PET 4253 and PET 5257 for Sport Management and Physical Education students
PET 4930 and PET 6931 for Women's Studies Students
Summer Term B: May 9 - June 15, 2000
8:00am - 11:15am
Tuesdays & Thursdays
214 Tully Gym

PURPOSE AND OVERVIEW OF COURSE

I. PURPOSE AND OVERVIEW OF COURSE: The purpose of this course is to provide a basic knowledge of lesbian and gay people in sport in two areas of focus: lesbian and gay people in their own sport industry, and lesbian and gay people in nonlesbian/gay sports and recreation environments.

A second purpose of this course is to provide those who will be working or who currently work in the sports and recreation industries with a basic knowledge of lesbian and gay people in sport. It is important for them to know that there are lesbian and gay people in the sport company as clients, athletes, coaches, athletic directors, club members, and co-workers; to understand the issues facing lesbian and gay people in different sports environments; to develop strategies to address those issues; and to develop a professional attitude toward lesbian and gay people.

Examples of issues to be discussed include the rising importance of sports and fitness for lesbian women and gay men; the growth & development of the lesbian and gay sport industry; the phenomenal growth and success of the Gay Games; high profile athletes who are openly expressing their lesbian or gay sexual orientation; and, the construction of homophobia and its effects for everyone in all aspects of sport.

Instructional Methods: large and small discussion groups; video presentations; speakers; group presentations; web resource presentations.

TEXTBOOKS and REQUIRED READING

II. TEXTBOOKS and REQUIRED READING: There is no textbook on lesbian and gay sport studies. There are, however, books, film, research articles, popular press publications, and other resources that will be used to provide us with a variety of information about lesbian and gay people in sport for each topic for each class. Since a large percentage of this course relies on in-depth discussion of each topic, it is important that you read everything required for each class and come to the class fully prepared.

(A) Required Reading Packets: There are 5 sets of articles for 5 of the topics. These are available at: (1) The Resource Library in the Stone Building (on reserve) and you can make your own copy of them to bring to class. (2) The course web site and you can print them out to bring to class.

(B) Two books are required for reading and discussion. Discussions of these books will be held at the end of the course. It is important that you have each of these read so that you can be prepared for the discussion about them. They are:

(1) Griffin, Pat. (1998). Strong women, deep closets: Lesbians and homophobia in sport. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

(2) Woog, Dan. (1998). Jocks: True stories of America's gay male athletes. Los Angeles: Alyson Books.

OBJECTIVES

III. OBJECTIVES of this COURSE:

Upon completion of this course, the student should have:

(1) a basic knowledge of lesbian and gay people in sport

(2) a basic knowledge of the many issues involving lesbian and gay people in sport

(3) an understanding of the importance of studying lesbian and gay people in sport

(4) an understanding of how and why homophobia and the negative stereotypes of lesbian and gay people have been constructed by society; and, a basic knowledge of how these negatively affect everyone in the sports industries

(5) an understanding of why people who seek a career in the sports and recreation-related industries need to develop a professional attitude toward lesbian and gay people in sport

(6) an understanding of the development of the lesbian and gay sport industry

(7) a basic knowledge of the Gay Games and its phenomenal success

(8) a basic knowledge of research, internship, independent study, field experience, and job possibilities involving lesbian and gay people in sport

RESPONSIBILITIES

IV. Assignments & Responsibilities of the student

RESPONSIBILITIES: This course is planned for significant discussion of the topics, issues, and required readings. Therefore, it is very important that you take full responsibility for the following:

(1) Read! -- read the assigned readings for each class BEFORE coming to class. And, spend time with the readings, enough time to make notes, jot down thoughts, and list questions that you might have about the article or the topic.

(2) Participate fully in each discussion -- we can't have a discussion if you don't talk.

(3) Be honest -- It is important that you be honest and will openly discuss all your thoughts and feelings regardless of your position, values, or beliefs. ALL perspectives will be valued and treated with equal respect. Honesty and openness are important in discussions in order for true learning and education to take place.

(4) Preparing thoughts and questions for every class -- as you read the assigned readings for an upcoming class, write down a list of questions and thoughts you have, bring those to class and letÕs use them in our discussions.

(5) Listen respectfully -- allow a person to fully state an opinion, thought, or question without judgement; it's not necessary for you to agree with another person's opinions or thoughts, but in order for you to grow and learn and to develop a professional attitude, it is very important for you to respectfully listen.

(6) Respect any requests for confidentiality -- Because some people in today's society still harbor negative attitudes toward lesbian and gay people and can do great harm to them, and because some of these harmful things are still allowed to happen without punishment, it is imperative that you respect someone's request for confidentiality for information, statements, personal stories, thoughts, or questions. If someone requests confidentiality, respect their request and keep it confidential.

(7) Appreciation for diversity -- Because we live in the United State of America, it is increasingly important for everyone who lives here to develop an appreciation for diversity. Consider President Clinton's plea for recognizing and celebrating diversity. Consider for a moment the current issues and questions of diversity created by Tiger Woods and the bill being introduced to add the category "Multiethnic" to the U.S. Census form. What will be the effects of a population category called "Multiethnic?"

ASSIGNMENTS

ASSIGNMENTS: Besides the readings, there are 4 assignments for the course.

(1) Resource Notebook and Presentation on Lesbian and Gay People in Sport. Work in teams of _____, develop a notebook of resources on lesbian and gay people in sport. Choose a topic or issue on which to focus. Example: If you are a sport management major and plan a career in college athletics, you could choose to focus on the issue of homophobia in college athletics and gather resources about homophobia with a focus on strategies to end it. Consult with the resources book, available from Dr. Pitts. Include in the notebook a variety of resources such as copies of research articles, magazine articles, newspaper articles, lists of books (fiction and nonfiction), lists of film, lists of web site addresses with a description of that site (and a copy of the web site cover page), lists of lesbian and gay sports & recreation businesses and organizations, lists of your ideas for studies, internships and job possibilities, and any other resources you think you would find useful for yourself or for someone else. There isn't a minimum number for this.
 

• Turn in a copy of your notebook. Keep the original and one copy for every person on your team. You will want to use this in the future.
• Give a presentation of your notebook. Toward the end of the term, each team will make a brief presentation of your notebook. The reason for doing this is to share with everyone in the class the resources you have found. Refer to the course schedule for the dates.

(2) Journal. Keep an almost-daily journal (at least with a minimum of 12 entries). The purpose of the journal is to create a place where you can say some things you don't feel comfortable enough to say in class. Write in your journal anything you want involving your thoughts and questions about the issues and topics discussed in class. Also, evaluate the course and the professor. Your journal will be part of some of the research IÕm doing on lesbian and gay people in sport and on this course, but your identity will be kept completely confidential.

Include your thoughts, ideas, and discussion about:

• each of the topics in class
• ideas you have about possible research projects (possible thesis or dissertation topics)
• burning questions that weren't answered in class
• would you like to join my research team and do research involving lesbian and gay people in sport

(1) Kopay, David & Young, Perry. (1985). The David Kopay Story. The original account of David's life and coming out. AND Kopay, David & Young, Perry. (1995). The David Kopay Story: An Extraordinary Self-Revelation. New York, NY: Donald I. Fine, Inc.

(2) Louganis, Greg & Marcus, Eric. (1995). Breaking the Surface. New York, NY: Random House.

(3) Navratilova, Martina & Vecsey, George. (1985). Martina. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf. (this book is no longer in print. The library has one. If you find one to buy at a bookstore or through the Web, please let me know. I want to add it to my collection of materials for this course.)

(4) Pronger, Brian. (1990). The Arena of Masculinity: Sports, Homosexuality, and the Meaning of Sex. New York: St. Martin's Press.

(5) Rogers, Susan Fox. (1994). Sportsdykes: Stories From On and Off the Field. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press.

(6) Waddell, Tom and Schaap, Dick. (1996). Gay Olympian: The Life and Death of Dr. Tom Waddell. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

(7) Yamaguchi, Lynn & Barber, Karen. (Eds.). (1995). Tomboys! Tales of Dyke Derring-Do. Los Angeles: Alyson Publications.

(8) Zipter, Yvonne. (1988). Diamonds are a dyke's best friend. Ithaca, NY: Firebrand Books.

EVALUATION & DETERMINATION OF GRADE

V. EVALUATION & DETERMINATION OF GRADE: READ CAREFULLY!! This course is designed as a seminar and uses instructional methods best for that. Moreover, it is designed so that the student must participate fully in every activity in every class in order to become knowledgeable about and reach a full understanding of gay and lesbian people in sport (to meet the purposes and objectives of the course). Therefore, each students' grade derives from an assessment of level of class and activity particiation and completion. Each student will receive grades in direct relation to level of class and activity participation and completion.

Your final grade will be comprised of your level of participation and completion of the following: class participation, discussion particiation, reading, readings discussion participation, notebook and notebook presentation, journal, book group reading, discussion and presentation.

NOTE: If you are going to sell your books back to the bookstore at the end of this course, please consider the following instead: Professor Pitts is developing the world's first Center for Lesbian and Gay Sport Studies. Archives of books and papers are an important part of the Center. Please consider donating your books to the Center instead of selling them back to the bookstore. Thank you.

Terminology with which to become familiar

Gay Games: The Olympic-style sports event held every four years primarily, but not exclusively, for lesbian and gay people.

Gender roles: The socially constructed behaviors and appearances expectations imposed on women and men. (adapted from: Griffin, P. (1994). Out for a Change: Addressing Homophobia in Women's Sports: Curriculum. San Francisco, CA: A Woman Vision Production.)

Heterosexism: The cultural, institutional, and individual beliefs and practices that assume that heterosexuality is the only natural, normal, acceptable sexual orientation. It privileges heterosexuals, or those who are perceived to be heterosexual, and subordinates and denigrates those who are not heterosexual, or those who are perceived not to be heterosexual. (adapted from: Griffin, P. (1994). Out for a Change: Addressing Homophobia in WomenÕs Sports: Curriculum. San Francisco, CA: A Woman Vision Production.)

Heterosexual privilege: The benefits and advantages received as a result of claiming heterosexual identity. (adapted from: Griffin, P. (1994). Out for a Change: Addressing Homophobia in Women's Sports: Curriculum. San Francisco, CA: A Woman Vision Production.)

Homophobia or homonegativism: The fear, hatred, or intolerance of lesbian or gay people. (adapted from: Griffin, P. (1994). Out for a Change: Addressing Homophobia in Women's Sports: Curriculum. San Francisco, CA: A Woman Vision Production. The term "homonegativism" is from Krane, V. (1997). Personal reactions to homonegative sport environments as experienced by lesbian athletes. Journal of Homosexuality. (in press).)

Lesbian and gay sport industry: The marketplace in which sports, recreation, travel, and leisure products are offered primarily targeting the lesbian and gay market. (adapted from: Pitts, B.G. (1997). From leagues of their own to an industry of their own: The emerging lesbian sports industry. Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, 6 (2), 109-139.)

Lesbian and gay sport studies: The study of lesbian and gay people in sport. (adapted from: Pitts, B.G. (1997). From leagues of their own to an industry of their own: The emerging lesbian sports industry. Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, 6 (2), 109-139.)

Sexism: The cultural, institutional and individual beliefs and practices that privilege men, subordinate women, and denigrate women-identified values. (adapted from: Griffin, P. (1994). Out for a Change: Addressing Homophobia in WomenÕs Sports: Curriculum. San Francisco, CA: A Woman Vision Production.)

Sexual orientation: The naturally occuring desire for emotional and sexual relationships with another person. Typically, three categories exist: homosexual (those who desire people of the same gender), heterosexual (those who desire people of the opposite gender), and bisexual orientation (people who desire either gender)

SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE: Lesbian & Gay Sport Studies; Dr. Brenda G. Pitts; Summer, 2000

Tuesday, May 9 - Social History Part I: Pre-Stonewall Period of Early 1900s to 1969

In order to reach an understanding of the issues facing lesbian and gay people in sport today and to understand the growth and development of the lesbian and gay sport industry, it is important to become knowledgable of key periods of time in the history of the United States.

(1) Class starts; introductions; overview of course; historical moment; pre-course survey

(2) Why study lesbian and gay people in sport? (purposes and objectives of course) What have you been told about lesbian and gay people in sport? (myths vs facts)

(3) To understand how and why people today think about lesbian and gay people in sport, it is important to be informed about the historical and contemporary construction of stereotypical characteristics of lesbian and gay people. Therefore, we will first take a look at the following:

• A social history of lesbian and gay people in the United States
• The construction of the negative stereotype for and attitudes toward lesbian and gay people
• The role of civil rights movements toward the development of human diversity studies

BREAK

(5) Focus Groups: post-video discussion; see the Questions for Discussion for this video

(6) Focus Groups to class

**** Selection of Groups for:

(1) Resource Notebook & Presentation

(2) Book/Group Presentation

Notes:
 
 

Thur. May 11 - Social History Part II: Post-Stonewall Period of June 1969 to Today

(1) carryover questions and discussion from last class

(2) post-Stonewall video (90 minutes)

BREAK

(3) Focus Groups: post-video discussion; see the Questions for Discussion for this video and the following topics for discussion.

(4) Consider the following:

• The role of the lesbian and gay civil rights movement toward equality in the United States
• The construction of lesbian and gay social organizations, their role in creating networking and empowerment opportunities for lesbian and gay people, and their role in education and changing the negative stereotype
• The development of multicultural studies and their role in creating a celebrate diversity attitude
• President Clinton's impact on lesbian and gay people's rights and the backlash of conservative government officials and the religious right

Notes:
 
 
 
 

Tuesday, May 16 - two topics, two sets of readings

(A) Why Study Lesbian and Gay People in Sport

(1) overview

(2) What is there to study? The issues, topics, and problems.

(3) The two categories: Lesbian and Gay People in Sport; Lesbian and Gay People in Mainstream Sport

(4) Using existing frameworks to create research

(B) Homophobia, Heterosexism, & Compulsory Heterosexuality in Sport

(1) overview & pre-discussion

(2) video: "The World of the Gay Athlete"; ESPN

(3) class discussion of Questions for Discussion for this video

BREAK

(4) Focus Groups discussion of the readings in section titled "Homophobia, Heterosexism, & Compulsory Heterosexuality in Sport"

(5) Focus Groups to class

Required readings for this class. See readings packet sections titled "Why Study Lesbian and Gay People in Sport" and "Homophobia, Heterosexism, & Compulsory Heterosexuality in Sport."

Notes:
 

Thursday, May 18 - Out Elite Athletes: Pressure & Pride, Marketing & Money

(1) Focus Groups discussion of readings in section titled "Out Elite Athletes: Pressure & Pride, Marketing & Money" include discussion/questions on the following:

• the issues in lesbian and gay sports
• the issues in nonlesbian/gay sports

BREAK

(3) video: "Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story" (90 minutes)

(4) discussion of the video

Required readings for this class. See readings packet section titled "Out Elite Athletes: Pressure & Pride, Marketing & Money."

Notes:

Tuesday, May 23 - The Lesbian and Gay Sport Industry - Part 1

(1) What is the lesbian and gay sport industry? What comprises the industry?

(2) What is the importance of sports & recreation to lesbian and gay people?

(3) Growth and development of the industry

(4) Identification of the lesbian and gay sport consumer markets

(5) Focus Groups discussion of the readings of section titled "The Emerging Lesbian and Gay Sport Industry: An International Phenomenon"

(6) Focus Groups to class

Required readings for this class. See readings packet section titled "The Emerging Lesbian and Gay Sport Industry: An International Phenomenon."

Notes:

Thursday, May 25 - The Lesbian and Gay Sport Industry - Part 2: The Gay Games

(1) overview of the Gay Games; history; facts; management, marketing & sponsorship

(2) videos (30 minutes)

BREAK

(3) Focus Groups discussion of the video

(4) Focus Groups discussion of the readings

(5) Focus Groups to class

Required readings for this class: See the section titled "The Gay Games" and refer also to the readings in the section titled "The Emerging Lesbian and Gay Sport Industry: An International Phenomenon"

Notes:

Tuesday, May 30, Thursday, June 1, and Tuesday, June 6

Tuesday: Today, you will meet with your group members in class to plan and work on your group projects.

Thursday: Today, you will use this time to work on your projects. You are not required to meet in the classroom.

Tuesday: Repeat either Tuesday or Thursday.

Thursday, June 8 - Book/Group Presentations/discussions

1.

2.

3.

4.

break

5.

6.

7.

8.

Tuesday, June 13 - Resource Notebook Presentations (Notebook due); Organize for the class brunch on Thursday!!!

1.

2.

3.

4.

break

5.

6.

7.

8.
 

Thursday, June 15 - The Griffin and Woog books Discussion

(1) Focus Groups discussion of each book; Focus Groups to class

Required readings for this class: the books by Griffin and Woog.

BREAK

Class Social -- Pot Luck Brunch !

Notes: