Second, we know from the "don't ask, don't tell" experiment that was conducted for a
decade by the US Armed Forces, that this policy is personally damaging to those
who must hide their identity, it actually breaks down the trust that is
required to do very difficult and dangerous work, and it blocks opportunities
for advancement by gay and lesbian service people.
It seems reasonable to assume that the same is true in
women's basketball as it would be in any arena.
If teammates can't fully trust each other then they cannot fully
cooperate and their success will be limited.
Sure, Baylor has won at least two national championships with lesbians
playing under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, but one wonders how many more
could have been won, especially most recently in March 2013 when Baylor was eliminated
fairly early on in the tournament.
What should be done?
I don't know Kim Mulkey personally nor do I know the entire
situation, so I'm willing to grant her some grace and assume that her
implementation of a "don't ask, don't tell" policy could have been designed to
protect her players from possible expulsion by Baylor University should their
sexuality be revealed.
And, certainly, Baylor University as a private institution has the legal right to have any standards they
want in their student handbook. It is legal for Baylor to discriminate against
people who identify as part of the LGBTQ community.
But, does the legal
protection make it right?
As is the case with so many other movements for civil
rights, I challenge the Big 12 Conference, other women's basketball programs,
and the NCAA to step up to the plate and take a stand for the civil and human
rights of all student athletes.
The Big 12 and NCAA are "member" organizations. They could require that all member
institutions--including Baylor University--implement non-discrimination policies
that declare sexuality and gender identity as "protected statuses." In order to compete in the Big 12 and the
NCAA Baylor would have to drop the "don't ask don't tell" policy and allow all
their athletes (and students, faculty and staff) to live openly regardless of
their sexuality or gender identity.
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