GA Speaks with Pat Griffin from “It Takes A Team”

In our latest report from our “Out in the Workplace” series, GayAgenda had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Pat Griffin. Pat is the author of “Strong Women, Deep Closets: Lesbians and Homophobia in Sports.” She is a Professor Emerita in the Social Justice Education Program at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She also serves as the Director of the It Takes A Team! Education Campaign for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Issues in Sport, an initiative of the Women’s Sports Foundation.

Hello Pat, and thank you for taking time to speak with us. Please tell us about “It takes a Team”. “It’s an initiative of Women’s Sports Foundation, which was started by Martina Navratilova’s fund raising help. It Takes A Team addresses homophobia in men and women’s sports. The goal of It Takes a Team is to become the premier “go to” education and information resource for coaches, athletes and parents when it comes to LGBT issues in sports with a focus on collegiate and high school athletics.”

On your blog, you include transgender when describing LGBT Issues in Sport. Do you know of any transgender people in sports? “Yes, I do. There isn’t a large percentage at this point but there is a growing number. Right now, there are way more resources for gay and lesbian athletes than for transgender, and few sport organizations have developed policy governing the participation of transgender athletes. We are making strides to make sure transgender athletes are able to obtain the information they need as well.”

Pat, tell me about any discrimination (sex based or sexual orientation) you have personally experienced. “I haven’t personally experienced a great deal of discrimination based on sexual orientation. I was so deeply closeted when competing and coaching and being closeted really protected me from discrimination. Of course, being in the closet has other damaging effects that I did experience like fear, shame, extra vigilance to see if someone had figured me out. I definitely experience sex-based discrimination as a pre-Title IX athlete. We never had equal access to resources when I was competing or when I was coaching, even after Title IX passed.”

Do you think it’s more acceptable to be lesbian than gay in sports? “I think that being gay or lesbian has become more accepted among athletes in general over the past 5 or 6 years, but I do think it’s more widely expected in women’s sports. Notice I say expected, not necessarily accepted. There are still far too many examples of discrimination based on perceived or actual sexual orientation in women’s sports. There tends to be more hostility in men’s sports. Football, baseball, basketball, lacrosse and ice hockey tend to be the most problematic, and sometimes the athletes are more accepting than the coaches, but awareness is increasing. When I work with coaches now, I can focus more on problem solving and policy development versus getting them to accept that this is a topic they should pay attention to and that is great progress.”

What do you think could be done to change the attitudes of homophobia in sports? “I’m an educator, so I will say education. Pre and post testing with schools that use our curriculum demonstrate how attitudes can be changed through education. It’s also important to have out athletes as role models for both gay and straight athletes. When an athlete is out, it puts a human face on the issue. That along with how the coaches handle the issue is key. A coach is a role model and how they handle the issue makes all the difference.”

What advice do you have for athletes who may want to come out? “First, where’s your support? Do an assessment of your support system. Also, athletes have a high degree of visibility, so be prepared to face scrutiny. I think athletes who come out need to do it from a position of feeling good about who they are with a strong base of support .”

What do you feel is the greatest issue facing the GLBT community today? “We are still fighting for basic civil rights. We have no federal law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and only about 18 states out of 50 have non-discrimination laws protecting against employment discrimination. There are no laws in many states to protect our young people in school from harassment or discrimination. Many of them have to go to school every day knowing what they will have to face anti-gay taunting and bullying without adequate support and legal recourse.”

What do you feel is the greatest disconnect within the GLBT community? “We have lots of work to do on issues like race, class, and sex discrimination within our community We have as much diversity within the LGBT community as in the broader society and we need to work on our own issues of prejudice and discrimination too.”

What do you feel is your greatest attribute as an LGBT activist? “I’m really good at joining people. I think I can invite people to work on homophobia by pulling from their best instincts. I really create an open environment in the classroom and in seminars allowing people to reach out and work with one another.”

As you reflect on your life up to the present, what are you most grateful for? “Having learned to love myself. I came from a time and place where I was filled with complete shame about who I was I first came out to myself. Gays and lesbians were considered, and I considered myself a deviant. Now, I love who I am and I love my life. I’ve come to know I may be a sinner, but not because I’m a lesbian. I am so fortunate to be comfortable in my own skin.”

If you could deliver one message to the entire world, what would that be? “There is enough to go around! Civil rights, food, and healthcare! We can’t only think about ourselves. Every battle isn’t a win or lose, it’s about what’s for the good of all people.”

And one last question, any thoughts on the upcoming election? “I hope that Obama wins. We are on the verge of hope, and if he does win, we have lots of work to do, but I will have new hope for our nation and the world.”

Again, we would like to take the opportunity to thank Pat for speaking with us. Its people like her, and the efforts they have dedicated their life to, which make the world a better place, not only for those of us in the LGBT community, but the entire world.

For more information about Pat Griffin and her work, please visit ItTakesATeam.org or check out Pat’s blog at: ittakesateam.blogspot.com.

*For other great LGBT Sport interviews, also check out GA’s interview with former NBA player John Amaechi, and “out” Ivy league athlete Jamal Brown.