Archives › Sports
Cinderella’s Gay Blades
A modernized version of Cinderella by the Russian-based Imperial Ice Stars caused controversy in Australia Tuesday when “two male characters share a romantic scene together on the ice.” And no, one of them isn’t the fairy godmother. They’re just a couple of guys at the ball. Artistic director Tony Mercer said, “I don’t think there [...]
“She Got Me Pregnant”: Episode 38
This week, Helen and I bring you the Olympics with a parenting perspective. We pay proper homage to Dara Torres, Olympic swimmer and mom, and discuss how another Olympic mother-athlete is helping top competitors balance training and motherhood. On a more personal level, we explain why and how we’re exposing our son to different sports, [...]
Olympic Thread
The Olympics start this Friday. It’s the one time when we have the TV on ’round the clock here. There’s nothing I won’t watch, and I have a particular fondness for the sports that aren’t often televised. I thought I’d start a thread for folks to offer their thoughts on any or all of the [...]
Olympic Mom: Hero or Cheater?
I’m feeling inadequate. Dara Torres is my age, 41, the mother of a two-year old, and just qualified for the U.S. Olympic swim team with a win in the 100-meter freestyle and a U.S.-record time in the 50-meter freestyle. This will be her fifth Olympics. In 2007, she won the 50-meter freestyle at the U.S. [...]
New York Gov. David A. Paterson has told all state agencies that marriages of same-sex couples from other jurisdictions “should be afforded the same recognition as any other legally performed union.” He failed, however, in his attempt to make all couples wearing Red Sox paraphernalia don pinstripes before being recognized, after a strongly worded memo [...]
Sports, Kids, and Lesbian Moms: Discuss
My son and I were watching the French Open today. Last weekend, we caught some English soccer (aka “football”), and we regularly watch the Red Sox, especially when my dad’s around. I know Helen and I have made an effort to expose our son to professional sports as well as getting him involved in playing [...]
“Proud Soccer Mom” T-Shirts, Hats, and More
Just in time for Mother’s Day, I’m pleased to launch the brand new “Proud Soccer Mom” line of t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and more. Suitable for both playgrounds and Pride marches, they could become a wardrobe staple. Buy now through CafePress.
The Sports Section
Lesbian mom and basketball superstar Sheryl Swoopes spoke with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer today. She’s playing for the Seattle Storm this season, not her long-time team the Houston Comets. In the article, she talks about how the WNBA’s lack of support for lesbians is “the one thing that’s hurt my feelings more than anything else.” One [...]
ESPN Tackles Sexual Orientation Bias
ESPN’s Outside the Lines show this Sunday tackles the topic of negative recruiting and perceived sexual orientation. My son is far from college age, and I have no idea if he’ll turn out to be an athlete, but I have to wonder how the fact of his two moms would play in a recruiter’s mind. [...]
Good Times in Washington
The Washington Senate yesterday passed a measure to give registered same-sex domestic partners an expanded set of rights. The law would treat them as equal to opposite-sex spouses in a number of areas, including those related to probate and trusts, community property and homestead exemptions, guardianship, powers of attorney, and spousal testimony. Domestic partners of [...]
Weekend Sports Edition
A couple of sporty lesbian moms in the news: Sports writer Kaki Flynn profiles lesbian mom Jenny Fulle, who in 1974 became “the first girl to officially play Little League baseball since the rule disallowing girls was added in 1951.” Fulle is now executive vice-president and executive producer of Sony Pictures Imageworks, whose film credits [...]
Billie Jean and Martina: Aging Well
Tennis legend Billie Jean King is the subject of a long interview in today’s Sunday Times (London), after having received the Lifetime Achievement award at the newspaper’s Sports Women of the Year banquet. She talks in depth about her career, her fight to establish a women’s tour, the much-hyped match with Bobby Riggs, being outed, [...]
Book Review: Playing with the Boys
Originally published in Bay Windows, November 1, 2007. Governor Deval Patrick recently endorsed presidential candidate Barack Obama with the Red Sox reference: “Around here, we know how to come from behind and win.” His statement underlines just how deeply sports are ingrained in American culture. Sports are also, in our society, fundamentally gendered, with different [...]
A Night for Women’s Sports
I’m sitting here watching Venus Williams and Jelena Jankovic battle it out for a U.S. Open semifinal spot at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and flipping over to ESPN2 to watch the Phoenix Mercury and Detroit Shock in the first game of the WNBA finals. Life is good for us sporty gals. [...]
Red Sox or Wicked?
My partner and I took our son to his first baseball game this past weekend. It was a minor-league game, since we figured that at four years old, his attention span might not last a full nine innings, even with Cracker Jacks and ice cream. (We were right, despite the attraction of the grinning-baseball mascot.) [...]
Wimbledon 2007
The Wimbledon Tennis Championships start today, making this a time of celebration for us sports-loving types. Even though legend Martina Navratilova retired last fall after winning her 59th career title (at the U.S. Open), she’ll be participating as a commentator for the BBC. Defending champion and out lesbian Amélie Mauresmo is one of the top [...]
Preseason and Preschool
Today is the start of the WNBA preseason, giving me a needed dose of women’s-sports watching to tide me over until Wimbledon starts at the end of June. I am, as it happens, hopelessly inept at actually playing basketball (and softball, for that matter), but am finding I have to raise my game this year. [...]
Weekend Sports Update
The big news in lesbian sports this week was the resignation of non-lesbian Rene Portland, head coach of the women’s basketball team at Penn State. Her departure was ostensibly voluntarily, but it’s no great leap to think it had something to do with years of questions, investigations, and lawsuits (one championed by the National Center [...]
Fitness and Motherhood Open Thread
In honor of tonight’s season premiere of Work Out, this is an open thread for your thoughts on fitness and motherhood, such as: Has motherhood affected your fitness level, either because you were pregnant or because of changed eating habits or lifestyle? If one partner carried your child(ren) and the other didn’t, were there any [...]
First Episode of Work Out, Season Two Available Now
The first episode of Work Out, Season Two, starring lesbian fitness trainer Jackie Warner, is available now—two days before premiering on television—for free download on iTunes. (Thanks to After Ellen for the tip.) I’m a fan of the show, despite its editing for melodrama. Jackie is a successful woman with a good business sense as [...]
Weekend Sports Update
A few sports-related items to get your blood pumping this weekend: Season Two of Workout, starting lesbian fitness trainer and entrepreneur Jackie Warner, starts Tuesday, March 20. Aside from watching Jackie work out her body, we get to see her working things out with girlfriend Mimi. The two broke up at the end of last [...]
Hamm and Foudy Join Soccer Hall of Fame; New Women’s Pro League Forms
Soccer superstars Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy have been selected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame, and will be inducted this August. Hamm was selected on 137 of the 141 ballots cast, a new high in votes received. What on earth were the other four thinking?
Wimbledon Equalizes Prize Money for Women
All women competitors will now receive the same prize money as their male peers in the Wimbledon Championships, the All England Club announced today. This leaves the French Open as the only tennis Grand Slam without prize equity throughout the tournament, although it offers the same money to the men’s and women’s champions. This is [...]
WNBA Rule Changes for 2007
Fresh from their mention in this week’s L Word, the WNBA has announced four new rule changes for 2007. I won’t bore the non-sporties among you by listing them all, but I will note that the new backcourt rule, requiring offensive teams to bring the ball across the midcourt line in eight rather than 10 [...]
Skicross Trumps Women’s Ski Jumping for 2010 Olympics
The International Olympic Committee ruled today that women’s ski jumping will not be included as a new sport in the 2010 Olympics, while skicross will. Skicross is similar to snowboardcross, another classic (!) Olympic event, but with skis instead of snowboards. Do we really need both of these? The athletes can try again for 2014, [...]
