It Is A Two Edge Sword And It Cuts Deep

Sports can be biased against LGBT people and in any business it needs to be top down, the management has to buy in on it.

“Sport is a vehicle for social change”: Chris Mosier on transgender athletes
University of Colorado CU Independent News
By Georgia Knoles
December 6, 2017

CU’s Conference on World Affairs hosted Chris Mosier, a Nike-sponsored triathlete and the first transgender athlete to make a US men’s national sports team, on Tuesday night. He spoke in Wolf Law about his experiences as a transgender triathlete and as an advocate for transgender rights.
[…]
Even his competitors treated him with great respect. When Mosier won first place in a men’s race, the second place winner congratulated him. Later when that second place athlete found him on Facebook and read his bio, he was even more congratulatory, saying “keep it up.” Mosier describes that there has been “very good sportsmanship” all around due to the fact that so such dedication to a sport and the hours of training pro athletes put in automatically gains that athlete respect.

It is excellent that the college, the athletic department, and the athletes are so supportive, but I have to wonder about the fans. How will behave toward a trans athletes?

Look what happened down in Argentina…

This rugby team won’t stop fighting for their team member hospitalised by a homophobic attack
PinkNews UK
By Katharine Swindells 
6th December 2017

A rugby team in Argentina is seeking action after a member of their team was hospitalised by a homophobic attack on Friday.

Jonathan Castellari was buying breakfast with a friend at a McDonald’s in Buenos Aires early on Friday morning, when he was targeted by seven men, saying homophobic words.
They followed Castellari into the car park, where they attacked, shouting slurs.

“Today at 6am, a group attacked my friend to within an inch of his life, shouting ’Fa*got’ and ’Fucking fa*got,” Castellari’s friend said on Twitter.

And what will happen when the soccer’s World Cupis held in Russia next year?

Gay soccer fans warned to not hold hands in Russia at 2018 World Cup
An atmosphere of intolerance makes it dangerous to show same-sex affection.
OutSports
By Jim Buzinski 
November 29, 2017

A group dedicated to ending discrimination in soccer has a warning for any gay soccer fans going to Russia for the 2018 World Cup: Don’t hold hands or show affection in public. It could be dangerous.

The executive director of Fare (which used to be known as Football Against Racism in Europe) told the Guardian that the group will be issuing guidelines to LGBT fans in the run-up to the World Cup, which runs June 14-July 15, 2018.

Piara Powar, executive director of Fare, said:“The guide will advise gay people to be cautious in any place which is not seen to be welcoming to the LGBT community. The same message is there for black and ethnic minority fans — do go to the World Cup but be cautious. If you have gay fans walking down the street holding hands, will they face danger in doing so — that depends on which city they are in and the time of day.

“The guide will also include some detailed explanations of, for example, the actual situation of the LGBT community in Russia. It is not a crime to be gay but there is a law against the promotion of homosexuality to minors. Issues relating to the LGBT community are not part of the public discourse. Gay people have a place in Russia which is quite hidden and underground.”

Russia in 2013 passed what is called a “gay propaganda” law to prohibit promoting homosexuality. Attacks against LGBT people are not uncommon and the situation in the Russian republic of Chechnya is downright terrifying and deadly for gay people. Fare’s advisory makes total sense, especially for games played outside of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Let’s face it the world in general is not LGBT accepting. I don’t care whether you are traveling on a tour like in “Under The Tuscany Sun” or just traveling to another part of the U.S. or in your hometown there is always that chance you walk into a bigot but when you walk in to a testosterone saturated sports event  you chances of being harassed and assaulted increases.