Mitcham came out in 2008 just before he won a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, and has stated that he embraces his sexuality. “It’s a part of me that I love and enjoy and I like being known as gay. I see it as something positive, so it’s just another positive thing to be known as.”

Mitcham believes that the backlash against the column written by Akermanis proves that “The reaction [Akermanis] got from that has pretty much vindicated to everyone his comments were unfounded, his own, and really quite narrow-minded and probably wrong. Even his own football club said they don’t hold the same opinion as him. He has come out and said a couple of things and people are now saying, ‘What are you doing?’ People are deciding to ignore him.”

Mitcham ridiculed Akermanis’ “The world of AFL is not ready for it. To come out is unnecessary for a lot of reasons.” Nearly thirty AFL footballers and coaches have signed up to help the campaign to mark International Day Against Homophobia.

Source

Melanie Nathan,  September 01, 2010

Martina Navratilova was introduced at the opening ceremony at the U.S. Open in New York  Monday evening and received a rousing welcome inside Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens;

Stating  “In 1981, I came out as a gay woman,”  to strong applause. “That was not a good thing to do back then. There were a lot of doors that were shut in my face because of that, but you know what, I could still play tennis, no matter what.”

She was amongst other honorees who were being honored for their ability to dream and inspire people.

“In a brief speech, the Czech-born Navratilova credited tennis and a positive attitude with helping her field some of life’s “nasty curve balls,” including her upbringing in a Communist country and her health battle. The 53-year-old was diagnosed with noninvasive breast cancer this year and underwent surgery and six weeks of radiation, returning to the court in June to win the Wimbledon ladies’ invitation doubles.,” Reports The Advocate’s Julie Bolcer.

Her famous on-court rivalry with friend Chris Evert is the subject of a new ESPN documentary, Unmatched, which will premiere September 14.



Cummins stated “As athletes we feel frustrated because everyone is allowed to give their opinion except us. If we give an honest opinion, we’re either seen as bad sports or we’re not happy because we’re being beaten. But that’s not the case. Unfortunately for Caster, she’s grown up in an environment that is complicated not just for her but for human science. Basically, is she man, is she lady? What constitutes male, what constitutes female? Even if she is a female, she’s on the very fringe of the normal athlete female biological composition from what I understand of hormone testing. So, from that perspective, most of us just feel that we are literally running against a man.”

Cummins came in eighth in the Women’s 800 Meters at a major meet in Berlin. Semenya won that race. Other athletes also attacked Semenya.

Worley, who co-founded the Coalition of Athletes for Inclusion in sport, flatly stated that Cummins was making a fool of herself.

Worley said “She’s ignorant. You’ve got a bunch of athletes who are women who are upset because they’re not running fast enough. It’s bad sportsmanship, that’s what this is. … It’s totally sour grapes. Basically when Usain shows up, it’s a question of who’s going to be second and third. That’s a given. We make him king of the day. We make him world champion. We the media, we society say ‘Usain, go faster, show us what you can do.’ But when a woman does it, who didn’t actually set a world record (in winning at the Berlin worlds last year), who (more than 10) women have run faster than her, who didn’t set a meet record, we throw her into stirrups and virtually rape her. We did that because of the way her face looks and her voice.”

Worley will be competing in the upcoming Canadian track cycling championships in Bromont, Quebec. Worley worked behind the scenes with Semenya’s lawyer Greg Nott to help get her reinstated.

“She has what’s called congenital adrenal hyperplasia. It’s one of over 100 different types of intersex. In fact, we’re all intersexed to one level or another. Her adrenal glands, which are attached to her ovaries, are overperforming. That’s all it is. … There’s all these misconceptions.”

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia or CAH has been in the news a lot lately because of human experimentation on fetuses that might have the birth defect. Some doctors are giving women who might give birth to a baby with CAH a toxic drug which only tends to ‘cure’ the ambiguous genitalia that CAH can cause, and far more controversially, ‘cure’ non-feminine behavior such as lesbianism.

Regarding the fears that many of these athletes are expressing Worley stated “Anything we don’t understand, we fear. So when it comes to gender differences which are normal, it hits to the very core of us as human beings, it puts each one of us into question. That’s the challenge. (IOC president) Jacques Rogge said to me a couple of years ago from his office in Lausanne ‘Kristen, this is a medical problem.’ I said ‘Mr. Rogge, this is a social problem.’ I emailed him a few weeks ago (after Semenya was reinstated) ‘I guess I was right, huh.’”

The IOC recently lifted the ban on transgender athletes so long as they are two years post-op.

Source

Melanie Nathan; 8-18-10

Almost 50 at the time, back in In 2007 tennis great Martina Navratilova signed with the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) as the group’s Health & Fitness ambassador.  Navratilova continues in this capacity, where she makes appearances at AARP events and offers online tips for AARP members on things like diet and fitness for the senior (that word?) crowd.

Navratilova, has won 59 grand slam tennis titles (the last one six weeks shy of her 50th birthday). Martina has been named “Tour Player of the Year” by the Women’s Tennis Association, “Female Athlete of the Year” by the Associated Press, and one of the “Top 40 Athletes of All Time” by Sports Illustrated.

“Because I’m in my 50s, I’m very concerned about flexibility. I know how much it helps me recover from tough matches or workouts and prepare for exercise the next day. And there are other benefits, too. Staying flexible can help you prevent injury, as well as avoid muscle knots and tightness brought on by daily activities. It improves your posture, reduces stress, and generally keeps your body feeling youthful and agile.” asserts Martina on site in one of many articles available to non members as well.

Here is a Video from the AARP website showcasing an example of the health and fitness advice offered
by the now over fifty ambassador.

http://www.aarp.org/health/fitness/info-08-2010/martina_stretching.html

Navratilova will be at the AARP Orlando@50+ in Orlando, FL: September 30 – October 2, which thousands of AARP members and their friends are expected to attend

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

Related articles by Zemanta

• CNN to Air Martina Navratilova Documentary (lezgetreal.com)
• Martina Navratilova Kicks Ass at Wimbledon Weeks After Radiation Therapy (lezgetreal.com)
• Navratilova’s inspiring fight with cancer (cnn.com)
• Martina Navratilova’s busy life: Senior doubles in Paris, TV commentating, and radiation therapy for cancer (pinkbananaworld.com)
• How much does it pay to be married to Martina Navratilova? Apparently about $3 million (pinkbananaworld.com)

On August 21, 2010, Fifty Master Level Swimmers will plunge into the Great South Bay to swim from Sayville to Fire Island Pines,   to raise funds to benefit the Stonewall Community Foundation, a philanthropic organization supporting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Those sponsoring the swimmers and friends from all walks of life will be on hand to cheer them on as they make their way through the 5 K open water route, and to congratulate them as they emerge at the Swim’s endpoint in The Pines in the 2^nd Annual Stonewall Swim.

“The inspiration for many of us lies in combining our passion for swimming and sport with our desire to benefit a group like Stonewall that provides grants to so many LGBT community organizations,” said Bradley Matthews, a Stonewall Swim participant and donor.

Last year, the Stonewall Swim raised $100,000 for the Foundation’s vital work.  This year, the swimmers and organizers hope to double their fundraising effort.

“The Stonewall Community Foundation is  committed first and foremost to building community and giving all who care about strengthening the LGBT community a chance to contribute to that goal,” said Paula Ettelbrick, Stonewall’s Executive Director.

The Swim will start at 9:00 am, with the first swimmers reaching The Pines around noon.

About the Stonewall Community Foundation

Since inception in 1990, the Foundation has awarded more than $15 million in grants to more than 400 organizations.

Stonewall Community Foundation develops leadership in the NYC LGBTQ community and works with like-minded donors to fund and incubate emerging organizations serving an evolving set of issues.  The Foundation’s Stonewall Institute formally trains organizations and key individuals on mission critical skills for running and growing their organizations and offers programs to inspire community members to personal and financial commitments to organizations.  Our Stonewall Quarter Share engages and develops the largest young donor group training them on community needs and helping them learn about grantmaking and leadership development and Stonewall Out in Front will annually develop 40 next generation board leaders for the movement.

The following individuals are available for interviews about The Stonewall Community Foundation, Stonewall Swim 2010 and the LGBTQ community.

Related articles by Zemanta

• We were there: Stonewall Honors 2009 (timeoutny.com)

8/8/10-by Paula Brooks
Gay rights advocates in Russia say they will open a “Pride House” at the 2014 Winter Olympics scheduled to be held in the Black Sea city of Sochi.

According to the organization Gay Russia, gay rights advocates in that country have sent letter of intent to both the International Olympic Committee and the Russian Olympic Committee saying the group plans to match similar events presented at the Vancouver Winter Olympics held earlier this year and that are planned for the London Summer Olympics in 2012.

Russia decriminalized homosexuality in 1993, however Russian political and social life is heavily influenced by the conservative traditions and the extreme sexual restrictions of the Russian Orthodox Church. Gays are often attacked and ridiculed on the streets of Russia and therefore many live in secret.

“The idea of Pride House received great support from gay activists around the world and we believe that we have to continue this tradition in Sochi after Vancouver and London,” said the chief organizer of Moscow Pride, Nikolai Alekseev. “We are ready to work with the organizers of the Olympics in order to effectively implement this project. This initiative will help to bring more tolerance in sport and not only in Russia.” he added.

According to Alekseev the Sochi “Pride House” would include an exhibition of the history of the LGBT movement in Russia, film screenings and human rights seminars. Information material on homophobia in sport would be available too.

“The problem of homophobia in sport is real and not only in Russia. The Olympics are regularly attended by hundreds of gay and lesbian athletes who are forced to hide their sexual orientation by fear of the damage it could make on their career,” Alekseev also said.

via Russian Gays Plan ‘Pride House’ During Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Olympic Pride Pins Go On Sale (advocate.com)
• Russian Gay Pride Marchers Arrested In St Petersburg (lezgetreal.com)
• Moscow Pride Banned By Mayor (joemygod.blogspot.com)

Here are some of the highlights from yesterday.

07/30/2010- by Natasia Langfelder

Martina Navratilova has had an eventful life, to say the least. She has had a successful career as a tennis player and athelete, which is enough to warrant a documentary on her life, but she has also had tumultuous love affairs, paved the way for LGBT atheletes as a publicly out figure and battled and beaten cancer. Now CNN has been given full access to Martina’s life in order to create a revealing documentary on her. They sent out a press release that details the show, ‘Martina: My Toughest Opponent’:

Network gets rare access to tennis legend’s fight against cancer
in ‘Martina: My Toughest Opponent’

     It has been almost six months since tennis legend Martina Navratilova was told she tested positive for breast cancer. On a day she considers her “personal 9-11”, the 53-year-old athlete says she “was in denial for about two seconds and cried for a minute” before deciding to aggressively take on what she knew would become her greatest challenge.  

     In ‘Martina: My Toughest Opponent’ CNN chronicles Martina’s journey of balancing treatments, tennis, and everything in between. Narrated by CNN’s chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, this half-hour special gives viewers an intimate look at Martina’s personal battle with breast cancer.

     “She didn’t miss a beat. That’s very Martina. She doesn’t sit around wondering or fidgeting,” says former professional tennis player and founder of the Women’s Sports Foundation Billie Jean King.  “She just gets into action. She’s a woman of action. You know, the way she played was that way and that’s how she is in real life.”

     When asked where she finds strength, Martina says: “I think anybody that survives the communist system, they’re pretty tough! And then being gay on top of that, that wasn’t helpful. As they say, that which does not kill you makes you stronger, so I am pretty strong.”

     Following a lumpectomy in March, Czech-born Martina underwent more than two dozen radiation treatments during a six-week period, which ended just days before she secured yet another Wimbledon title. CNN cameras followed her throughout this time, capturing not only her trips to the Paris-based treatment center, but also the time she spent at Roland Garros and the All England Club playing doubles matches with Jana Novotna and working as a commentator for The Tennis Channel.

     “When you’re playing with Martina it’s one thing, but when you’re playing with Martina and you know everything she is going through, it’s very emotional,” says Novotna.

     Many tennis greats – past and present – were interviewed for both the on-air and online components of this special including Novotna; Billie Jean King; Boris Becker; Jimmy Connors; Steffi Graf; Pam Shriver; Tim Henman; Kim Clijsters; Lindsay Davenport; Bob Bryan; Caroline Wozniacki; Bud Collins; Francesca Schiavone; and Martina Hingis.

     “It is very rare to be given such extraordinary access to someone of Martina’s stature,” says Katherine Green, senior vice president of CNN International. “This candid program shows how Martina never lets the cancer sideline her. It is a story that is beyond inspiring.”

The show airs on Sunday August 7th, check your local listings for airtimes!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Martina Navratilova Kicks Ass at Wimbledon Weeks After Radiation Therapy (lezgetreal.com)
• Navratilova, ex-wife Layton Settle Divorce Out of Court (lezgetreal.com)
• Does Nicki Minaj Love Cassie? (lezgetreal.com)
• The Real L Word Recap: Episode 6 (lezgetreal.com)

Soccer World Cup 2010, South Africa; The Road from Pretoria to Durban will never see such a sight again and neither will the group of Dutch Fans, traveling between cities to play to play Japan – and it was worth the schlep because Netherlands beat Japan by 1-0.

Led by an Orange double-decker the Dutch Supporters en route from their camp site in Pretoria to their next game against Japan in Durban.  Their convoy traveled the 636  (400 miles) km route comprising of 175 campers, trucks, buses and jeeps – their convoy was 6 kms (3 miles) long.

Now off to Sunday final between Spain and Netherlands -  and as described by LA Times:

“For one of the few times in its 80-year history, the World Cup has produced a final worthy of the sport itself.

The Dutch and the Spanish play soccer the way it was intended to be played — a passing game, a possession game, a game of the intellect and not simply a contest of physical skill, strength, speed and endurance.

It might be slower-paced than some would like, but it should be far more interesting to watch as it unfolds. Chess, not checkers, that’s the difference.”

Guess Which is the English Convoy?

07/06/2010- by Natasia Langfelder

Martina Navratilova won an invitational doubles match with (tennis) partner Jana Novotna. This win comes just weeks after Martina completed treatment for breast cancer. Her fans are calling this, ‘tuff babe-age.’

Martina announced her health problems in early April when she was diagnosed with a form of non-invasive breast cancer, called DCIS. She and her doctors detected the disease early during a routine mammogram. After a lumpectory and six weeks of radiation, the tennis champ is obviously back to her old self.

For those of you who are followers of Martina’s dramatic love life more so than her tennis skills, she and longtime partner Toni Layton reached a settlement in late June in their two year, ongoing divorce battle. Layton left her husband and family for Martina and is said to have cashed in on the settlement. Before Layton, Martina has a prolonged legal battle with lover, Judy Nelson. My favorite Martina story, is her relationship with Ruby Fruit Jungle author Rita Mae Brown, that ended in broken car windows.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Martina Navratilova Has Breast Cancer(lezgetreal.com)
• Navratilova, ex-wife Layton Settle Divorce Out of Court (lezgetreal.com)
• The Real L Word Recap: Episode 3 (lezgetreal.com)
• Lindsay Lohan Has A New Girlfriend: Eilat Anschel (lezgetreal.com)
• Billie Jean King Joins the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (lezgetreal.com)
• Melissa Etheridge on the Ellen DeGeneres Show: Avoids Tammy Break-up Talk (lezgetreal.com)
• Melissa Etheridge and Tammy Lynn Michaels Separated (lezgetreal.com)
• Gawker Calls Out Apple on their Gay Culture Ban (lezgetreal.com)

According to the IAAF statement: “The IAAF accepts the conclusion of a panel of medical experts that she can compete with immediate effect. Please note that the medical details of the case remain confidential.” Of course, it would have been helpful if the IAAF had managed to keep the testing confidential while it was going on as there were numerous leaks regarding the testing and the public nature of this spectacle was damaging to Ms Semenya’s mental health.

In the past, there has been controversy regarding gender testing, especially during the height of the Cold War when several female athletes from Soviet Block nations were suspected of being male when it would later prove that they had been taking steroids. For the most part, genetic and physical abnormalities have little to no bearing on athletic performance, and the International Olympic Committee has even stated that transsexual athletes can perform two years after their sex reassignment surgery has been completed.

Anger between the two of them goes back to an article written by Halimi that Saifi did not agree with. Halimi writes for the Algerian newspaper Competition. It is reported that Saifi struck Halimi open handed after storming off the field. He had been brought in during the last five minutes of the match which saw the United States win one to nothing over Algeria. With this loss, Algeria was bumped from the competition. Halimi then struck Saifi in the mouth closed fisted, and her thumbnail caught and apparently split Saifi’s lip. He then threw a sports drink against the wall as she was escorted away from the interview area by security.

Regarding the incident, Halimi stated “I said nothing to him and he reached over and hit me. So I hit him back. I said nothing to him first.” She is planning on filing a formal complaint against Saifi.

Guatemala reporter Francisco Aguilar Chang “She was standing there and the guy came here and he hit her. Then she hit him back and her nail caught his lip.”

Image via Wikipedia

06/23/2010- by Natasia Langfelder

Tennis legend and out lesbian Billie Jean King is going to the White House! Michelle Obama is launching the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. The council goes hand-in-hand with the Lets Move! initiative. The First Lady is committed to assuaging the childhood obesity epidemic and this council is a great step. The council was previously  known as the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. But with the new name comes new responsibilities, such as to including a focus on healthy eating as well as active lifestyles.

King is an appointee for member and they couldn’t have chosen a better representative for the newly expanded responsibilites of the council. Kings athletic profile is impressive, to say the least. She has won 39 Grand Slam singles, doubles and mixed doubles
tennis titles, including a record 20 titles at Wimbledon.

This is not the first time President Obama has shown his esteem for King, he previously awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work advocating for the rights of women and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered community. 

Related articles by Zemanta

• Billie Jean King to Appear on “Homecoming” with Rick Reilly(lezgetreal.com)
• Adam Lambert: Going Right Down the Middle (lezgetreal.com)
• Megan Fox Wants to Play a Lesbian Superhero (lezgetreal.com)
• Katy Perry Takes a Shot at Lady Gaga (lezgetreal.com)

So this next story really caught our eye… because it is about one of our straight sisters, who has been a huge friend to the LGBT community…. And whom we must say looks simply adorable in a softball uniform, in a straight girl kind of way…

The Wall Street Journal is reporting, that a ‘trash talking’ Kirsten Gillibrand turned out in DC last week, along with team co-captains Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Jo Ann Emerson and Lisa Murkowski, to face off against the women members of the Capitol Hill press corps led by Dana Bash (CNN) and Shailagh Murray (Washington Post.) as part of the 2nd annual Congressional Women’s Softball Game to benefit the Young Survival Coalition.

The Young Survival Coalition (YSC) is the premier international organization dedicated to the critical issues unique to young women and breast cancer. YSC works with survivors, caregivers and the medical, research, advocacy and legislative communities to increase the quality and quantity of life for women diagnosed with breast cancer ages 40 and under.

Besides our love of softball, we lesbians also have another thing that tends to identify us as a group…. We have a higher incidence of certain risk factors linked to breast cancer and studies have shown it hits younger members of our community particularly hard, so as lesbians we could certainly get on board with this cause.

What better way of fighting a disease that tends to hit lesbians so hard then by using the lesbian national pastime to kick it in the butt?

But according to the WSJ, apparently the junior Senator from New York has also proven that softball is not the exclusive lesbian venue many of us think it is:

Gillibrand, a right-handed Democrat dubbed “Keg” by her staff — er, her fans — was the starting pitcher in the contest between a team of women lawmakers and a team of women in the press.

Gillibrand racked up a single, a double, and scored a run, but the media won by a final score of 13 to 7. The game was punctuated by a jarring collision at home plate and a number of arguments about the rules.

But even in defeat, Gillibrand was still talking tough: “They’re going down next year! They’re going down next year!” she said as she left the field.

via WSJ.

The consensus with our LGR editorial board is that Senator Gillibrand has impressed us with her fierce competitiveness, her softball skills and her sportswomanship, all the while doing something for a tremendous cause that benefits all women…. However, we would like to caution Senator Gillibrand that she might want to be just a little bit more careful about saying things like “They’re going down” at a softball game next time…. Because there are after all quite a few of us lesbians in the sport of softball and some of us just might take that the wrong way… Just sayin’…

All joking aside… this charity softball game was just one more reason we lesbians should love Kirsten Gillibrand.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Church Moves Swiftly to Keep Lesbians Out of Softball League (queerty.com)
• TENNESSEE: Baptist Softball League Bans Entire Team Over Lesbian Coach (joemygod.blogspot.com)
• No Hardball When Press, Pols Get Together for Washington Softball (usnews.com)

05/12/2010- by Natasia Langfelder

Retired Basketball player Charles Barkley doesn’t want any fat chicks. He said on TNT Inside the NBA that he wasn’t going to miss leaving San Antonio because “they ain’t got no skinny women down there.” First of all this guy is married, he shouldn’t care what other women look like. He has a daughter, I guess he requires her to be thin otherwise boys won’t like her.

Also, really? Really Charles? You don’t like fat women? Lets go over some of the details of your lovely behavior, most of which is worse than overeating. In 1991, Barkley spit on a young girl. His defense? He was trying to spit on a man who had been yelling racial slurs at him. As Yoda said, there is no try, you do or you do not. Barkley spit on a little girl. There is no defense. He is a big boy and a powerful person, he could have gotten the person hurling the racial slurs at him thrown out of the game and this way no one would have gotten spat on accidentally.

Also, Barkley was arrested for a DUI. I understand that in this day and age, no one really cares about things like that. But the fact is he could have killed someone. It was a lucky break for him that he didn’t. No one should drive under the influence, you are putting your own life and everyone’s life at risk when you do that. That isn’t something that should be taken as lightly as it is. If you disagree with me, check out the MADD or SADD websites and read some of the stories on there.

Barkley also has a reputation for fighting both on and off the court. Barkley was frequently fined for on-court fights with other NBA players, such as Shaquille O’Neal, Bill Laimbeer and Charles Oakley. Off the court, he was arrested for breaking a man’s nose during a fight after a game with the Milwaukee Bucks^] and also for throwing a man through a plate-glass window after being struck with a glass of ice.

Barkley, a Republican until 2006, for whatever reason. Also tried to run for Governor of Alabama. Saying:

 I’m serious. I’ve got to get people to realize that the government is full of it. Republicans and Democrats want to argue over stuff that’s not important, like gay marriage or the war in Iraq or illegal immigration… When I run — if I run — we’re going to talk about real issues like improving our schools, cleaning up our neighborhoods of drugs and crime and making Alabama a better place for all people

He want to focus on making Alabama a better place for all the straight people, he means. I’m pretty sure those are the only kind of people that matter, since the issue of marriage equality is apparently a fake one.

I would rather be fat than be a huge asshole. Dear Charles Barkley: The women of San Antonio won’t miss you either.

Watch the video below:

Related articles by Zemanta

• Charles Barkley “I’m 100 % Dissapointed In LeBron James”.flv (video) (ballhype.com)
• Charles Barkley Uses ‘Shake Weight’ On TV (VIDEO)(huffingtonpost.com)

Semenya was driven near the brink over these allegations. Recently, she announced that she was returning to competition with or without the final results of the testing, which is to be released in June. Some reports stated that Semenya had both male and female sex organs. Whether this is true or not, it is not what would disqualify her from competition.

Semenya began competing again in February.

What is horrific about this case is that Semenya had to endure this so publicly. Irregardless of her actual physiology, what was done to her often involved a public humiliation in order to get this fine athlete to quit the sport she loves- running. Instead, she chose to remain with it and has begun to compete again.

04/13/2010- by Natasia Langfelder

Tomorrow, out lesbian and tennis champion Billie Jean King will be taping an episode of “Homecoming” with Rick Reilly. “Homecoming” is a show the profiles top atheletes at locations that are meaningful to them. King’s shoot will take place at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center, located at 10th Street and Park Ave, where King won her first tournament as a 12-year-old.

King said of her appearance on the show:

“Long Beach has always been so much more than my hometown,” said King, who had knee replacement surgery in February.

“Years ago, many people from the area opened their hearts for me and my family and gave generously so that I and others could pursue our dreams – my teachers and coaches, the Long Beach Tennis Patrons, the Century Club. The people of Long Beach made a difference in my life and helped me realize that it is important to lead by example and to never give up on your dreams.

“To be able to share this wonderful evening and this ESPN production with Long Beach is an honor for me and a way to say thanks for being such an important part of my life.”

King’s mother and former protoge Tracy Austin will attend the taping. As will as the “Virginia Slims Nine,” who helped King launch the “women’s tour.”

It is great to see King getting new exposure on ESPN, as she has done a lot for the LGBT community and is one of the first pro-athletes to come out. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama for her work advocating for the rights of women and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered community. Lets hope that her appearance on “Homecoming” inspires other pros to come out.

3/31/10-by Paula Brooks
Caster Semenya is tired of waiting for track and field’s ruling body to release results of her gender tests and says she plans to return to competition.

Last year Semenya won the Women’s 800 gold medal at the World Championship in Berlin and was the immediate center of attention when her dramatic improvement in times and muscular build led the International Association of Athletics Federations to order gender tests.

The IAAF is still reviewing the results to determine Semenya’s eligibility and Semenya has not raced since. She has remained silent, waiting for the IAAF to release its results. But yesterday in a statement, Semenya said she is done waiting and plans to return to competition.

“I hereby publicly announce my return to athletics competitions,” Semenya said in a statement shortly after a meet in South Africa denied the 19-year-old’s request to run on the grounds that the IAAF still had not released their findings.

Semenya’s statement also said she was frustrated with the delays which had compromised her “athletic capabilities and earning potential”. She added, “Since my victory I have been subjected to unwarranted and invasive scrutiny of the most intimate and private details of my being.”

Semenya’s lawyers say they have repeatedly tried to contact the IAAF to obtain the results of her gender test but she claims they have not received a response.

She has not announced the date of her first competition.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Caster Semenya waiting on gender test results before making comeback (guardian.co.uk)
• Gender Row Athlete ‘To Return To Competition’ (news.sky.com)
• Semenya’s lawyers urge IAAF to let her run (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• IAAF Asks ASA to Keep Semenya From Competing (abcnews.go.com)

03/10/2010- by Natasia Langfelder

Out and proud figure skater Johnny Weir was not invited to participate in the “Stars on Ice” National Skating Tour. This is despite his amazing skating record, He is a three-time U.S. National Champion (2004–2006), the 2008 Worlds bronze medalist, a two-time Grand Prix Final medalist, and the 2001 World Junior Champion. And as of February 2010 he is ranked fourth in the world and finished as sixth overall in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Perez Hilton is reporting that tour producers feel that he is not “family friendly.” Weir has been known to make pro-LGBT remarks and allude to his sexuality. However, he is also humorous in the way he chooses to express himself and he can hardly be called intimidating or agressive. Rumors have been swirling around the internet that tour producers are excluding him because they feel he is too gay for the event. Which is ironic, as figure skating has a large gay following. The “Stars on Ice” tour has experienced declining ticket sales for years and is excluding Weir despite the potential pick-up in business his presence would make, Weir has a dedicated fan base that would turn out in droves if he was touring. It is sad that he is being excluded for living his life honestly.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Johnny Weir NOT Invited To Stars On Ice! (perezhilton.com)

Image via Wikipedia

25/02/2010 by JR Russell

Brian Burke, general manager of both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the American Olympic hockey team has said he will march in Toronto Pride in 2010, because he promised his son he would.

Earlier this month, Brian’s openly gay son Brendan was killed in a car accident in Indiana. Brendan came out publicly in 2009 and had always had the support of his father since telling him in 2007. At 21 years old, Brendan hadn’t settled on a career. He had spent a year as an intern for Bill Delahunt (D-Mass), and at the time of his death was a student manager for the Miami University hockey team.

Brandan’s announcement was a major event in sports news, and he received widespread support for his decision to come out publicly. He used the attention to reach out to others who may not have felt as supported.

Imagine if I was in the opposite situation, with a family that wouldn’t accept me, working for a sports team where I knew I couldn’t come out because I’d be fired or ostracized … people in that situation deserve to know that they can feel safe, that sports isn’t all homophobic and that there are plenty of people in sports who accept people for who they are.
Brendan Burke, ESPN.com

Brian Burke has managed several teams, including Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks, Hartford Whalers and Toronto’s Maple Leafs. Known for his professional and personal dedication, Brian saw his team win in Vancouver only days after Brendan’s death. And while his work commitments haven’t changed, other things have:

Brendan’s causes are Brian’s now. He will do a public-service announcement aimed at eliminating the bullying of gay children. And he plans to march in the Toronto Pride Parade. “I’d promised him I would march with him,” says Burke, who briefly left the Olympics last Friday to attend a memorial service for Brendan at Miami of Ohio. “He won’t be there, but I will.”
from Sports Illustrated

Related articles by Zemanta

• In Memoriam: Brendan Burke (bilerico.com)
• Just Days After Son Brendan Burke Died, Brian Saw the US Olympic Team Win Gold. And Decided to Become a Hero (queerty.com)
• Team USA Hockey Coach Brian Burke to be Gay Rights Advocate in Honor of His Late Son Brendan (towleroad.com)

02/22/2010- by Natasia Langfelder

Out Lesbian Dutch speed skater Ireen Wüst won the gold medal in the women’s 1500m race on Sunday, February 21st. Wüst had a time of 1 minute 56.89 seconds. There was some worry that the Dutch champion who showed such promise in the 2006 games and in the Nationals and World Championships since the, would walk away with nothing, having placed 7th in the 3000m race.

“Pulling all the pieces together, I’m so proud and happy. I can’t describe how happy I am. I don’t have words for it,” said Wust, who broke down crying on the medal podium while the Dutch national anthem was played. “I think I’m the happiest person on Earth right now.”

Kristina Groves of Canada was second in 1:57.14 and Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic took the bronze in 1:57.96 to add to her gold from the 3,000 at these games.

Before winning this gold medal,  Wüst was known for winning a gold medal in the 2006 Winter Olympic Games 3000-meter event and a bronze medal in the 1500m. She is the youngest Dutch Olympic champion in Winter Games history.

This is a blow to the Canadians, who felt they had a chance at taking the gold for this race with both Groves and Nesbitt being strong contenders in the Women’s Speed Skating category.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Sexiest LBQ Olympians (lezgetreal.com)
• Olympic Skaters Find Love (lezgetreal.com)

02/18/2010- by Natasia Langfelder

It has been widely publicsized that CBS refused to air a commercial for the gay dating website, ManCrunch, during the Superbowl. A spokesperson for CBS rationalized not airing the ad saying it was “not within the Network’s broadcast standards for Super Bowl Sunday.” Despite the fact that CBS gave airtime to Focus on the Family and anti-abortion ad’s. CBS also gave airtime to the “bro-culture” commercials that frequently degrade women. The ads that were shown during the Superbowl this year have been panned on sitessuch as Slate, Jezebel and AfterEllen as being overall the most misogynistic group of commercials aired yet.

ManCrunch has also recieved criticism for it’s part in the CBS drama. There have been accusations that the company knew their commercial was over the top and inappropriate and that the entire thing was a publicity stunt. However, ManCrunch is about to be vindicated. It has recently leaked that CBS refused to air a PSA sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. The PSA starred wholesome pop-star Hilary Duffand was part of the “Think before you speak” campaign. The PSA shows two girls shopping, when one tries on an ill-fitting top, the other says “That’s so gay.” Then Hilary Duff enters and tells the girls not to use to word gay to mean that “something is bad” and points out that if one of their characteristics was used to describe something negative it would hurt their feelings. The ad is short, simple, and to the point. It helps parents, teens and children realize that using the word gay as a negative can hurt someone’s feelings. The PSA shows people, who may simply use the word gay in a thoughtless way, to show consideration for others.

It is unclear why CBS felt that this content would be inappropriate to air during the Superbowl. Perhaps if the two women in the PSA had been trying on bikinis and then started fighting while someone threw water on them, CBS would have been more accomodating and aired it.

Watch the video below:

Related articles by Zemanta

• CBS Refuses to Air Gay Ad During Super Bowl(lezgetreal.com)
• Gay Dating Site Airs Super Bowl Ad Online(blogs.wsj.com)
• CBS Rejects Two Gay Ads for Superbowl(queersunited.blogspot.com)

02/17/2010- by Natasia Langfelder

The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver didn’t start off on the right foot. There has been a general damper on the hype surrounding the Olympics this year. Let’s not mention it. Lez Get Real wants to revive your sporting spirit! So grab a beer and read our profiles on the out and proud women of the 2010 winter games!

Ireen Wüst

Wüst was born in 1986. She is a long track speed skater for the Dutch team. At the age of 19, Wüst won the gold medal in the 2006 Winter Olympic Games 3000-meter event and took the bronze in the 1500m race. She is the youngest Dutch Olympic champion in winter games history. Wüst is a fan favorite. She is strong, smart and a great competitor so it is easy to see why. She even makes the Dutch word for lesbian sound appealing. Lesbisch anyone? She is also in a relationship with fellow skater Sanne van Kerkhof.

Sanne van Kerkhof

Sanne van Kerkhof was born in March, 1987. She is a Dutch short track speed skater and currently generating buzz for her relationship with Ireen Wüst. Van Kerkhof has participated in 3 consecutive World Cups. She is a member of the Dutch Relay team that qualified for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. Van Kerkhof is not as well known as her girlfriend, but she is making a name for herself.

 Sarah Marie Vaillancourt

Sarah Vaillancourt was born in 1985 in Quebec. Vaillancourt is an ice hockey player on the Canadian team. This is not Vaillancourts first time at the Olympics. She previously participated in the 2006 games in Turin. On February 20, 2006, Vaillancourt, as the second youngest member of the team, won a team gold medal with the Canadian Women’s Hockey team beating Sweden in the final game and outscoring their opponents 46 to 2.

Erica Holst

Erika Holst was born in 1979 in Sweden. She is a Swedish ice hockey player. She has particpated in past Olympic games and won a silver medal  at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and a bronze medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Turin.

 Holst came out in 2006.

Vibeke Skofterud

Vibeke Skofterud was born in 1980 in Norway. She is a Norwegian cross country skier and has been competing since 1999. Skofterud has been more successful in Norway than at the Olympics or on a world stage. Most of the hype surrounding her comes from her dramatic personal life.

Skofterud has been fairly open about her personal life. Her natural beauty led the Norwegian edition of the men’s magazine FHM to ask her to pose for cheesecake pictures in the mag. She turned down the offer after pressure from the Norwegian skiing federation. Unfortunately for Skofterud, in 2004 her laptop with several private photos were stolen and some of these images appeared on the internet. Skofterud has also suffered from eating disorders. She has admitted this to the press and cites it as a reason why she has canceled a few competitions. Skofterud came out in 2008. She is currently in a committed relationship with a woman, even though she has dated men in the past.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Olympic Skaters Find Love (lezgetreal.com)
• Winter Olympics Day Five Round-Up: Canada Just Won’t Stop (bleacherreport.com)

02/16/2010- by Natasia Langfelder

Lesbian Dutch speed skater Ireen Wüst and Netherlands short track skater Sanne van Kerkhof are in a relationship. They have been together since May, 2009. While Sanne van Kerkhof hasn’t spoken openly about being gay, which is taboo to an extent among Olympic competitors, Wüst is openly gay. She has had an interesting career as an Olympic competitor. At the age of 19, on February 12, 2006, Wüst won the gold medal in the 2006 Winter Olympic Games 3000-meter event. She is the youngest Dutch Olympic champion in Winter Games history.

She has some reservations about her sexuality taking too much attention away from her skating achievements. When asked about her relationship in a recent interview, she said:

“I want to talk about ice skating”, Wüst said in a recent interview. “You are not asking Sven Kramer (Dutch, European and World All-round Champion, Ed.) about how his relationship is going. So why would you ask me? If I would’ve had a relationship with a guy, you wouldn’t have asked me either.”

She has a point, but on the flip side, most of her LGBT fans would love to hear about her relationship. Wüst is a beautiful, intelligent woman and is a great example of a powerful LBQ woman to have represented on television and in the media. Unfortunately, Wüst placed 7th in the 3000, race so we may not be seeing too much more of her.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Dutch have deep love affair with speed skating (time.com)

John Carroll University is a Catholic College with a Jesuit core identity. According to the draft community standards “’they [gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender people and those questioning their sexual identity] must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.’ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Ed., 2358)” The university was founded in 1886.

The protesters were eventually escorted from the court without incident and none of them were arrested. Video of the incident follows:

1/29/2010- by Natasia Langfelder

In a public display of open homophobia rarely seen by large corporations today, CBS rejected an ad featuring two men kissing from the Super Bowl lineup. The ad was for the gay dating site, ManCrunch.com. CBS stated that the ad”is not within the Network’s broadcast standards for Super Bowl Sunday.” However, in the past Super Bowl ads have featured half naked women violently fighting with each other while being sprayed with water. These are the values that CBS feels are more appropriate to align themselves with.

 CBS is known for running the most entertaining and cutting edge commercials during the Super Bowl, as advertisers go all out in terms of both expenditure and creativity to catch the eye of the large viewing audience. Even news websites, such as Slate, run reviews of Super Bowl commercials, making the commercials more of a part of the viewing experience of the game than an afterthought.  Excluding representation of gay men from the airwaves during the event, is effectively exiling them from sharing in this Nationwide event.    

Advocates for CBS are making the argument that ManCrunch staged this as a publicity stunt. However, how could this stunt be staged without the presumption of anti-gay bias on behalf of both CBS and Super Bowl viewers? Refusing to air this ad during the Super Bowl is insulting to every straight man who watches the Super Bowl, who is comfortable with his own sexuality and with the gay community. CBS is assuming ignorance and homophobia on behalf of a large population of men. It’s unfair to paint football fans with the same brush.  Hopefully, with increased media pressure, CBS will change their stance and air the ad.

Related articles by Zemanta

• CBS Rejects Mancrunch Super Bowl Ad (joemygod.blogspot.com)
• ManCrunch SuperBowl Ad: Gay Dating Site Ad Considered By CBS (VIDEO) (huffingtonpost.com)
• Gays Turned Away From Super Bowl! (perezhilton.com)

The ministry also said in a statement that the International Association of Athletics Federations has agreed to allow the 18-year-old Semenya to keep her prize money. Blogged by Melanie Nathan.

And with that purchase, The Windy City Times is reporting that the Chicago Cubs, possibly Major League Baseballs unluckiest team, will be the first team with an openly gay owner, because among the purchasers is Laura Ricketts, an open lesbian.

Laura Ricketts, 41, has a Philosophy degree from University of Chicago and a law degree from the University of Michigan.

Ricketts a co- founder of Ecotravel, a company aimed at promoting nature-based travel, serves on the board of directors of Lambda Legal.

She’s also a major donor to Chicago LGBT organizations like the Howard Brown Health Center and Center on Halsted and campaigns heavily for marriage rights. In fact, she and her partner, Heidi, are marrying in 2013.

Maybe with a lesbian at the helm the club can turn things around… the Cubs have not won it all since 1908 and have not even been to the World Series since 1945.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Sale of Cubs, Wrigley to Ricketts family complete (cbssports.com)
• Sale of Cubs and Wrigley Field Is Complete (abcnews.go.com)
• Cubs close $845M US sale (cbc.ca)
• New Owner to Improve Wrigley, and Maybe the Cubs (nytimes.com)

The August tests were carried out in South Africa, something that Chuene has denied for some time. After the initial tests showed some ambiguity, the International Association of Athletic Foundations or IAAF asked that Ms Semenya be withdrawn from competition, but the ASA decided that they were confident that she was female and refused to withdraw her. The IAAF then demanded more testing citing her muscular physique and running style as well as her rapid improvement in running speed.

Chuene’s decision to come forward about the initial testing throws a new twist in the saga of Ms Semenya, and continues to throw into light a major issue which is not often discussed outside of certain circles. The human body is not perfect, and many people are born with mixed physical sexes. While many are, indeed, the gender they were raised, as it is likely that Ms Semenya is, there are others who are not.

“I can no longer stand before you and say that I am not aware of gender tests conducted on Caster Semenya…I was not going to stop her talent because of rumours…On what basis should I have withdrawn her? My only crime committed was to take a decision that she must run, and she won,” Mr. Chuene said to reporters. He went on to state that it is his belief that the IAAF was at greater fault since it was their workers who released her name to the public and did not give her the chance to even discuss the issue, nor her future.

What it also throws light upon is the very ad hoc and poor policy planning on the part of the IAAF and its associated federations with regards to intersexual individuals and their place in athletic competition. The International Olympic Committee has already issued guidelines regarding transpeople and professional athletic competition. The IAAF and the IOC should come up with guidelines and rules so that other athletes do not fall prey to this kind of horror.

If Ms Semenya is, indeed, intersexed, that is has primary sexual characteristics of both sexes, she should not be punished for this and her career should not be ended. Nor should her career be ended simply because of the actions of another who sought, perhaps clumsily, to protect her privacy.

SA chief issues Semenya apology

In point of fact, the entire process of gender testing is not supposed to be in the open at all. It is supposed to be done quietly and privately, a policy that the International Association of Athletic Federations has repeatedly violated. A report on all the tests is supposed to be ready in November, but at this point, the entire report will be known long before that occurs, and the career of a gifted athlete will be ruined as a result.

South African sports minister Reverend Makhenkesi Stofile has threatened World War III if Ms Semenya is banned from the sport. Whether or not Ms Semenya is intersexed should not bar her from competition since even today transpeople are allowed to compete in some sporting events at the international level. In 2004, the International Olympic Committee instituted a policy for all athletes including that “hormone therapy — for the assigned sex — must have been given for long enough to minimize any gender-related advantages in sport competitions, a period that must be at least two years after gonadectomy.” Such a policy should be in place for intersexed individuals as well.

According to the BBC article, Ms Semenya wore a pair of black leather slacks and a sequined top as well as a black and white cocktail dress and stiletto heels as well as a grey knee length dress with a cropped grey jacket.

The controversy over Ms Semenya’s gender has been a huge negative for the young runner who has often not been seen without her green and gold track outfit and tightly braided hair. The eighteen year old has been hounded about having a gravelly voice and a rather masculine presentation at competitions.

Callers were invited to speak out about her makeover, and the usual reaction was mixed with some loving it and some not. However, the cover has apparently sparked a great deal of interest across the globe. Ms Semenya has stated that her mother was the one who was buying her clothing in the past, but that she does plan on buying her own in the future now that she knows how she can look.

Caster Semenya stated rather bluntly about the controversy that has surrounded the testing of her gender: “I see it all as a joke, it doesn’t upset me. God made me the way I am and I accept myself.”

At one point, gender testing was common, largely due to the possibility of certain countries fielding men rather than women in the women’s competitions. Often times, women were removed from competition if they even so much as had a slight variance in their genetic makeup. While the gender tests of today are far more comprehensive, the reality is that Ms Semenya may not have violated any rule regarding gender when it came to her competitions, and that the testing is more because of griping from people who are unhappy with the times by which she is winning. Compounding the issue is the fact that her privacy throughout the testing, which is supposed to be confidential, has been repeatedly violated including the fact that recent tests regarding her testosterone levels were leaked to the press.

One possible explanation for the heightened testosterone levels could be Ms. Semenya’s rigorous training as many female athletes who begin training at a very young age tend to have physiological differences from gender norm. Typically, many female athletes, and especially gymnasts, who train from childhood delay puberty, and it does not assert itself until training regimes are dialed back or ended. At that point, puberty tends to hit them like a Mack truck full of bricks. There is a possibility that Ms. Semenya masculinized appearance is largely due to this training regime. It will not be clear if this is the case until after a full battery of gender tests have been conducted.

Ms. Semenya’s treatment by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) concerning her gender has caused a great deal of outrage, and calls for a reform of the process involved in gender testing. The leaks and invasion into her privacy have complicated the matter and made what is supposed to be a private procedure very public. Unfortunately, Ms. Semenya’s case has been splattered across the news damaging the young lady and making what is already a difficult personal situation a far too painful public affair.

There is little doubt in South Africa about Ms. Semenya’s gender. The teenager was recently welcomed to a massive welcoming and treatment as a hero. Athletics South Africa (ASA) has stated that they have no doubt whatsoever about Ms. Semenya’s gender. Indeed, their president, Leonard Chuene, redesigned from the IAAF in protest over her treatment, and many point to previous competitions where no one complained about her performance.

According to the IAAF results of the testosterone test are what prompted their calls at the ASA conduct gender verification tests on Ms. Semenya. Full gender testing will not be finished for several weeks. It is unclear if there is any athletic benefit to a person having genetic abnormalities when competing in the women’s sports. Only recently has the International Olympic Committee allowed transpeople to compete, and only after a given period of time as elapsed. Hopefully, Ms. Semenya’s ordeal will be over soon and she will be vindicated.

photo of Caster Semenya from Wikipedia

Obama, who has come under fire recently by some in the LGBT community for failing to act on a promised repeal of the ban on gays in the military and his Justice Departments defense of DOMA, unequivocally paid tribute to Milk and King as champions of same-sex equality.

“His name was Harvey Milk, and he was here to recruit us – all of us – to join a movement and change a nation,” said Obama, “In the brief time in which he spoke – and ran and led – his voice stirred the aspirations of millions of people,” Obama continued, “His message of hope – hope unashamed, hope unafraid – could not ever be silenced.”

Milk was elected as a San Francisco supervisor in 1977, and became the first openly gay elected official in a major U.S. city. He was also an early leader in the LGBT rights movement, encouraging gays and lesbians to live their lives in the open.

He was shot and killed in 1978 by former supervisor Dan White, who also killed San Francisco Mayor George Moscone. Harvey Milk’s nephew, Stuart Milk, accepted the award on his uncle’s behalf.

Honoring King, Obama said the sports legend was a role model for all women, including his own daughters and noted that King helped “change how women athletes and women everywhere view themselves and to give everyone – regardless of gender or sexual orientation…a chance to compete both on the court and in life.”

The Medal of Freedom is America’s highest civilian honor and is, according to the White House news release, “awarded to individuals who make an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”

In addition to Milk and King, others honored today included Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, civil rights leader Rev. Joseph Lowery, geneticist Dr. Janet Rowley, Komen Foundation founder Nancy Brinker, physicist Stephen Hawking, economist and micro financier Mohammed Yunus, Dr. Pedro Jose Greer, Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and entertainers Chita Rivera and Sidney Poitier.

More than 20,000 people have been awarded the Medal of Freedom since former president Harry Truman created it in 1945.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Obama awards medal of freedom to 16 (guardian.co.uk)
• Obama to Award 16 With Civilian Honor – TIME (time.com)
• 16 honored with Medal of Freedom (msnbc.msn.com)

Thursday during a media briefing at the Western Athletic Conference football preview in Salt Lake City that was also attended by WAC commissioner Karl Benson, McMackin said, “I know most of the coaches in the country are rooting for us to beat Notre Dame,” McMackin said. “Charlie gives this talk, ‘We do something special at Notre Dame,’ and (the players) get up and they do this little cheer … this little faggot dance.”

But soon, McMackin backtracked and asked the journalists in the room not to report on what he said, “Don’t write that ‘faggot’ down. I was misquoted,” he said. “Just please … cover for me… Go ahead; say ‘faggot dance.’ No. Please cover for me on that, too — right Karl? I’ll deny it. Anything else?”

However, soon after the briefing ended, McMackin returned to the reporters and apologized for using the “inappropriate” word.

Later McMackin followed up with a formal written statement.

“I sincerely apologize for the inappropriate words that I used,” he said in the statement. “My comments were out of character and I have no prejudices against anyone. I’m really upset with myself and I’m truly sorry for my remarks.”

Earlier today, The LGBT media watchers, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) called for members of the LGBT community to contact Hawaii’s Athletic Director about the incident.

In a press conference streamed live this evening by the Honolulu Advertiser, a tearful McMackin addressed reporters, players, assistant coaches and boosters late Friday after meeting with school officials for several hours.

“I just want to say I made a big mistake. I want to apologize to everyone and anyone that I offended with my remarks,” McMackin said. “I’m committed to do whatever I can to use this as a life lesson to learn from my mistake. When we make mistakes, we have to learn from it and make better people of ourselves.”

Then wiping away tears from his eyes, McMackin said he’s offended the gay and lesbian community and now he wants to work with them to use the incident as a “teachable moment for me and hopefully others.”

Part of McMackin’s salary reduction will go toward paying for a student intern at the LGBT center on Hawaii campus and for campus wide workshops and awareness training.

A statement from Hawaii’s Chancellor, Virginia Hinshaw, also said that McMackin will, “participate in activities directed at improving the environment of our community, to working with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community on our campus.” That includes McMackin participating in a public service announcement that details the power of offensive language toward the LGBT community.

Before becoming the Hawaii head coach, McMackin spent three years with the San Francisco 49ers as associate head coach. McMackin also served as defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks and several college programs including Texas Tech, Miami, Navy, Utah and Idaho.

http://glaadblog.org/2009/07/31/media-reports-anti-gay-slur-issued-by-football-coach/

The program includes 34 sports tournaments, 17 official parties, several LGBT themed art shows and exhibitions, an international choir festival, a tango festival, a film festival, a leather festival and a number of special performances featuring cabaret, theatre and opera, and the Love of Freedom – Freedom to Love Human Rights Conference.

OutCities is part of the program. It’s a cultural feast, an international collaboration with LGBT artists from different parts of the globe: Antwerp, Mexico City, Tel Aviv, Rio de Janeiro and Aarhus (a Dannish city) will fill the streets of Copenhagen with music, installations, events and performances on gender, identitu and diversity.

Visit www.copenhagen2009.org for complete program information. Tickets to all parties except the Grand Opening are now on sale. For more information about the parties and tickets, click here. If you can’t make it to Copenhagen, The next edition of Outgames will be held in 2013 in Antwerp, Belgium.

Lezzie is half-closeted Brazilian Philosophy High School teacher writing on everything she has the opportunity to read, listen to and see (as a good Gemini).You can find out more about here by checking her profile at http://lezgetreal.ning.com/profile/Boudecca.

Danica started the day in 10th position. She drove a very smart race and her put crew did an excellent job helping her move up spots throughout the race. Danica has been criticized in the past in the male dominated sport for confronting other racers when they would cause her to be in an accident. The funny thing is that is exactly what the men were doing to each other in today’s race. The guys are just going to need to learn how to deal with this tough chick who is here to stay and not afraid to call them out when they screw up.

Patrick was not the only female driver in the race today. Sarah Fisher and Milka Duno were also in the race. Fisher who started 21st had a great day finishing 17th, her best finish at Indy. Duno started 30th and finished 20th on the day.

Sarah Fisher

Milka Duno

Besides the all the excitement during the race you couldn’t help but notice all the coverage Danica gets off the track. She is a major part of GoDaddy.com’s advertising campaign. Started with the Super Bowl they have done teasers that lead to what appears to be some risque behavior. The rest of the commercial can be seen at godaddy.com . Today’s new comercial was just as sexist but I must say somewhat entertaining as usual.

Fratemen.tv is an adult website that shows real college guys at there best. But when Paul and his friend Kenny Jordan who both attend the University of Nebraska were “outed” on campus for being amateur porn stars. The reaction was as expected shocking and appalling especially since both of them were on the wrestling team.

They both got kicked off the team in August for  breaking the rule. The rule disallows college athletes to promote themselves for commercial gain. Paul was even kicked off the campus all he wanted to do was go back to wrestling.

Paul’s record on the mat was impressive he was national champion in his weight class in 2007. Paul was forced to transfer schools he lost his class credits, it will delay him from graduating on time and of course now his face is plastered everywhere.

After transferring to Ediboro University he is now back wrestling again as the star athlete. He is currently ranked number 1 and unbeaten in his class (32-0).

Paul however is very unapologetic about the whole matter as he goes on to say in an interview…

“I didn’t do anything illegal he tells the Boston Globe. “I didn’t hurt anyone I don’t think I did anything wrong Who should I apologize to? I am straight, but on the forums people make a lot of gay jokes about me. I’m not too concerned they can talk about me all they want it doesn’t matter. If a guy wants to be with a guy who cares?” (except for the fact that his photo shoot was pure solo affair)

His new school is backing him up more than his old school ever did his coach adds on in an interview “We’ve all made mistakes”,says Ediboro coach and 4 time Olympic wrestling medalist Bruce Baumgartner. “Not that I condone what he did, but there are players all across the country on college teams that have actually broken the law or harmed people that are still competing.”

“We decided we would give him an opportunity to get an education at Edinboro University while competing hopefully,for another national championship. To me the graduation is more important than the title”.

So it seems that there is a double standard’s for colleges and most wrestlers have done way worse than Paul Donahoe getting DUI’s and hurting other people. But hey lets focus on the guy that posed nude for a website even though hes not harming anyone? Why ruin a young man’s life with this why publicly humiliate him?

For more details: http://www.boston.com

Kayla Tate is a 19 year old high school graduate looking to attend Winnipeg Technical for Carpentry. Kayla had a 19 year old mid-life crisis and decided that her voice needs to be heard, so she writes to help the LGBT community.

It looks like the gay bloggers have made an impact on ESPN.

After many gay blogs started to say that the ESPN commercial featuring Shaq O’Neil was homophobic, ESPN issued this statement…..

We have dozens of executions of the “NBA on ESPN RV Tour” online campaign and none are intended to be offensive to anyone or any community of people.

Our intent is to send a positive message about the camaraderie of sports and to do so as creatively as we can. However, we understand your perspective on this ad and would like to apologize to the members of the gay community. In addition, we have decided to remove the ad from the campaign’s online executions.

ESPN has a long-standing tradition of supporting diversity in the workplace and beyond.

We are fully committed to continuing a dialogue that welcomes and recognizes diverse perspectives.

We appreciate your bringing your concerns to our attention.

- Rob Tobias – Vice President, Media Relations, ESPN

Although I personally didn’t take offense to the ad it seems to have struck many as offensive. I’m glad that ESPN has taken the criticism seriously and has pulled the ad.

I can see how some might take Shaq’s reaction as being homophobic but to me he is having the reaction to the guy getting the name wrong and trying to figure out how we would go over to another player and ask for a “fist-kiss.” I gotta say I agree with Shaq – it’s a stupid name.

So you be the judge – Are ESPN and Shaq being homophobes?

The following are comments were made by our followers on twitter.com.

@penguirl John Madden’s secret identity? Captain Obvious.

@ntinaz76 is wondering if the Cards are falling apart

@azravenwood Geez, the Cardinals are acting like idiots

@Luvologist Is it me or is this game boring as hell. The NFL needs to go back to having the Super Bowl the week after the championship game.

@J_Bradley The Cards are beating themselves with all these penalties.

@MCBrennan Ten yard penalty against Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for having too many letters in his surname. You hate to see that, Al.

@meowable watching superbowl at hamburger marys

@nakedbard @J_Bradley yes, the Steelers could send their moms out to play and the Cards might still lose with those flags

@debontherocks Don’t use a VP Debate 08 Bingo list as a drinking game for the Superbowl. Not even one Maverick, I’m cold sober, and I feel sad for America.

@wishfulwriter FINALLY! Cards make a play WITHOUT fouling!

@marlaerwin Dude, you never heard of fair catch?

@carnellm Is Madden gay? “big strong hands”, “penetration”, “explosion” just too much

@LaBarceloneta Man, if the Cards come up with another TD, everybody’s gonna be KUNG FU FIGHTING! (do-da-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-dooooo!)

@J_Bradley What a shift in the momentum.

@geraldsaunders Cardinals are doing The Safety Dance – Are they wearing their hats?

@LaBarceloneta Whenever I hear “Special Teams” I think “Oh..that explains the helmet.”

@veronicaeye TD Cards!! They have to win cuz that will leave my Cubs as THE team of futility.

@quoththeravyn stops pretending not to care about this game thang.

@AlohaArleen yeEEEOw!!! GOcardinals!!!

@irobyn and will it be the underdog AZ? i’m thinking so…but, who knows?

@heathr 49 seconds in football is like 3 months in a gay relationship: a long time.

@LaBarceloneta I should not care this much about a sporting event. HOLY CRAP!

@wishfulwriter NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

@ohchicken pittsburgh! that was lovely!

@wishfulwriter I’m dying over here. Tell me the Steelers didn’t JUST DO THAT.

@AlexaRPD Now the Steelers are ahead. What a game!

@saintchick ok i give. i really wanted to see the cards pull it out. i’m a sucka for an underdog!

@RobinJP 4-point game is killer right? cards have to get a touchdown .. yikes.

@irobyn does pittsburg have it? i’m thinking that AZ is going to do something spectacular!

@HistKB come on Cardinals! 22 seconds is like an hour in football. this game has proved that.

@wishfulwriter I am SWEATING. Fifteen seconds. Come on Cardinals.

@simplyn2deep I wish the clock could have run out when the Cards were ahead and there was 2 mins left #superbowl

@HistKB A flag? is there hope?

@leapingwoman the dominant words in the room are “holy crap!” #superbowl

LezGetReal Steelers Win 27 – 23

@LaBarceloneta Wow. Just…wow.

@J_Bradley Very happy for Mike Tomlin, I really like his style.

@simplyn2deep I like Ben Rothlessburg and all, but I really wanted the Cards to win. good game anyway #superbowl

@RobinJP so did the hairiest team win?

@fantasyvsreal OMFG!!!! HOW INCREDIBLE!!!!!

Thanks to all of our amazing followers on twitter.

If you are on twitter please follow Lez Get Real. If you aren’t familiar with twitter it’s a social networking site that allows you to update life in 140 characters or less.

Lezzymom has two kids and a wonderful partner. Her political commentary has appeared on C-Span and CSPAN.org. Visit her Lezzymom blog for more of her insights.

The following are comments from our followers on Twitter.com

@J_Bradley Countdown to the not-so-super Super Bowl with Keith Olbermann.

@sarahdopp Proud of myself for finally noticing that the Superbowl’s on

LezGetReal Twitter Poll – Who are you pulling for to win the #superbowl?

@ntinaz76 @lezgetreal GO CARDS!

@simplyn2deep @lezgetreal Cardinals for the win!

@J_Bradley I’d go country for Faith Hill!

@urbanphish @lezgetreal we are eating chips and dip, mini corn dogs, sandwiches, and bagel bites tonight!

@simplyn2deep man talking about penetration just doesn’t sound right! #superbowl

@MCBrennan John Madden seems unduly obsessed with getting penetration. Well, there’s another recurring nightmare to discuss with my therapist.

@simplyn2deep NOOOOOOOO steelers got first blood!

@lacomandante Face, Pittsburgh!

@fantasyvsreal BWAAHAHAA they have WIRELESS here!!! Cards offense is CAVING!! I SO predicted that!!! BWAHAHAHAHAAH

@apeywoo how many superbowl commercials are going to involve removing women’s clothes? (dorritos, godaddy…)

LezGetReal Hard to go wrong with Danica Patrick

@LaBarceloneta @lezgetreal Yeah, but I’ll bet the German girl’s a top too. Could get violent.

@WorldHarmony @lezgetreal I like Patrick but I’m tired of her being a sex object in those GoDaddy ads. Sigh

@RobinJP Madden: ‘pass on running downs’ and ‘run on passing downs’ .. what am I missing?

@msceo8 watching the superbowl…more like, it’s watching me. just can’t get into football. but i need to, since my 7 y/o loves it and plays well

@NSpirit I love watching touchdown drives unfold.

@LaBarceloneta “He gets good penetration because he jumps early” No, football isn’t homoerotic. Why?

@simplyn2deep cat thinks I’m crazy for yelling go go go haha #superbowl

LezGetReal The President is having a Super Bowl Party. Who is invited http://twurl.nl/il33fi

@leapingwoman @bipolarturtle the gals watching here want to know what food is being served at Obama’s #superbowl party!
@NSpirit Yes TOUCHDOWN! Superbowl history!

@saintchick damn that play was fraking awesome

@madamminnie Unbelievable run by Harrison! But geez Cards! Take the man down! WTH?

@simplyn2deep not much of a Bruce fan. don’t think I’m going to watch the half time show #superbowl

Half time Cardinals 7 Steelers 17

Thanks to all of our followers for sharing your Super Bowl stories with us.

I am Jess your Femme Lez, but will be doing your live Superbowl blogging along with Lezzymom.

Well it is finally here! Cardinals vs. Steelers in the 43rd Super Bowl.

Now I am from AZ and will find it hard to stay neutral/fair but I will try.

I have been watching pre-game shows since about 7am this morning.

Most of what I have seen has been in favor of Pittsburgh, I can understand that, with the defense of Troy Palamalu and others why wouldn’t it be?

But with Kurt Warner throwing and Larry Fitzgerald receiving I would be careful to call the game.

On NBC that I have been watching at my parents house, Al Roker has interviewed many celebrities and it has been pretty even on who they would like to win. John Legend and Journey have both perform and have done a great job. The new lead singer for Journey did a good job considering that he is the young guy doing the “old guy” song as my mom put it. I must say the the players who were dressed in the suits looked fantastic, especially Kurt Warner and if you ask my wife she will tell you that he is my fantasy husband.

Stayed tuned for more Superbowl action as it happens….

British soccer fans are however famous for being rowdy and letting things get out of hand…. And Homophobia and the abuse of LGBTI’s has long been a fan tradition among many.

Throughout 2006 fans taunted Ashley Cole about his sexuality, chanting “Ashley Cole is a rent boy” and other homophobic insults and on September 28th 2008 in fans at the Tottenham vs Portsmouth match subjected Sol Campbell to a torrent of homophobic abuse.

Campbell, a 34-year-old center back for Portsmouth, had enraged Spurs supporters for leaving for north London rival Arsenal seven years ago and Campbell has been taunted ever since over claims he is gay, this despite repeatedly denying being gay and having a string of girlfriends.

But it looks like there is an organized effort to give homophobia the boot in the sport when last week four men were fined and banned by a British court from attending soccer matches for three years after pleading guilty to shouting racist and homophobic chants at Campbell, during the match in September.

Image via Wikipedia

Eleven other men, including three juveniles aged under 15, also appeared at the Portsmouth magistrates court to face charges of racist and homophobic chanting stemming from an incident during the game in September.

In court, Richard Gibbs, 36, of Wokingham, Stuart Turner, 34, of Wellington, Keith Stevens, 54, of Hailsham, East Sussex, and 28-year-old Oliver Sylvester, of Southampton, all admitted to the indecent chanting, plead guilty and were sentenced to a three-year football banning order, fined 370 pounds ($500 US) and ordered them to pay 120 pounds ($162 US) in legal costs.

Magistrate Susan Waddle said when she handed down the sentences….

There were families present, very young children. We also heard from witnesses who found the behavior disgusting and embarrassing.

No doubt you are upright members of society, but in there you acted like animals, like a herd. This was well rehearsed – everyone was in sync, everyone knew the words – it was not something that just happened on the day. Whether or not Mr Campbell was offended, decent members of the public found this very offensive and so did the bench. Anyone who indulges in this disgusting behavior will be dealt with very severely by the courts.”

She set a trial date for the seven other defendants who have pleaded not guilty to the same offences for the 13th of May.

British gay rights group, OutRage!, has long been pushing the governing body of the British Football Association, the FA, to take measures against homophobia among European soccer fans. Recently the FA, has said it would ban for life any fans proven to have been chanting abuse and has also has agreed to fund a video and DVD featuring high-profile premier league players speaking out against homophobia and a statement on the FA’s official site says…

Male or female, an individual’s sexual orientation should never be a barrier to people taking part in – and enjoying – our national sport.

With this in mind, The FA will:

- Work to ensure every door is open for members of the gay and lesbian communities to participate and progress within football.

- Combat all forms of homophobic language and behaviour – whether by spectators, players or other participants.

As the guardian of the game in this country, The FA is uniquely placed to tackle issues such as homophobia.

Why? Because we can create a supportive, open and inclusive environment by supporting the professional clubs and through our County FA network, which reaches out to every community in the land. Conversely, we can – and will continue to – amend the laws of the game to outlaw homophobic behaviour.

The game exists for everyone.

Last year Rio Ferdinand, a star center-back for Manchester United, quite unprompted, came out with a statement attacking homophobia, saying it had no place in sport and the FA expects to get soccer super stars like David Beckham and Wayne Rooney to appear in their anti-homophobia video.

The FA’s anit-homophobia video is due to be released later this year.

In court papers filed yesterday with the Manhattan Federal court by David Kuchinsky’s attorney, Kuchinsky is alleging, Curry repeatedly approached him while naked and told him “Come and touch it, Dave.” Kuchinsky is also saying Curry has made racist slurs at him. He is asking for $98,000 plus compensatory damages, saying Curry owes him $68,000 in unpaid wages, as well as $25,000 in other expenses such as club bills etc.

The 6′11″ Curry, who began his career with the Chicago Bulls was traded to the New York Knicks in 2005. Not without other problems recently; Curry showed up out of shape to training camp this year, infuriating Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni.

Curry not only lost his job as the starting center then, but also was not even in D’Antoni’s rotation at the beginning of the 2008–2009 season and did not play his first game of the season till January 8 against the Dallas Mavericks.

Curry has denied all allegations and told New York Post reporters … “It’s false, and everyone who knows me knows I’m not a racist… I’ve never made a comment like that, playing, or nothing. . . . That’s incredible, man.”

I noticed Curry is saying he is not racist, but he is not saying anything about not being gay….

Well if the allegations turn out to be true… What a hell of an expensive way to come out huh?

http://www.nypost.com/seven/01122009/news/regionalnews/knicks_sex_scandal_shock_149861.htm

But in December 2008, Houston Comets, one of the WNBA’s most successful franchises in it’s 12 year history, was shut down by the league.

When the WNBA started it put teams in cities where there were NBA teams were willing to become owners of the women’s teams. Over the 12 years of the league many of the NBA teams have sold the WNBA teams to new owners. The Houston Comets are one of these teams.In 2006, the NBA’s Houston Rockets ended their affiliation with the Comets ans sold the team to Hilton Koch. In August of 2008 Koch decided he wanted to sell the most succefull team in the WNBA. The WNBA took control of the team during the 2008 season but was unsuccessful in finding a buyer for the franchise.

The following is the official statement from the WNBA President Donna Orender

Multiple investors have come forward and expressed significant interest in purchasing the Comets and having them continue to play in Houston in 2009,” said Orender. “However, we made the judgment that we would not be able to complete a transaction with the right ownership group in time for the 2009 season. The WNBA is extremely grateful to the Comets organization, to the city of Houston and to the team’s loyal fans for helping build both the WNBA and the game of women’s basketball.

The WNBA says that no other teams are in danger of shutting down operations. In fact acording to the WNBA things are better than ever and claims,

Having concluded its 12th season in 2008 with increases in attendance, ratings, Web traffic, sponsorships and merchandise sales, the WNBA will play the 2009 season with 13 teams. The 2009 season also marks the first year of the WNBA’s new, eight-year television agreement with ESPN under which the league will receive a rights fee, a first for a women’s professional team sports league in the U.S.

This seems to indicate that poor management was a large part of the demise of the Comets. Many of the stars of the Comets were shocked at the news. One of the original stars of the league and the first player to come out of the closet is Sheryl Swoopes.

She helped lead Houston to win the first 4 championships from swoopes she joined the Seattle storm in 2008 and had this to say about the Comets shutting down operations

I am saddened by today’s news regarding the Houston Comets. Having been a part of the team, one of the WNBA’s first, for the majority of my career I can’t help but think of the rich basketball history created there with the first four championships. I will always feel a deep connection with the city of Houston and Comets fans and would like to thank them for their support and passion over the years. While this situation is unfortunate, I am focused on and excited about the 2009 WNBA season.

With the economy in such turmoil time will only tell what will happen to the WNBA. It has built a solid following and has been improving it’s numbers. With the new ESPN deal hopefully even more fans will get behind their teams. The talent for women’s basketball is better than ever before. New stars are coming out of college each year and raising the level of play.I just wish this league would begin to get some respect and people would take notice when a 4 time championship team is suddenly shutdown. Hopefully we won’t witness the whole league just disappear in the night.

League officials say posters and logos carrying the message, “Some people are gay. Get over it!” will be displayed at rugby league grounds, in programs and fan areas, as a bid to promote LGBT integration in the sport.

Forums will also be set up for gay, lesbian and bisexual players and staff.

This will make the RFL the first national governing body of a major sport to sign up and support an anti-homophobia campaign.

Rugby has long been a popular sport in our community, both in this country and internationally and has long been a very popular sport for lesbian and bisexual women. It is not unusual for a women’s rugby team to consist of 50% lesbian and bisexual women.

On the other hand gay and bisexual men, if they knew anything about the game at all, had often perceived rugby as an unwelcoming and unsafe space, but the sport is now growing in popularity among that segment of our community as well.

The International Gay Rugby Association and Board (IGRAB), an umbrella organization for the world’s gay rugby clubs, was established in 2002 and there is even an international rugby competition held every two years named The Bingham Cup, in remembrance of Mark Kendall Bingham, one of the heroic victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist action in the USA.

Mark was an avid rugby player, playing for one of USA’s leading gay rugby teams, San Francisco Fog RFC.

He died at age 31 in the September 11, 2001, on board United Airlines flight 93. He is believed to have been among the passengers who stormed the cockpit to prevent the hijackers from using the plane to kill hundreds or thousands of additional victims.

The 2008 Bingham Cup was held in Dublin Ireland this year.

Paula Brooks lives in the Outer Banks of North Carolina with her partner, their twin daughters and her hearing helper dog, where they own and operate a vacation home rental business. You can visit her Blogger profile here.