This summer my research collided with one of my favorite TV shows, The Bear, in which talented, sexy, and emotionally […]
Mokgadi Caster Semenya v. The Patriarchy and its IAAF Minions
[gblockquote source=’Caster Semenya, May 29, 2019‘]I am a woman and I am a world-class athlete. The IAAF will not drug […]
Disability Identity and the Culture of Veteran Athletics in Modern America
In May 2020, Prince Harry will inaugurate the fifth Invictus Games in The Hague, Netherlands. An international sporting event for […]
Threatening the Gender Hierarchy in Women’s Sport
Critics of South African track star Caster Semenya warn that her continued participation in women’s track and field without taking […]
No Excuses: The 21st-Century Supercrip in Three Snapshots
In the past decade, the landscape of commercial fitness has changed drastically. It has become less dependent on stationary exercise […]
Bradley Snyder and the Legacy of First World War Blind Veteran Rehabilitation
On April 30 People Magazine featured a story on Brad Snyder, a young swimmer seeking a gold medal at the […]
March Madness and the Sterilization of Basketball Fans
I was so surprised the first time I saw a commercial on television advertising sterilization. Yes, that’s right. Once a […]
The Paralympics, Past and Present
I probably don’t need to tell you that the 2014 Winter Olympics captured the attention of millions of people in the […]
A Responsibility to Speak Out: The NFL and the Belcher Murder-Suicide
By Ashley Baggett
Gender-based violence plagues our community. Approximately 30% of Americans say they know someone who has been abused by her significant other in the past year. Rather than being a highly visible topic, a shroud of silence seemingly surrounds the issue. Over forty years after the Women’s Liberation Movement, we are still trying to break the silence and raise awareness. We should somehow be closer to ending the violence, but we are not. As a domestic violence survivor, I utilize opportunities to break the silence and speak about my experience. My hope is that I help to spread awareness and generate discussions that will dismantle the stereotypes and assumptions about intimate partner violence (IPV). I have little influence compared to some activists in the fight to end gender-based violence, and I have far less reach than large organizations. Most recently, an enormous group⎯ the National Football League (NFL)⎯ had the responsibility to take a stance against IPV and send a needed message to its huge fan base. And, they did.