A step in the right direction

Rene Portland, head coach of the Penn State women's basketball team, has resigned. Why is this good news? Well, because she's a discriminatory homophobe, that's why. She and Penn State recently settled a lawsuit filed by a former player who accused Portland of racial and sexual discrimination. The player, Jennifer Harris, alleged that Portland pressured her to look more feminine and to change her appearance. Penn State agreed that Portland created a "hostile, intimidating and offensive environment."

In addition to the treatment of this particular player, Portland has admitted to using homophobia as a recruiting tool. She told the Chicago Sun-Times in 1986 that she tells prospective players that she "will not have [homosexuality] in my program" and that the players and their parents are "so relieved."

I gotta tell ya, I totally love it when members of minority groups use the platforms they're able to gain to step all over members of other minority groups. As a high-profile woman in the male preserve of sport, you'd think she'd be a bit more sensitive to irrational ideologies and the devastating effects they can have when institutionalized. Alas, she wasn't, and now she's leaving.

Let's all wish her a gay farewell, shall we?