Professor Says Pink Locker Room Promotes Homophobia

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[Hawkeye Boss]

Professor Says Pink Locker Room Promotes Sexism, Homophobia U Of I Professor Challenges Iowa's Compliance With NCAA

POSTED: 10:44 am CDT September 23, 2005 UPDATED: 11:05 am CDT September 23, 2005

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- A University of Iowa law professor said the school is promoting homophobia and will challenge whether Iowa is violating NCAA rules by painting a visitors' locker room pink.

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Discuss: Iowa Sports

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Erin Buzuvis moved to Iowa from Boston in the fall and discovered the visiting team's locker room at Kinnick Stadium was pink -- something she said promotes sexism and homophobia.

But officials with the school's sports department said they won't change the pink walls, which is a long-time facet in Kinnick Stadium.

The color was introduced decades ago by former Hawkeye coach Hayden Fry to soften opponents. But recent stadium renovations added more pink items to the locker room, including lockers, sinks and urinals.

Buzuvis plans to speak with a school committee compiling a report on Iowa's compliance with NCAA regulations.

The report is conducted every five years and does not yet address the pink locker room

[FreedomCalls]

Nothing says feminine like a pink urinal.

How about the Rolling Stones' logo urinal?

[hobbes1]

Curious....But..

How is it sexist? How is it homophobic? Pink is the color strongly associated with girls and effeminate men. In this context, putting your opponent in a pink locker room is saying "you are weak like a girl" or "you are weak like a gay man." The pink locker room is a subtle way of painting the words "sissy" "girlie man" and "f*agg*t" on the walls. This belittles women and gay men by insisting they are weak, subservient, powerless, nondominant, and generally of lower status than men.

Now who is it making the jumo from Girls and effeminate men, to Sissy, and Faggot ?

I think the Professor should be censured for using such IN P.C. language.

[Fierce Allegiance]

This prof increases my homonausea - sick of listening to the sick freak fags whine they aren't getting fair treatment because of their mental disorder.

[ClearCase_guy]

Her reaction says a lot about her.

The color of paint says very little about the school.

[ryan71]

"Erin Buzuvis moved to Iowa from Boston"

Put her sorry ass on a Greyhound back to Boston.

I can't stand it when someone moves from one state to another and all you hear is "things were better in Boston, New York, New Jersey, Chicago, etc."

Sarasota, FL

[forYourChildrenVote4Bush]

How about a Michael Moore face type urinal...

Although it would only be one urinal per floor...

[TheCause]

That locker room won't make a damn bit of difference this weekend.

Iowa plays at Ohio State...........

And the Buckeyes are going to put to board to the Suckeyes.

Drive, drive on down the field men of Scarlet and Grey.....

[saveliberty]

Only pink blouses with sensible pantsuits. LOL!

PJ O'Rourke made great fun of her comments about sensible clothing. :D

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Hawks are going to the Rose Bowl. Hadn't you heard ?

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

How can a color promote anything?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

It can't. But color will influence the mood.

[cinives]

The Pepto Bismol color promotes homophobia ? Who knew ?

[JimmyMc]

Just a suggestion for your tag - it's judgment.

[Millee]

Welcome to FR! :-)

[Myrddin]

A number of years ago someone conducted research that determined that there is a certain shade of pink that affects the brain and makes men less aggressive and violent. Prisons started to use it in attempt to cut down on violence. Putting it in the opposing teams locker room is probably an attempt to do the same to the opposing team.

I watched a demonstration of that principle on the local news in San Diego. They used a big, strapping San Diego cop. He was given a large weight to lift. He did it with a big smile and total ease. Next, they made him look at a large card with the test shade of pink. He couldn't lift the weight. Some autonomic nervous system response caused an involuntary loss of physical strength.

[trad_anglican]

Putting it in the opposing teams locker room is probably an attempt to do the same to the opposing team.

That's exactly why Coach Fry, who had a PhD in Psychology, had the room painted pink. It was not a statement on the sexual persuasion of the opposing team members.

Obviously, the U of I has not given this new professor enough work to do.

[mozrock]

Just a suggestion for your tag - it's judgment.

Actually, either are acceptable. I work at a publishing company and we did a book with the word in the title...we had much debate over this! =)

[gridlock]

Nothing says feminine like a pink urinal.

I imagine a pink urinal is not a stock item. They must have had to put in a special order...