Former Princeton University athletes returned to campus for a panel discussion on “LGBTQ+ Narratives in Athletics at Princeton” on Sept. 21.
The event was part of the “Every Voice: Honoring and Celebrating Princeton’s LGBTQ+ Alumni conference” that weekend.
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“Through this panel discussion, we’ll explore the historical evolution of Princeton student-athletes and the experiences of LGBTQ+ athletes across different decades,” an event description reads. “Walk away with new connections, insights into progress in Athletics and recommendations for creating a more inclusive and diverse athletic community.”
Led by Women’s Basketball Head Coach Carla Berube, the panel featured four Princeton alumni athletes. One speaker, Deborah Saint-Phard, discussed her attempts to fit in despite the Ivy League institution’s “very white, affluent, heteronormative culture,” according to The Daily Princetonian.
The speakers reportedly discussed their various athletic experiences in regard to their respective sexuality, as well as DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) within Princeton athletics, and whether transgender-indentifying athletes should compete against women.
“I feel torn on the topic because I believe that everyone, however they identify, should have a fair crack at competition,” Saint-Phard said, according to The Daily Princetonian. “I also get concerned about physiological form, forgive me, but I think it’s … physiological differences that give the trans athlete an advantage in a cisgender female world of athletics concerns me … in terms of vulnerability of the cisgender female athlete.”
“[This] might not be a popular opinion, but everyone should be able to play,” former basketball player Leslie Robinson said. “Michael Phelps is exceptional because of his wingspan. LeBron is an exception because of his physique. No one is calling them out or telling them they cannot play because … your YMCA local guy is just an average person.”
Robinson also reportedly said that, “The overarching story is just to let people come to you with who they are … I’m just very happy to see that [Princeton athlete alumni] can be who they wanted to be on campus and afterwards.”
The Every Voice conference also featured events like “A Peek Inside Princeton’s Closet: The Often-Hidden History of LGBTQ+ at the University,” which explored “the pain of the 1930s closet” and “the gender transition journey of a member of the Class of 1946.”
The conference also held a discussion on “Because of Sex: Understanding Anti-Trans Legislation,” which considered “recent efforts at the state level to legislate transness out of existence.”
Campus Reform has reached out to Princeton University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
This article was originally published at campusreform.org
