Title: Women in Sports: Separate and Not Equal #37-09 September 16, 2009

" How Wu who count toward this week I'm making contact."

" To be a woman athlete in the 21 century. No matter what your skills no matter what your accomplishments. You are the main attraction in an absolute carnival sexism."

" If man get beat."

" Then the whole social order is overturned because the myth of male superiority is on dot."

" Finding -- publicity for women's sports have grown substantially in the past three decades. Yep from high school to the trends and women often still have to contend with resistance and stereotypes that treat them like second class athletes. On this edition we take a look back at the history of discrimination against women in sports and we'll hear what the long battle for equality and acceptance stands today. Nineteen -- PM and this is making contact a program connecting people ideas. And important information."

" In this first segment will hear from data siren. The -- is a national sports writer radio personality and author of several books about sports race and politics. His latest book is called a people's history of sports in the United States. He spoke opening panel at the July 2009 socialism conference in San Francisco. It was titled women in sports fighting for equality on and off the field. This is an excerpt from that speech."

" I really wanna start by talking about two women. And that's to frame the whole talk in their names are the Danica Patrick. And Candace Parker. In 2008 Danica Patrick had quite the double play. She became the first woman to ever win an IndyCar race. And she also became the first race car driver. To ever pose for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Now for some reason curiously the people at Sports Illustrated have. Never thought to put dale earnhardt's or Richard -- in his Speedo but they thought that Danica in a bikini seemed like a winner. Now up the bikini was actually a step up from her appearance in -- Maxim Magazine or FH -- whenever airport yuppie Warren. Magazine I forget what is called. But in this picture Danica was wearing leather underwear. Spread on the hood of a car. Now in the interview that ran alongside the photos. Danica Patrick had to answer questions like. Is your underwear flame retardant. And that are there times of the month when you were more aggressive or angry driver. Now that you might wanna ask yourself the question what's more infuriating the fact that they ask those questions -- the fact that she answered them. But the root of this problem is not. These idiot you -- the."

" Soft core porn magazine or even Danica is proud self exploitation. It's the fact that to be a woman athlete in the 21 century. In this country this is business as usual. I mean no matter what your skills no matter what your accomplishments. You are the main attraction and an absolute carnival of sexism. And this was even displayed in more dramatic fashion. With Candace Parker I mean Candace Parker is the greatest woman's basketball player I've ever seen I mean she will -- on your head. And she's also pregnant and ESPN hatter on its cover in glowing maternal white cradling her belly. And this is -- BE SPN article starts it starts like this. Candace Parker is beautiful breathtaking really with flawless skin endless legs and -- cup. -- She's a woman who plays like a man. One of the boys if the boys had C cops and flawless skin and perfect white teeth. Now as my good friend Helen we Locke who runs the women's -- sports basketball blog. Us after that article came out she wrote me. About the -- test. And she said imagine how that would sounds. There was about a man athlete not a woman and that's her her -- and sports writing is is it sexist let's do the flip test and see how it sounds. And so she wrote this to make sure Peyton Manning is handsome. Breathtaking really. With flawless skin that endless legs in a medium jock strap he is proud of but never wants. Let's go back to that ESPN article because it goes on to praise parker. Writing that quote there is nothing crass or -- about her nothing vulgar you'd never see her new booting it up she's wholesome. The kind of -- bring home to meet mom and dad. And then the writer goes on to actually bring Danica Patrick into the discussion. Noting this it Danica is nowhere near the best in her field she doesn't need to be because she's hot enough to pose for maxim. While that works for her parker wants more. So there you go you've got these two women arguably the two most famous women in sports today. And you have Danica portrayed as a sexually submissive and available and you have Candace Parker the earth mother. And I think we could say welcome to the new century of women's sports unfortunately. It's the nineteenth century. And if you are willing to play this game and you are doomed to be ignored. If you're not willing to play the game of being a girl first and athletes second. Let's look once again and our friends -- ESPN. The magazine over five years from when the magazine started at 2004 to march 2009. Female athletes have appeared on out of a 168 covers. They've appeared on five of them. That's three point 6%. I guess they just aren't enough women to write about. I can absolutely understand why the whole Danica Patrick Candace Parker dynamic it can Contra lot of emotions like annoyance. Anger fury. But here's another one for my money I mean. And pardon my language but it's so funny how tired. I mean it's tired because it shows that the vice that these women are in. Is the same advice that women have been injured in it for a century in the world of sports. It's -- that says we're not -- threats we are sexy and most critically we are had a role had arrowhead -- We are so straight we have pregnant bellies or we want to be ruled on by frat boy idiots. We are not hell we are not G we are not. I mean this is the vice your skills are always secondary. Now remember reading something that Billie Jean King said forty years ago. Where she was approached for an interview by the style section of the newspaper. And she. Angrily stormed away from the interview and she said. This is the problem we gotta get off the style section and into the sports page. And that's still the problem and I wanna use the rest of my time here to talk about how women athletes gay straight black white. Have confronted this minefield over. The last century and if there's one common thread I want. People to think about it's that in the history it's only when sexism and homophobia are challenged off the field the EC inroads. On the fields. So sort of start why not in the nineteenth century. For most women sports was something that they were simply denied denied the benefits of exercise denied the benefits of healthy competition. Frankly denied the benefits of basic organized fun. Now it is true that some wealthy women had access to the country club in sports like golf or tennis but this is really no refuge or any kind of a victory. Like for example -- have you ever wondered why women's tennis is best of three sets instead of best of five sets. I mean it's it's not because women worth -- well. It's best of three because they're too frail to play five actually did used to be best of five in women's tennis. The problem was was that women had to wear corsets when they played. And there were starting to pass out on the court. Because the courses were so restrictive. And -- the people the men who ran women's tennis were faced with this question. What do we do about this women are passing out they could be crying. Well let's not move the corsets let's just make it best of three instead of best of five. And this didn't change until years later went a fifteen year old named Lottie Dodd won Wimbledon. And she got a corset exemption because she was allowed to wear her high school uniform shoes fifteen. And in winning the Wimbledon prize which I think back then was like a basket full of flowers while men got money. CC made a plea to allow quote a suitable attire for women's tennis which does not impede breathing. So sports workplace for. Middle and upper class women to develop manners to get healthy to work on their figures but this changed drastically. In the 1920s. I mean suffrage was one. World War I ended the floodgates opened and you of the first women's sports stars emerge here swimmers like civil Bauer and Gertrude elderly. And -- did jerks in in the games themselves became very political. Gertrude utterly swam the English Channel set the all time record first woman to do it she set the all time record and she beat the old record by two hours. Against the nearest man. In this inspired young women everywhere. That's when he is also saw the entrance of African American women in organized sports there's a team called the Chicago rumored girls. Which didn't lose a game for six straight years and played to packed houses. Throughout Chicago. And -- basketball -- And the black community also started there on women's baseball team now. And its interest in the ad was this is the ad in the Chicago defender it was our women are voting -- wanna play a real game of baseball. So is very connected to decide -- we won the right to vote we want the right to play. But the greatest change for women in this decade it happened because of the factory teams of working class women who had access to play. And it's worth saying that the whole idea of these factory teams teams that were built inside -- factories. It happened for one reason and one reason only and that was in 1919 strike wave in this country one of the great labor work periods one out of three workers. On strike that year. And as the Carnegie steel manager each climbing he said it quite explicitly said look teams Foster stronger loyalty to their bosses. That's why they built them. But for the women in these plants to be on a traveling company -- to have time from work to play to forge friendships. Or even relationships with other women. This was revolutionary and that's the fun in the freedom that they had at their own mothers could not have imagined. Now the most famous athlete a bit of first half of the twentieth century came out of the factory teams in her name was Mildred L a -- did jerks and and she was called baby not because of a sexist derisive like oh she's a babe but because of Babe Ruth. Because that's how amazing they thought she was I mean she won. Gold medals in track she could box you stroke out and she struck -- major league baseball players and she could throw a football fifty yards. In a journalist once pastor is there anything you don't play and she said yet dolls. And the -- But despite her skills he had the backlash I mean. She was amazing what you see this girls first athletes second. She was denounced by sportswriters is quote men actually not quite female. She was someone who could not compete with the other girls in the very ancient and time -- sport of -- and trapping. Now this profound sexism in the 1950s was for the first time joined with the very explicit homophobia. And this is important because until now assault like code words like like what just being the Angeles said is like the managed athletes something's queer over here. But now it was becoming. Very explicit the knives were out. At the 1956 conference of collegiate women's physical educators the guest speaker doctor Josephine -- Shaw. This is her speech it was a rants about quote the muscular Amazon with unkempt hair clot -- shoes. And dowdy clothing would become disappointed in heterosexual attachments. And C women's sports in a credit Terry fashion that's our great danger. And if there's a real echo of that today. Now this was the terrain that existed I'm gonna be wrapping up now until the 1970s though in the push against the war in Vietnam. Sparked a struggle for the rights of women and LG BT people manifest itself of course and titled nine. Billie Jean king's battle of the sexes match. Elizabeth is gonna talk about some of the stuff but it is worth saying about Billie Jean King just -- people know about her like she was very connected to the movement off the court. And that's what's important here it's like she started the Women's Sports Foundation to start the first women's sports union. She fought for equal pay threatening a strike wildcats and otherwise like not showing up. And she went to her name to a full page ad with said simply I had an abortion. Now imagine no woman athlete doing that today. So in closing I would love to end with a sense of progress but hanging over this talk is Danica and Candice in the vice of sexism and homophobia. That remains just yesterday there than there was a news headline that said. Wimbledon officials admit players looks influence court assignments. And that meant that they in early rounds they were saying we're only gonna put women on center court who we think are physically attractive and telegenic. And LZ granderson of ESPN. He praised Wimbledon officials for that. He praised their refreshing honesty -- need to not be politically correct and wrote that for those who complain well that's life. From raising that specifically and for the camera there. Because LC granderson is actually a very good writer he's also African American and he's also gave the only openly gay writer radius the end. And if people throughout the decades had just said that's life he wouldn't be working. Wouldn't have a job. I mean if it's only life that means we accept things the way they are and don't demand change yes without question sports in this country is a carnival of sexism and homophobia. But it's also a place that holds the promise of liberation. A promise to be free a promise to have fun. And a promise to break a sweat but if there's any lesson over the last hundred years it's that if we don't break a sweat off the field and fight for a better world. Then on the field it's not gonna make a lick of difference so thank you very much."

" That was -- sirens. His latest book is called the people's history of sports in the United States you can find out more about siren on our website at radio -- ordered. Will be right back."

" You're listening to making contact a production and the national stadium projects. If you'd like more information -- CD copies of this program please call 805295736. You can also download programs more get our podcast from radio -- without worrying. We now return to women in sports. Separate and not -- quote."

" Next we'll hear from Elizabeth steers packets steers -- this is a longtime social justice activist and writer. She's currently in English and reading instructor at Kenyatta college in redwood city California. She also spoke on the opening panel women in sports fighting for equality on an off the field. At the July 2009 socialism conference in San Francisco."

" About two months ago."

" my students came and -- in my office I was right after soccer practice and she was so tired and hungry and out of that I had to feed her to get her to talk to me."

" And so as I was sitting there I just wondered why does she do it."

" You know why does she play soccer."

" Because that student like most of my students has a lot on her plea most of them are first generation college students."

" Many of them are immigrants or first generates its citizens or residents who go to school full full time they work full time. And the whole time I was just wondering why is -- how issued to it but why is she playing sports I just I don't understand how she can do that on top of all the other things."

" That she doesn't and two days later I heard that I would have an opportunity to be honest."

" Panel with Dave and I the first thing I did I went back to her and I said you know. Grab another soccer player too many enemies like you talk to people about why you do what you do."

" And I can tell him about the role that sport plays in your life. The first I wanna look at the state of sexism in society more generally."

" Because I agree with day of the Danica Patrick Candace Parker dichotomy is very troubling. But it's not at all surprised and as Dave pointed out most of the progress made for women in sports has occurred in the context of larger social moves announced. It was in the context of the women's liberation movement that Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs. "

" There is no such women's movement now and when there is no movement there is inevitably backsliding and the media's treatment of Patrick and parker."

" Is not the only evidence of this back sledding."

" Now a lot of my talk is gonna come from a -- one."

" Called plane with a blaze which people since I check out it's by Eileen Madonna and -- upon now. And they condense the arguments against. Women's full participation in sports with three eyes with three -- of inferiority. Injury and immorality. So Madonna and soprano argue that the idea that women are -- actually athletically inferior to man is a social construct that is its creation of society not nature. Now I know what you think and right men on average are bigger and stronger than women. And that's true but as Madonna on upon a point out averages don't play sports individuals to. And -- And."

" Being bigger and stronger also is not the only thing that counts in sports for example does anyone know who the first person was to climb on top time. It was limb here now. A five foot 100 pound woman she did it 1993. Does anyone know what happened to Simon. Kids exhaustion and swollen hands kept him from completing a -- Am like the interesting thing when I read -- this -- in their black if I'm a rock climber and I had actually heard of Simon Kennedy before but I had never heard of one."

" She's the first person to climb up. And."

" You have to ask yourself if women aren't actually inferior to men and athletic how -- every time a woman comes out on top they changed the rules to women can't compete with men anymore. I'm who's the woman who did the backstroke."

" Civil power right they made it's -- she couldn't compete with the man okay and Margaret just sold it was another example in 1928 she was fourteen."

" She played second base for a team and Lampard Indiana she batted point 455."

" Which is a good average."

" Okay in a playoff game she hit the single that broke a 77 tie stealing after stealing three bases and handling ten plays in the field. The manager of the other team complained that just -- it was an eligible because she was the girl. But because the rules elite didn't explicitly say the girls couldn't play the team is allowed to keep its one however the -- season they changed the rules that they did explicitly stated girls. Could you play and they kept girls from playing and does this book is full of these stories. And many of them are remarkable for two things the first thing as is that the boys on the team. Ten to accept the women. And girls they tend to be just fine. With competing against them and competing with them up for example when Michaela Hutchinson won the Alaska state wrestling title in 2006. One for defeated opponent -- boss said quote I don't look at it as a lost to girl I look at it as a lost to a wrestler. The second notable thing about all these cases that they tended to win in court when women challenge sex segregation they tend to win their case says."

" And the fact is that we won't know how well women will compete with -- until they do so in greater numbers."

" And more sports how you train who you train with how you compete and we compete with matters. It matters so much in fact that in 1996. A court ruled that a young woman named Tiffany Adams who was not allowed to wrestle with the boys was caused quote irreparable harm."

" Because she missed opportunities to develop her skills as a wrestler. And and a lot of these cases they women quart but they're too old at that point to actually compete. I think that if we started integrating sports are around senator at the very lowest level."

" A whole new style of play would develop that we have no idea what it's gonna look like because. If you have to beat people who can dog and you can't on you're gonna figure at a we'd do that remember the woman -- swam the English Channel two hours faster. She probably knew something about the -- that the guys they know what's necessary that she's big Armstrong is and then she figured out a way to beat them. But besides police and women's sexuality in appearance besides insisting that we be available to and pretty for mad at all times. If men get -- Then the whole social order is overturned because the myth of male superiority is on dot. And this can not really clearly in the interview writes it with my students and they're gone back and forth and they're talking about how. You know if you take a guide down they get all mad I don't know I think about soccer Michael what does that mean you take a guy down. And they say what you get them hurt you -- them school them with the ball. Or slide tackled -- ticket and you can take them on a pass them on you know everybody's like well you got schoolboy girl. I'm -- pass the mom what does that mean still the ball for -- he steal it read get past them with a check and love that. Technically though in the soccer field a girl should not pass the guy. Technically I said there's a rule that says that. Not gonna rule. Said one of them not a spoken rule but the guys now yeah that's their rule for them."

" For them it's that because they're better than man. Yeah."

" Okay and they -- I I would love to play it because you should hear their voices going from this excited back and forth and clearly that the joy of the competition in the game. You know how much. It means to them to be able to do best and do well and and yet how they understand. That that."

" That's still that they had is actually not acceptable."

" So why do they do it that was the first question I asked the two soccer players -- Gabby."

" Both emphasized that sports give them an avenue of escape from the pressures of school work and family. Both of them talked about how sports help them to feel more confident to understand their own abilities and to persevered overcome obstacles and other areas they're alive. They also both stressed that sports was the one place where they could go where they didn't have to worry about how they looked and they talked about this all the time like. And and how angry they wore when the team changed their uniforms. From big baggy shorts that went down to their knees to ones that came halfway up their lives and I like that things that they go through the length in the short you know rolling down atop the wearing spandex underneath. And how -- feared is they're both fairly small. But for the bigger woman who have to -- the women's size tops their very constructive and on this kind of stuff CC the course coming back on. And they said you know look we're not here to put on -- show. I mean with the game we are. Right but not with our close. Sports for them was the one place where they can go where they wouldn't have to experience the restrictions of mainstream femininity it was a place to be treated like a person. Both young women were also very aware of the ways in which they are being held back by the on equal dedication of resources to men's sports and by traditional views about women in sports."

" Both had to struggle to win acceptance for their athletic interests and their families their schools and school districts."

" And when I asked them what they would change about sports that they could be answered instantly Gabby said equal -- media an equal share in money. On the -- and on to say it only seems like the man always get everything that's always going to them. The women have to do something crazy get their attention like brandy chess team taking her shirt off to people remember that."

" Okay almonds and you said you can see every day in the news they only talk about the boys the man's sport really about the women's sport and it's like with a half we played tip."

" So legally speaking we have the ingredients. For integrated sports but why don't we have -- The answer should be clear. Because we need movement. And noticed that I said movement not a new legal strategy. Because we already have that -- got the legal stuff it's done okay. Title -- was in addition to the education code that was passed in 1972. It was a really intended to be about sports although it quickly became almost all about sports. And the way that he got interpreted around sports is that women had to be offered equal options to -- Essentially all it required was for schools to construct separates. But -- wall athletic opportunities for women stepping up the football team for boys or men you have field hockey team for girls when man. But of course we don't know that separate is not equal. Nevertheless title nine made a huge difference between 1971. And 2000. When expertise patient high school sports went up by 800%. Participation by college and went up 372%. And the participation of women of color both levels increased by 955. For that."

" Okay so we need -- movement now what will this movement is the first thing that needs to be done as we need to make it so that is impossible to use the word lesbian bestseller."

" Or any of the other letters that LG BT stands for. The second thing we need had to do -- take full advantage of the fact that the word trans gender has passed the presidential lips. Given the go ahead to other lips the power to say trans gender in the context of other words like rights and quality."

" And people to -- We need to make sure that nobody gets left behind in --"

" As long as there is homophobia. As long as trans gender people are not free and safe to be who they are that all women will be caught in the strait jacket mainstream femininity."

" And this straight jacket has been used to deny womanhood. Right think about that. So working class women. Women of color particularly African American women lesbians and women with muscles. Right you know we're not really women because without muscles ridiculous. It's been used to keep women out of sports and added jobs they're perfectly capable of reform and I just -- return to Danica Patrick for a moment. And say a word about the -- the professional athletes might play in this movement. We can't tell Danica Patrick or any other famous woman athlete what to do the -- to be clear about where she's coming from a where she's going. Okay where she's coming from is from a place of personal gain. And we're she's going is the wave from the interests of the vast majority of women as a means for what she's doing. And it is not feminism. It is not power feminism it is not do meet feminism is nothing to do with women's rights whatsoever it's cold opportunism. Now there -- other women professional sports I wish they would do other things and what they've done for example Annika Sorenstam. After beating 27 male golfers in the first round of the tournament of of the men men's tournament PGA which does it happen and PGA it's just PGA. And beating ten man in her second she's that I've got to go back to my -- golf professional association or whatever it as -- where I belong. Now. I'm sorry that she has internalized. The inferiority. You win the idea women's inferiority but I think we had a movement movement for women's liberation we can give people like her confidence. And she in turn could like inspire us and give us role models. A woman's movement and professional athletes could work dynamically together to push us forward and we're not there yet but I think it's a place to look to think."

" I was not a college instructor Elizabeth to his office. Speaking at the July 2009 socialism conference in San Francisco has."

" And that's it for this tradition of making contacts and story CD copy of this program called national radio project at 805295736. Well you can get our podcast at video -- Catalan. Special thanks to -- car for recording this idea of thanks for listening to making contact."