay and lesbian athletes only think about sex or are leering at teammates.
Everyone must have basic respect for the personal boundaries and privacy of teammates in the locker room regardless of sexual orientation or gender.
Note: The bold questions are the ones we recommend including in your initial video discussion.
General Questions about Your School
1. How often do you hear anti-gay name-calling among athletes in your school? Among coaches?
Needs to be a zero-tolerance policy so that it will eventually stop happening
Form of unacceptable hate speech (e.g., similar to directing a racial slur at another person; is totally unacceptable and there are consequences)
Discuss what kind of climate is created when slurs and name-calling are common
2. How often do you hear name calling in your school directed toward people who do not conform to traditional gender expectations?
Happens every day, must be addressed every day
Needs to be a zero tolerance policy so that it will eventually stop happening
Form of unacceptable hate speech (e.g., similar to directing a racial slur at another person); is totally unacceptable and there are consequences
Discuss what kind of climate is created when slurs and name-calling are common.
3. What do you think it would be like to be a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender member of a team at your school?
Make sure safe environments are discussed.
Explore key ingredients for safe vs. hostile environment.
Refer to Athletic Climate for LGBT People in the kit.
4. What do you think it would be like to be a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender coach at your school?
Is there a policy protecting teachers and coaches?
Refer to Athletic Climate for LGBT People in the kit.
5. Are there certain teams or athletes in your school who are valued more or receive privileges that other students do not? Why do you think this happens?
Is discrimination less likely to be addressed because of the status of some teams?
Which athletes or teams receive privileges not available to other students?
6. How might a lesbian or gay athlete's experience coming out at your school be different from someone who does not play sports?
Is the athletic environment more hostile?
Are athletes under pressure to be closeted?
Are athletes "public figures" in the school?
Can athletes access school LGBT support services?
Are there support services for athletes of different races on your campus?
7. How are athletes or coaches who do not conform to traditional gender expectations treated in your school?
Is the athletic environment more hostile?
Are female athletes not supported because others perceive them to be lesbian and male athletes supported because others perceive them to be exemplars of masculinity and status? Male athletes appear more uncomfortable with lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender people than other students. How true do you think this is for your school?
Point out that rigid definitions of masculinity and compulsory heterosexuality apply in the male locker room.
Male athletes may feel themselves more visible and scrutinized by the community.
8. Female athletes, especially in team sports, are often called lesbians, whether they are or not. How true do you think this is in your school?
How would you describe the status of female athletes in your school?
Are female athletes respected?
Team sports are associated with masculinity, female athletes in team sports called lesbians as a result
9. How do you think parents in your school would react to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender coach?
Coaches should be judged by their coaching performance, character, and rapport with their team and community, not their sexual orientation.
Educating parents about negative stereotypes is important in influencing their reactions.
There should be a policy that protects everyone's civil rights.
There should be educational programs that dispel myths about LGBT.
Note: It is more likely for heterosexual men to assault or molest children than women or LGBT men or women.
10. What concerns do you think athletes and coaches in your school have about openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender teammates?
Fear is that everyone will be focused on LGBT athletes being out and dating teammates; truth is they will be more focused on the game because they are not as stressed about
being closeted.
Stereotypes about LGBT people as sexual threats to other athletes
Concern that team image damaged by having an openly LGBT athlete
11. How might your team react to having openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender coaches?
Leadership and support of coaches and team captains is crucial in influencing team reaction.
Fear is that an openly gay LGBT coach will negatively affect recruiting, fan support and donor support or ability to lead team. A coach not hiding his or her identity will be more focused on team performance.
Education as an important part of influencing team reactions.
12. How could athletes and coaches support team members who belong to a Gay Straight Alliance or other lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender student club?
Go to a LGBT or gay/straight alliance event as an straight ally. Support athletes of color by supporting racial diversity activities on campus...attend as a team.
Talk to their LGBT teammate about what it is like for them in school, ask what you can
do support them.
13. How often do athletes or coaches in your school speak up to stop anti-gay name-calling?
Discuss ways to speak up.
Talk about how to support each other in speaking up.
Talk about fears athletes have about speaking up and what can be done to address them.
14. In what ways could athletes and coaches help to decrease the presence of cliques in your school?
Cliques that exclude LGBT people or any group of people should be approached to be more inclusive.
Athletic teams can take a position discouraging the student body to leave cliques that exclude groups or engage in prejudiced behaviors.
15. What would your school look like if all students were valued equally? What could you do to help bring that about?
Athletic team campaigns for inclusiveness and diversity
Athlete leaders and coaches speaking out and taking a leadership role
Athletes and coaches taking the lead in promoting and encouraging student diversity education programs