Colleges and Universities
Pat Griffin, It Takes A Team!
• Take a long-term perspective. Change requires time and cyclical attention as staff and student-athletes leave and new athletic department members arrive on campus
• Focus on safety, inclusion, equal access, fair treatment for all
• Focus on every student-athlete’s right to a safe educational and athletic environment that is supportive and safe
• Focus on institutional level change (policy, programming, and procedures) AND individual awareness
• Expect and plan for resistance as a part of process of change
• Make connections between heterosexism/homophobia and other social justice issues like racism, sexism
-Integrate an understanding of how race, gender, class, religion affect the experiences
of LGBT participants in athletics, Don’t assume all LGBT people have the same experience
• Make alliances with other multicultural and diversity organizations or groups on campus: LGBT center, Black student union, Disability services, Women’s center, etc.
• Form an athletic department standing committee to address LGBT issues specifically or to address a broad range of diversity issues including LGBT issues
-Include a broad range of constituents on the committee (student-athletes, coaches, administrators, non-
athletic department staff, community members, alumni
-Make sure the committee is diverse: Race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc.
• Plan on staggered year memberships on the task force for continuity of membership from year to year
• If possible, have the committee appointed by the athletic director and report to her/him or formed with his or her knowledge and support
• Provide educational materials and programming to the committee Develop clear short and long term goals for the committee
• Make specific recommendations for action and follow up on their implementation
• Identify regular meeting times
• Secure the highest level of administrative support possible for the committee and its goals
• Bring administrators in early and keep them informed
• Provide reading material for administrators
• Secure administrative participation on the committee
• Ask administrators to speak publicly about their support of the committee’s work
• Provide administrators with “talking points” about the committee for media, community and parents
Assess the Current Climate in Athletics for LGBT People:
Develop a data base of information about the experiences of LGBT student-athletes and athletic staff in athletics and on campus
-Conduct written or on-line climate surveys
-Conduct interviews with student-athletes and staff
-Ask for written anonymous “testimonies” from current and past athletes and coaches who are concerned about identifying themselves
• Develop a data-base of campus-based resources, national resources, web-based resources for LGBT issues in athletics
• Develop a data-base of athletic department resources (books, videos, web sites, organizations) about LGBT issues in athletics
Assess Current School Policies and Legal Responsibilities Related to LGBT IssuesConduct an assessment of federal, state, local, institutional policies or laws that apply to the rights or treatment of LGBT people in athletics at your school. For example:
-State hate crime law that includes sexual orientation and/or gender identity
-State non-discrimination law that includes sexual orientation and/or gender identity
-School non-discrimination policy that includes sexual orientation and/or gender identity
-School anti-harassment policies based on race, sex, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc
-School non-discriminatory hiring and promotion policies that address LGBT issues
-School or state marriage, domestic partner, or civil union benefits for same-sex partners of school
employees or students
Assess Athletic Department Policies Related to LGBT Issues:
• Coaching ethics statement that addresses: non-discrimination, anti-harassment, negative recruiting based on perceived sexual orientation, religion-neutral team climate, coach-athlete relationships, etc.
• Inclusion of Interview questions about perspectives on LGBT issues when hiring new athletic staff members, coaches, administrators
• Inclusive and equitable policy for identifying marital status of or personal information about coaches in team media guides, staff directories
• Inclusion of department and school non-discrimination policy in all athletic department publications
• A clear procedure for reporting and investigating suspected discrimination or harassment
Assess Athletic Department Education or Support Programs on LGBT Issues:
• Staff development programming on non-discrimination and anti-harassment policies (include all support staff, athletic trainers, academic advisors, administrators, coaches)
• Coaches education programming on procedures and strategies for addressing LGBT issues on teams legally, fairly and respectfully: student-athletes or coaches who come out, anti-gay name-calling, harassment by opposing teams, relationships on teams, establishing religion-neutral climate, responding to parent questions, etc.
• Staff participation in school or athletic department “safe space” initiatives
• Inclusion of LGBT issues in Champs Life Skills classes or other department sponsored education programming for student-athletes
• Inclusion of LGBT issues in Student Athletic Advisory Council agenda or meetings with team captains, SAAC-sponsored events or activities related to LGBT issues
• Inclusion of department expectations and non-discrimination policies in coaching handbook and coaching ethics statement
• Inclusion of department expectations and non-discrimination policies in new coaches’ orientation programs
• Inclusion of department expectations and non-discrimination policies in student-athlete handbook
• Inclusion of department expectations and non-discrimination policies in new student-athlete orientation programs
• Parents of student-athletes handbook that includes department expectations and non-discrimination policies
• Athletic department-sponsored web site or link to web site of resources for LGBT issues in athletics and for LGBT athletes
Assess Campus-Based Support Services Available for LGBT Student-Athletes:
• Counseling center has information and staff prepared to address needs of LGBT student-athletes in supportive ways
• LGBT center prepared to provide support, information and advocacy for LGBT student-athletes
• Religious organizations supportive of LGBT students right to respectful treatment and safety
• Health center prepared to provide support, information and advocacy for LGBT student-athletes
• LGBT student-athlete group or a gay-straight student-athlete group in the athletic department or sponsored by the campus LGBT center or counseling center
• Campus-based educational programming on LGBT issues in athletics
• Credit-bearing academic courses that include LGBT issues in athletics content
• Identify and prioritize goals based on completed assessments
• Develop a timeline for completion of tasks to accomplish goals
• Identify individuals who will take responsibility for completion of tasks
• Evaluate progress periodically: accomplishments, re-assessment of department climate for LGBT staff and student-athletes