Sports Archives - Page 4 of 12

Send Your Family Photo to Sochi, With Love

February 6, 2014

The Olympics start tonight, and I am going to be watching with mixed feelings: the love of a sports fan, and the concern of a member of the LGBT community. I shudder when I think that Russia may soon pass a bill that would allow the state to take children from parents for no reason other than that the parents are LGBT. The Family Equality Council is taking action, however, and asking people to send a message of love and support to LGBT people in Russia through the “To Sochi With Love” campaign.

8 Reasons the Red Sox Are Like Marriage Equality

October 24, 2013

My hometown team, the Boston Red Sox, is in the World Series. Earlier this week, New Jersey became the 14th state to enact marriage equality, with the possibility of several more to follow. All this got me thinking about parallels between the Red Sox and marriage equality.

Would Skater’s Moms Be Arrested If They Attended Her Performance at Olympics?

July 23, 2013

On Friday, I mentioned Britney Simpson, one half of the 2013 U.S. Junior Pairs Champion figure skating team, who has two moms. I said it would be great to see both her and her skating partner’s parents in the audience if the pair makes the 2014 Winter Olympics—but forgot that the Games will be held in Russia. Russia’s increasingly harsh anti-gay laws cast Simpson’s moms’ attendance in a very different light.

U.S. Figure Skating Champ Has Two Moms with a Lot of Drive

July 19, 2013

Britney Simpson, one half of the 2013 U.S. Junior Pairs Champion figure skating team, has two moms—whose dedication to their daughter’s sporting career is pretty amazing.

Pro Basketball Star with Two Moms Delights Kid with Two Moms

January 29, 2013

I posted Monday about basketball star Kenneth Faried of the Denver Nuggets, who spoke out on behalf of his two moms and in favor of civil unions (and marriage equality) in Colorado. That’s cool—but it turns out he’s even cooler. Reader Fran Simon, who is herself working to help pass the civil union bill, sent me a fun story about her family meeting Faried. I’m sharing it here, with her permission.

Basketball Star Speaks Out for Two Mothers, Marriage

January 28, 2013

Basketball star Kenneth Faried of the Denver Nuggets has two moms, as we found out a couple of years ago. He recently made a video with them for One Colorado, the state LGBT advocacy group that is leading the fight for civil unions in that state. “Nobody can ever tell me I can’t have two mothers, because I really do,” he said. Watch:

“Most Outstanding Canadian” Comes Out About Two Moms

November 26, 2012

Canadian football star Jon Cornish of the Calgary Stampede won the Canadian Football League’s “Most Outstanding Canadian” award last Thursday—and came out about his two moms during his acceptance speech.

Has Gender Inequity in Sports Affected Your Kids?

April 4, 2012

In a dazzling display of basketball prowess, the women of Baylor University won over Notre Dame in last night’s NCAA Championships. The annual March Madness basketball tournament also prompted the New York Times this week to examine how and why the coaches of women’s teams get paid far less than those of men’s teams. Does gender inequity play a role in how your kids perceive sports?

Women on Bikes: Your Distaff Complement to the Tour de France

July 17, 2011

I’ve been watching a lot of the Tour de France this week, as I’m a semi-rabid cyclist myself and love a good athletic endeavor, male or female. But heck, if I’m going to watch Lycra-clad butts for hours a day, I’d really rather they were of the female variety. (Because I want to emulate their cycling style, of course. What did you think I meant?)

Fear in the Locker Room: School Sports, Homophobia, and Transphobia

May 18, 2011

Rick Welts, president and chief executive of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, has just come out as gay. It was a significant and risky move in an industry that is not known for its tolerance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. (LA Laker star Kobe Bryant recently paid a $100,000 fine for calling a referee a “faggot.”) And as Megan Hueter has written here at BlogHer, women’s collegiate basketball suffers similar problems. Homophobia and transphobia in sports are not confined to the professional and collegiate levels, however.