Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Brandi Chastain witnesses backlash

Erin has been doing a great job noting all the 40th anniversary coverage that has been going on nationally. They haven't all been happy, happy, rah-rah events, however.
Former USWNT player, Brandi Chastain, was participating in one such event last week. The California Assembly was marking the anniversary by honoring Chastain and others. The event was conducted in the form of a resolution (my guess was that it was simply a resolution to honor Title IX). An assemblyman, Chris Norby, used the opportunity to decry the ways Title IX has been interpreted. (One of my all-time favorite excuses: we like the law, we just don't like the way it has been put into effect.) It was his right, of course, as a member of a legislative body passing a resolution. Takes a fair amount of...something...to speak out in front of one of the most celebrated female athletes of the modern era, who is also a noted advocate for girls and women in sports.
Chastain wanted to offer a rebuttal of some sort. Alas it was not her right to do so because the event was not a public hearing.
Fortunately other legislators defended the legislation and offered examples of the why they provide their support and of continuing inequities.