The NCAA Women’s Final Four is upon us, and it seems relevant to revisit a Washington Post story from 2003 about women’s college coaches who try to sway potential recruits away from a competitor’s school by implying that the other team’s coach is a lesbian. Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer has been the subject of many of these rumors, but has managed to build a top-notch program regardless. She leads her Cardinal team into the championship game tomorrow night. Clearly, some people are able to see past the rumors (and, I suspect, a few see them as a positive).
The Washington Post reported the problem is greater in women’s sports because so few men’s coaches are thought to be gay. Still, the fear of having LGBT people near children goes beyond sports. Right now, Phyllis Cole, a City Council candidate in Collin County, Texas, is being attacked for her appointment of openly gay Justin Nichols as Teen Court coordinator. A detractor is sending around an anonymous e-mail stating disparagingly “Look who Phyllis appointed to work with your kids.”
Sigh. I hate fear mongering even when it has a basis in reality, and this doesn’t. I have to think that we LGBT parents, by being visible in our communities, can help dispel these erroneous beliefs that impact LGBT people (and those perceived to be) both parents and not.
This is not to say there aren’t other, valid considerations when evaluating a teacher, coach, or caregiver for your children. What are the factors that are important to you? How do you investigate them?
