Congratulations to Helen Carroll and Pat Griffin, Outsports' persons of the year

From Outsports, some great news about two friends of the FGG:

You’d be hard-pressed to name two people who have collectively had a stronger impact on the gay-sports movement than Pat Griffin and Helen Carroll. These two pioneers have been working toward equality for the better part of 30 years. They’ve visited high schools. They’ve talked to colleges. They’ve waged legal campaigns. They’ve educated educators. And with more incredible work in 2011, our readers have named these two women our “Persons of the Year.”

In 2011 alone, Griffin launched GLSEN’s Changing the Game project, which is bringing tools to end homophobia in sports directly into K-12 sports programs; Carroll, who heads up NCLR’s sports project , has taken a lead roll on the project’s advisory board. Together the women published what has become the NCAA’s de facto policy on trans-athlete participation. Their behind-the-scenes work is unparalleled in this world; Much of what happened in 2011 can be traced in some way to the work these two women did in previous years. And their guidance to us here at Outsports has been invaluable.

The dynamic duo won by the proverbial landslide, garnering 53% of the vote, a testament to their work in what has been dubbed the “gayest year in sports.” High School bloggers and ‘It Gets Better’ teams tied for second with 11% each. Rick Welts and the Golden State Warriors, who together executed what might have been the single-most important moment of the year, earned 10%. Sean Avery received 9% of the vote, and Anton Hysen got 7%.

Read in full HERE.

Roger Brigham reports on Youth Empowerment Summit sports session

As announced HERE, the FGG and Equality Coaching Alliance were present at last weekend's Youth Empowerment Summit in San Francisco. Roger Brigham, board member of the FGG and founder of ECA, organized a workshop there, on which he reported in his column for this week's issue of the Bay Area Reporter:

It was the kind of workshop that would have been unthinkable 30 years ago. But there it was this past Saturday: a classroom packed to the gills, standing room only, with LGBT high school students wanting to talk about sports.

I really did not know what to expect when I proposed almost a year ago to the Gay-Straight Alliance Network that it have a sports session during its annual Youth Empowerment Summit in San Francisco. LGBT sports always seemed to register low on the excitement scale at LGBT journalism conventions, and a previous session I had put on earlier this year for students in San Mateo drew just three students.

But the session Saturday at Horace Mann Community School drew a packed and very diverse crowd, eager to ask questions and share stories. One boy talked about being bullied in the locker room and his things being stolen. A transgender athlete from Santa Cruz wanted to know about changing room access issues. All were looking for something they had never experienced before: advice and encouragement from queer adult jocks.

I think the students were most interested to meet Jaime Loo, a graduate from Mission High who came out through wrestling and had a very positive, empowering experience through the sport. (See column HERE) But sadly, his story seemed to be a sharp contrast to the discouraging experiences so many young people in that room expressed. For many, it seemed as if they were problems their teachers wished would go away.

So we encouraged them to choose their battles, not to edit themselves out of sports because of what they fear if they truly want to try them, and to reach out to the resources available. We made some referrals to the National Center for Lesbian Rights. And we told them how much sports meant for us and how through sports, we have built supportive families.

A fine collection of "game plans" for physical education classes, athletes, coaches and administrators exists on the website of the Changing the Game project of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. The common theme throughout them? Include would-be athletes, don't isolate them. It's a good thought for this holiday season.

Keph Sennett asks: Where do transgender athletes fit into sports?

Keph Senett reports from the human rights conference held at the recent North American Outgames in Vancouver:

“SPREAD OUT!” their coach shouts encouragingly, turning away from the players to share her laughter with the moms and dads on the sideline. There might be something more adorable than six year-olds playing soccer, but I don’t know what it is.

At this age, girls and boys are pretty much the same: they wear matching jerseys and socks, and run after the ball with identical tireless enthusiasm. On the field, the red team moves en masse toward the blue team’s goal, and when a kid out in front stumbles and falls, they all do.

Their game may need work, but their concept of team is perfect.

All of this will change in another few years. As puberty hits, the boys will be funneled into programs with funding, and the girls will be encouraged to take up tetherball. Even those girls who will be able to find organizational support in quality training camps, sponsorships, and athletic scholarships will only be able to achieve the top of their sport in the women’s division.

Keep reading HERE.