A New England-based gay rights organization that helped win gay marriage rulings in Massachusetts and Connecticut is seeking to document cases of homophobia in sports as a precursor to possible action down the road.

Gay and Lesbian Advocate Defenders, based in Boston, is conducting a survey on attitudes towards gays and lesbians in sports. From the survey page:

A New England-based gay rights organization that helped win gay marriage rulings in Massachusetts and Connecticut is seeking to document cases of homophobia in sports as a precursor to possible action down the road.

Gay and Lesbian Advocate Defenders, based in Boston, is conducting a survey on attitudes towards gays and lesbians in sports. From the survey page:

To determine how we can best address homophobia and transphobia in sports, GLAD is researching the ways in which anti-gay and anti-transgender attitudes affect LGBT athletes and coaches. Our first step is collecting the stories of LGBT athletes, coaches and allies who can shed light on the challenges and barriers homophobia and transphobia present. We're also interested in your success stories and positive experiences.

In addition to its legal wins for gay marriage in Massachusetts and Connecticut, GLAD earlier this year filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the fDefense of Marriage Act.

Its wins in these cases and 30-year track record show that GLAD gets results. However, I am not sure what their long-term goals are regarding homophobia in sports. The sports project at the National Center for Lesbian Rights has been fighting for LGBT athletes successfully for years. I hope this is not a case of a new group in this area needlessly duplicating what already is being done (and being done well by NCLR).

Nonetheless, the more documentation on the issue, the better, so filling out GLAD's short survey can't hurt. The questions are fairly basic and broad and you can fill out the survey anonymously.

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