It Takes A Team! Director, Pat Griffin, organized and participated in a panel at the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Conference in Tampa on April 5 entitled “Seeking Common Ground: Conversations Among Lesbians, Christians and Christian Lesbians.” The panelists included women from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Athletes in Action, The National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Women’s Sports Foundation. The purpose of the panel was to explore areas of common ground among women in sport who hold divergent views and beliefs about homosexuality and the role of religion in sport.
The panel conversation was deemed an important first step toward identifying ways that women from diverse backgrounds and identities can participate on sports teams respectfully and successfully by the 40 coaches who attended and by the panelists. staffer, Melanie Bennett, video-taped the one hour panel discussion which will be posted on the ITAT web page in the near future. The panelists will be scheduling a phone conference soon to identify what the second step will be in continuing this important dialogue.
After the event Griffin interviewed Bridgett Williams, the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Wright State University, about bridging the gap between Christian and lesbian athletes.
Published – June 2008
http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/Content/Articles/Issues/Homophobia/I/It-Takes-A-Team-Organizes-Ground-Breaking-Panel-at-WBCA-Conference.aspx
