Sanguine Tenacious Tidings

Gender Equality in Sports

Motivation Monday: We'll discuss quotes attributed to people from all walks of life. Today a quote by Billie Jean King.

Women in sports

https://www.olympic.org/women-in-sport

Okay. I had a bit of trouble with this particular quote. I don't know what she was wearing that would have kept Billie Jean King out of the photo or what the photo was for or who the photo was by. Give me some facts, facts I say.

I really believe gender equality is being addressed in sports in a real and purposeful manner. When I was riding horses I had a prominent female instructor and male instructor. Both of them addressed riding properly. In classes, there was always male and female riders. A horse or rider was evaluated for its physical abilities not its gender. Females and Males compete in the same classes, Ride the same size fences, and complete the same Dressage tests. I've seen males riding and winning on small horses and females riding and winning on large horses. Color doesn't matter either. Although I have seen more black people compete in saddle seat than in jumping. And, Spanish jockeys race a lot of thoroughbreds. Color in horses only matters when they are bred not when ridden. Horses are evaluated for their conformation and abilities within the constraints of conformation.

Anyway gender bias is more sexually motivated than anything else. That is a societal issue. How many times has someone complained because a woman is wearing slacks instead of a dress? Where does the problem start? Do you know enough history to have a great answer? I saw so many websites and quotes about gender equality. In order to address the issue today it was broken down into gender equality in sports.

Beach volley ball is especially susceptible to gender issues because the women are treated as sexual objects instead of athletes competing in a sport. See the 5 quotes in the link above.

https://www.billiejeanking.com/equality/ Billie Jean King was wearing tennis shorts, instead of a tennis skirt, the day the picture was taken. This trouble about clothing comes out of the church. In the new testament, Paul, separated women and men by clothing and hair style. We are two thousand years away from the situations of that time. Can you tell a man from a women if they are both wearing shorts or jeans or if their hair is long or short?

Another thing the prominent women in tennis had to deal with was smaller prize money if they won than if a male won the match. Even when females were playing against males and winning. Billy Jean King has worked for gender equality all during her life.

Me Too! Is today's movement toward gender equality