An Athlete Inside and Out

This episode explores one issue that has seen a significant amount of movement since 2015 when the story was published.  We hear stories of LGBTQ women athletes, including assertive and almost proud discrimination against gay players at one of the most beloved women’s basketball programs in the country.  If you are not a sports person, or are a gay man, or both, it may feel comical to hear that someone tried to ban lesbians from playing basketball.  But sport remains a beacon of gender enforcement and many, many stakeholders have exorbitant power to discriminate accordingly.  On the one hand, less than a decade since this story was reported, we’ve seen a global celebration of LGBTQ women athletes.  On the other, the experience of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans athletes of all genders remains precarious.  This episode explores the nuance of gender and sexuality on the court and off.  If you are looking for some additional listening on this front, we strongly recommend Rose Eveleth’s new project Tested which is available anywhere you listen to podcasts.