The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

38 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday March 14, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Concerns about gay teammates based on stereotypes Continued from page 37 "First of all, I wouldn't want him on my team. And second of all, if he were on my than his brother. "It was harder on him because he was team, I would, you know, really distance younger and he had to uphold the Stacey ath- myself from him because, uh, I don't think letic image," Stacey said, "when meanwhile that is right. I don't think he should be in the he's got an older brother who's gay -- it does- locker room while we are in the locker room." n't quite fit -- so he started to get harassed." Hardaway later apologized, but NBA com"I know it's been weird for my brother," Brock Stacey said. "It's never been easy. It's missioner David Stern banned him from the league's all-star activities that almost been a fight, letting were taking place that week. everyone know he's straight." "I don't want the The `gay teammate will Sarah says her sport is one Grade 9 girls thinking also be watching me' stereoof the most important things I'm hitting on them type is just one of many that in her life. Her coach knows whenever I talk to abound on the playing field. she is gay, and has been David says the assumption is "amazing." Two of her team- them. I'm not." that a gay athlete "is attracted mates also know, but she has to his teammates simply been hesitant to tell the rest of Burlington high school because they change togeththe team because she doesn't athlete Sarah, on why she is hesitant to tell her er. It's a pretty narcissistic know how they will react. thought on the straight ath"I'm afraid to cause any teammates she is a lesbian lete's part, and those are the kind of scandal that might screw the team up and I'm scared of losing reasons why gay men are harassed in the respect I hope my younger teammates sports." It's not just confined to males, though. have for me," she said. "I don't want the Grade "There are stereotypes about lesbians in 9 girls thinking I'm hitting on them whenevcertain sports, such as rugby," says Sarah, er I talk to them. I'm not." That seems to be the big fear about having "and butch-looking girls tend to be snickered a gay teammate. When former NBA player at by the other team." She says few people suspect she is gay, John Amaechi came out last year year, fellow ex-player Tim Hardaway weighed in with his "mostly because I have long hair, wear makeup, etc. Stereotypes are certainly alive and opinion to a Florida radio station. well." Sports are also rife with homophobic taunts. Comments directed at straight athletes are often not even considered inappropriate. Players will ask `What are you? Gay?' if others back down from a physical challenge. Even coaches who shout `C'mon ladies' to an underperforming boys' team are reinforcing stereotypes. "I try to educate," said Bob Stacey, who says his own awareness of such remarks has increased since his son told him he was gay. "It's not fair to call someone gay or fag. We wouldn't allow anyone to use any racial terms so why do we allow this?" Yet it does happen. "People use being gay as an insult and throw it back at me," David said. "In high school they said things like, "At least I don't like men," or "You're pretty good for a fag." Yeo says police officers have to go through sensitivity training and wonders why athletes don't have to do the same. "If you want to play, you have to go through a day-long training. If that's available, why can't it happen?" he said. "I'd like to be able to talk to athletes, tell them how that one person changed my life. I wonder, are they doing that to anybody?" Yeo spoke to high school physical education department heads and related his high school experience. He extended an offer to speak to the students on their school teams but hasn't had any takers. Professional sports have also been slow to address the issue of homosexuality. For the most part, the leagues have been content to live in blissful ignorance that there may actually be gay athletes in their leagues. As a result, little has been done to foster acceptance, much less tolerance. For 11 years, the National Football League has held a mandatory diversity-training program for all rookies entering the league that dealt with issues such as racism. Yet it wasn't until last year that the league invited a gay speaker, former Atlanta Falcons' defensive tackle Esera Tuaolo, who played in the 1999 Super Bowl, to address the players. Why did it take so long? "I think that's happening because people didn't get that oppressing a gay or lesbian person is a diversity issue or a human rights issue," said Marcus Logan, executive director of HOPE (Halton Organization for Pride and Education). Yeo feels that athletes are an ideal place to start to affect change because of their place in high school society. "The jocks, they are the social leaders. I'd like to educate them about the damage they can do," he said, "that what they did as a thoughtless adolescent could have such an impact on someone's life." Red Devils tyke champs Flu and injuries were not enough to stop the Oakville Hornets tyke Red Devils from becoming the lone local team to win gold at the recent Oakville Hornets tournament. Several players were ill and another was suffering from a minor elbow injury, perhaps leading to the Red Devils' 0-1-1 start to the tournament. However, the Red Devils then turned things around, blitzing the Burlington Penguins 6-1 in their third game and then blanking the league rival Oakville Black Cats 4-0 in the championship game. Members of the Red Devils are Sarah Campbell, Hannah Rettinger, Bayley McLaughlin, Isabelle Hardy, Sarah Da Silva, Tara McInnis, Sinead George, Jennifer Schwichtenberg, Avery Proszek, Kyliese Rolf Von Den Baumen, Ashly Taciuk, Sophia Lombardo, Michaela Purcell, Erin McPherson and Meghan Grouix. Rick Campbell, Paul Purcell, Mark Taciuk, Jeff Rolf Von Den Baumen and Dominick Hardy coach the squad. S Summer H Humphrey Sales Representative LONE VICTORS: The Oakville Hornets tyke Red Devils were the lone local team to win gold at the Hornets' annual girls' hockey tournament last month. MOMS Awards Week around the corner The Minor Oaks Hockey Association MOMS Awards Week is rapidly approaching. The annual celebration of house league hockey will begin Saturday, March 22 with the Timbits Graduation Festival. The festival, to be held at River Oaks Recreation Centre, is the finale to a season of building hockey skills, skating, confidence and fun. Tuesday, March 25 will be the first of five straight days that divisional championships are decided, from tyke to juvenile, at Joshua's Creek Arenas. The top two playoff teams in each division will square off for bragging rights, followed by an awards presentation that recognizes players for exemplary play during the entire season. The public is encouraged to attend. In lieu of admission charges, MOHA is asking all spectators to bring a non-perishable food donation or a cash contribution for Oakville Food Banks. For more information, including a detailed schedule, visit the MOHA website at http://moha.on.ca/Awards_Week_2008.htm, or phone the MOHA office at 905-338-9220. Service Beyond The Sale Innovative Negotiator Full Service Marketing & Advertising Campaign Call For A FREE No Obligation Market Evaluation New Website Launch www.SUMMERHUMPHREY.com 905.842.7000 summerhumphrey@cogeco.ca Aboutowne Realty Corp., Brokerage Independently owned and operated Virtual Tours at www.SUMMERHUMPHREY.com GET LISTED ~ GET SOLD