I don’t think we have a problem.
The statement was chillingly honest, painfully ignorant and
frighteningly naive.
One UCLA student-athlete has alleged that his coach threatened
to kick any gays off the team. Another said that men’s
college sports is not a place for homosexuals. Bruin coaches and
administrators admit no formal athletic department policy exists
for dealing with homophobia.
And yet UCLA administrators maintain they are comfortable with
how the athletic department handles sexual orientation issues.
“You deal with things as they come up,” said Petrina
Long, UCLA’s associate athletic director, who oversees life
skills. “To this point I haven’t had a lot of concern
about that, and my impression is that we don’t have a huge
problem.”
That’s true, to some extent.
To say that homophobia is rampant within the UCLA athletic
department would be a gross overstatement, because the majority of
the Bruin players, coaches and administrators appear to be very
receptive to gay and lesbian student-athletes.
But to say that homophobia isn’t a problem at UCLA
isn’t accurate either. The fact that some gay and lesbian
student-athletes are afraid to come out to their teammates and
coaches implies that a problem does exist.
The response from the gay student-athletes at UCLA to this story
in particular revealed just how much they dread the thought of
being outed.
No gay male student-athlete interviewed for this story felt
comfortable enough to even identify what sport he played, and
several didn’t want to be interviewed at all.
All of them said the fear of taunting or physical violence
contributed to their reluctance to come out to their teammates, and
one said he thought he might be cut from the team if he revealed
his true sexual identity.
Each of them also said they have frequently heard homophobic
jokes or comments from teammates and coaches, though most said the
climate at UCLA was no worse than they would expect at other
schools.
The testimonials should be a clear sign to the suits on the
third floor of the J.D. Morgan Center that they have not done
enough to create a safe environment for gay and lesbian
athletes.
“I have talked with guys on team sports (from other
schools) that were literally afraid of being killed,” said
Ronni Sanlo, director of UCLA’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgender Campus Resource Center. “Though we have a
significant number of gay athletes at UCLA, many feel that
there’s absolutely no way that they can be out.”
Three elements must be in place, University of Colorado at
Colorado Springs sociology professor Jay Coakley said, before a
student-athlete can feel comfortable coming out.
1. He must believe that the coach will support him after he
comes out; 2. He must have one or two friends on the team who he
believes will have his back no matter what; 3. He needs to see some
evidence of a formal institutional structure that provides support
and legitimacy.
UCLA, in some ways, is lacking in all three of these areas.
Bruin players and coaches confirmed that they have not undergone
sensitivity training for gay and lesbian issues, although Long said
one UCLA coach requested and received training already this year
and hinted a mandatory program could be on its way for every team
by next fall.
And UCLA does not have any sort of formal procedure for dealing
with homophobia, instead choosing to lump it together with other
types of discrimination.
That leaves the athletic department more vulnerable to
homophobia than the few other schools that have had the foresight
to address these issues.
Right now, UCLA’s policy is essentially reactive.
“If we have a big crisis, we may end up concentrating on
it,” Long said.
To avoid that crisis, UCLA needs to get more proactive. Train
coaches. Educate student-athletes. Invite guest speakers. Draw up a
no-tolerance policy on how to deal with homophobia, and make sure
everyone is aware of the consequences.
Long and athletic director Dan Guerrero have often said they
came to UCLA because it is a cut above other schools, but so far
they have not handled this issue any better than their colleagues
around the country.
The perception that homophobia exists within the athletic
department doesn’t make UCLA any worse than other major
colleges. But it doesn’t make it any better either.
E-mail Eisenberg at jeisenberg@media.ucla.edu.