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Add Bias-Ban to Bylaws

United States Masters Swimming: 'All right, everyone into the pool'

Compiled by GayToday

San Diego, California--The membership of United States Masters Swimming (USMS) has voted to add "sexual orientation" to the Equal Opportunity clause of the USMS Bylaws. The vote took place here September 19 at the U.S. Aquatics Sports Convention.

USMS governs Masters swimming in the United States. Since its birth in 1971, the organization has grown to over 35,000 men and women from age 19 to over 100 and now offers a variety of programs for the swimming enthusiast. There is a Masters swim team in almost every community

American representatives of International Gay & Lesbian Aquatics (IGLA) led the successful effort in coordination with Pacific Masters Swim Association, the northern California affiliate of USMS and chief sponsor of the legislation. IGLA currently has 48 member teams in 13 countries.

IGLA Co-President Kevin Brauer said that the U.S. initiative began after a gay and lesbian team in Brussels, Belgium was initially denied membership in its national aquatics federation on the grounds of sexual orientation earlier this year.

"We received some amazing support," said Jessica Seaton of West Hollywood Aquatics, whose USMS affiliate Southern Pacific Masters Swim Association was a co-sponsor of the legislation. "Both USMS President Nancy Ridout and Parliamentarian Jim Wheeler were instrumental in seeing this issue carried through successfully."

Brussels Starfish, also known as Brussels Gay Sport, was denied membership in the Belgian aquatics organization affiliated with FINA, the international governing body for aquatic sports, for being a gay and lesbian swim team.

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Following months of pressure from outside organizations (including IGLA), some negative publicity, and several meetings between the Brussels team and the Belgian federation, the Starfish were admitted.

IGLA plans to continue advocating equality for gay and lesbian swimmers and teams worldwide over the next several years, including a direct effort with FINA.

Rick Windes, an IGLA/USMS swimmer from the San Francisco Tsunami who coordinated the effort to change the USMS Bylaws, noted that FINA hasn't dealt with this topic before.

Windes said, "FINA's members may not see the need for protections of gay and lesbian teams at this time. However, we are deeply committed to equality for everyone and nobody wants to see a repeat of the incident in Brussels."

Among other things, lack of home country affiliation affects a swimmer's ability to compete in sanctioned swim meets and, in some countries, to get insurance protection.

U.S. Water Polo added "sexual orientation" to its constitution in early 1999, becoming the first U.S. FINA affiliate to do so. The USMS change affects Masters swimmers only, who are a minimum of age 19. Yet to take the step are U.S. FINA affiliates that govern age group swimming, synchronized swimming, and diving.