I*.
42
DECEMBER
T H E Y E A R IN
2011
A HOLIDAY RLVUE
"A su p p er-clu b p le a su re
in a sm ash in g sellin g."
-
The O re g o n ia n
MAKE IT A HOLIDATE &
SAVE 5 0 %
ON ANY THURSDAY
PERFORMANCE*
5 0 3 .2 2 2 .5 5 3 8
WWW.OBT.ORG
K i c k o ff t h e s e a s o n w it h a s p l a s h
FEATURING SUSANNAH MARS
DECEMBER 10-22, 2011 / KELLER AUDITORIUM
‘ Expires 12/22/11. Limit 4 tickets. Not
valid on previous purchases. May not
be combined w ith any other offer.
MI h i A S P O N S O R S
(kiwjt) £|iC (Oregonian
OREGONBALLETTHEATRE
CHRISTOPHER STOWELL / ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
-------- sports
WWW.JUSTOUT.COM
BY RYAN J. PRADO
The sports world as a whole felt bureau-
cratic and boorish all year long. The N F L
lockout that almost was; the NBAs trun-
cated season due to labor disputes; the
NBAs playoffs marred by audible, and tele-
vised, anti-gay slurs; the Atlanta Braves’
Roger McDowell motioning as if he were
going to use a bat to assault a pair o f San
Francisco Giants fans whom he questioned
about being gay. On and on it went... It was
enough to make you loony. But as with all
valleys, a peak shouldn’t be far away.
Whether the biggest LGBTQ_ sports
story o f the year was a peak or valley is up
for debate, though.
A settlement was finally reached in a
high-profile lawsuit filed against the North
American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance
(NAGAAA) by three softball players whose
sexual orientation was questioned in the
wake o f the 2008 Gay Softball World Series
in Seattle. The debacle followed the players’
team’s second-place finish. NAG AAA’s rules
stipulate that any team competing in a NA-
GAAA-sanctioned tournament is allowed
player limit applying strictly to self-identi-
fied straight players.
The players insisted they were bisexual,
and the settlement reportedly awarded them
reinstatement to the league, and their sec-
ond-place finish fully recognized. NA-
G A A A commissioner Roy Melani argued
that the players never answered questions
about their orientation during the hearing,
Nevertheless, the commish was pleased with
the settlement.
,
“This settlement and [the] judge’s rulings
have shown that N A G AAA has the right to
define their membership requirements,” said
Melani. “It’s the Gay Softball World Series.
It’s important we defend our right to main-
tain that identity.”
Others weren’t as convinced o f NA-
GAAA’s infallibility.
“N A G A A A has a serious image problem,”
said Jake Packer, former open commissioner
for the Rose City Softball Association from
2008-11. “Any message o f the good that
N A GAAA may achieve, its primary pur-
pose, plays second fiddle to [this] contro­
versy. The only way to change
“Any message of the good that NAGAAA may
that is to truly embrace every­
one that wants to support the
achieve, its primary purpose, plays second
LG BTQ _ community and gay
fiddle to [this] controversy. The only way to
softball, regardless o f their
change that is to truly embrace everyone that
sexual identity.”
Anti-gay bullying once
wants to support the LGBTQ community and
again emerged as a cornerstone
gay softball, regardless of their sexual identity.’
movement to rally against in
-JAKE PACKER, FORMER OPEN COMMISSIONER,
2011, most notably in sports
ROSE CITY SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION
and schools. Scattered head-
only two heterosexuals per team. Following lines declaring more and more professional
a protest, a hearing was held wherein the athletes coming out ran parallel to news o f
three players were reportedly questioned an increased number o f schools adopting
whether or not they desired predominately new bullying policies designed to protect
women or men. Following the closed-door students. Leading the charge, the Gay, Les-
hearing, the plaintiffs’ team, D2 from San bian and Straight Education Network
Francisco, was disqualified, and the team’s (G L SE N ) announced a new program in
second-place finish was stripped.
*
March aimed at providing a safer and more
The lawsuit brought into the limelight inclusive environment for K-12 sports and
rules about the straight-player limits in gay physical education departments in America’s
sports. Earlier this year N A G AAA changed schools. Dubbed “Changing the Gam e:
its policy to include an unlimited number o f The G L S E N .S p o rts Project,” the initiative
L G B T players on any team, with the two- was designed to bring together a diverse
BREAKFAST
A L L D A Y + N IG H T
L U N C H & D IN N E R S E R V E D
FULL BAR!
8338 N. LomBaRÒ
503 . 247.1066
ESPRESSO!
Between North Gay & Gay.
2201 N. Killingsworth, Portland, OR 97217
503.735.4652
P a lin D in in g , P riv a te h illin g .
F i i i i D in in g , Kim* h illin g
4) M i N G 0
in Beaverton
503 646 6464 WWW.MiNGOWEST.COM