2023 coaching changes and athlete transfer portal

[Bob]

However, I imagine it must not feel too great that some of your teammates do not support you or your community.

See this IMHO is the issue of the offended generation. The assumption that by not wearing a hair ribbon you are not supportive. You can be supportive of issues and beliefs without wearing a public message . You could for instance, stand up for a friend when a comment is made, donate to a related cause, vote for an issue in a ballot, teach your children acceptance and tolerance, correct someone using offensive language etc etc. None of these things require wearing a special hair ribbon in your hair. I would go further and say that all those things have better and lasting deep rooted improvements for a community than a hair ribbon.

Assuming that because someone will not do the thing you want means they do not support a cause is frankly immature. By all means wear the ribbon if you wish, if not no worries. There are many ways of support.

If someone is taking part in a pride meet they are showing support aren’t they? Why does the hair ribbon matter so much.

 

[GLeigh]

If these same people were supportive in a meaningful way, I doubt this would’ve become an issue. As everyone has said, a hair ribbon is a small, generally insignificant thing, but if someone is refusing to do such a small action, I find it unlikely that they would be willing to do the more meaningful ones that were listed. Taking part in a pride meet that affects individual and team NQS seems less to me like a show of support and more like an act of self-interest, especially as that would’ve gotten a considerably larger amount of negative attention.

Also, while ribbons may seem like too small of a thing to bother with, it is also something tangible and public. It’s something that’s easier to point out than having to describe times when people would make snide comments or act weird when she mentioned her girlfriend, if things like that have been happening.

 

[MaryClare]

It’s not “easier to point out”, it trivialises what is potentially a genuine issue. If her team mates were in fact make snide comments or acting weird if she mentioned her girlfriend then I think most people would sympathise with her situation and take it very seriously. Indeed it would warrant being officially reported.

 

[GLeigh]

In an ideal world, for sure. I don’t have in-depth knowledge of how good the University of Arizona is at handling these types of situations, but micro-aggressions are generally very context-dependent. If we look at what happened at UCLA, even this forum was speculating the Frazier and Flatley were potentially the real bullies and that everything had been misconstrued. Obviously, the public had limited information in that situation and the school wouldn’t, but the way UCLA/Waller handled that situation left a lot to be desired. These situations are generally complicated, because they are based around intangibles as you can’t make a decision solely off of someone feeling hurt (perhaps by reading into something too much) or solely off of someone’s intentions, as someone can do something inappropriate and harmful without meaning to.

I obviously can’t know what actually happened, but I could see why describing it as something more concrete could seem safer even if it unfortunately trivializes it. It is completely possible teammates said they weren’t comfortable making a public show of support due to family pressures or other reasons, but that they supported her behind the scenes, and perhaps she felt that wasn’t enough. However, that situation would surprise me more than the ribbons representing something deeper.

 

[irichluck21]

If someone is taking part in a pride meet they are showing support aren’t they? Why does the hair ribbon matter so much.

Actions speak louder than words.

You cannot claim to be supportive of the person and the community in general but then your actions are opposite. Your actions are what matter not your words.

 

[MaryClare]

I wasn’t aware it was compulsory to be supportive of someone? Not supporting does not mean discrimination

 

[irichluck21]

I wasn’t aware it was compulsory to be supportive of someone? Not supporting does not mean discrimination

No one said discrimination. Now you are just imagining things.

 

[MaryClare]

I’m not imagining anything. You’re the one who is trying to make a link between not wearing a ribbon in your hair and unacceptable behaviour. I’ve said exactly the opposite, that if hair ribbons are her issue, it doesn’t seem like she had any genuine cause of complaint

 

[irichluck21]

I’m not imagining anything. You’re the one who is trying to make a link between not wearing a ribbon in your hair and unacceptable behaviour. I’ve said exactly the opposite, that if hair ribbons are her issue, it doesn’t seem like she had any genuine cause of complaint

This is twisting everything to suit your narrative, as is aways the case when Mary Clare feels the need to debate.

It is NOT about hair ribbons, if you can’t see that, you can’t be helped. You are fixated on the hair ribbons.

You are talking about “discrimination” and “unacceptable behavior”.
None of that was ever mentioned.

Of course, there is nothing first hand from Linton, just what was shared on Reddit. She has the right to feel like her teammates are not supportive because they refused to wear a ribbon during pride meet. Just like the teammates have a right to refuse to wear the ribbon.

Either way, she has chosen to use the transfer portal and take her 5th year elsewhere.

 

[irichluck21]

It is not about the ribbon, it is about what the ribbon stands for.

Specific gymnasts wore hair ribbons representing other causes at other meets, but refused to for the Pride meet.

That is what it comes down to and that is where the feelings of not being supportive stem from.

 

[MaryClare]

This is twisting everything to suit your narrative, as is aways the case when Mary Clare feels the need to debate.

This is completely unwarranted and inappropriate. Especially from a moderator. It is very disappointing that in 2023, the Gymternet can still be just as toxic and misogynistic as it was 20 years ago.

 

[irichluck21]

This is completely unwarranted and inappropriate. Especially from a moderator. It is very disappointing that in 2023, the Gymternet can still be just as toxic and misogynistic as it was 20 years ago.

I’m sorry but you were the one adding in “discrimination” and “unacceptable behavior” when it was never mentioned, these are “buzz words” that suit your narrative and goad people into arguing.

 

[MaryClare]

Make up your mind. I can’t be both adding things that were never mentioned whilst being unable to understand that it’s not just about ribbons.

Either it is just about trying to control others, or it’s part of a much bigger issue that likely does involve bullying or discrimination.

 

[irichluck21]

Either it is just about trying to control others, or it’s part of a much bigger issue that likely does involve bullying or discrimination.

This is my final comment on this, because I love you, but you do love to troll others.

It is not about “controlling others”, “discrimination”, “bullying”, “unacceptable behavior” or any of that.
You are adding all of this in.

It is one person on a gymnastics team who didn’t feel like some teammates were supportive of her or her community, when they refused to wear a rainbow ribbon for Pride meet. She wasn’t trying to “force” anyone to do anything they didn’t want to do. She has a right to feel like her teammates aren’t supported when they chose not to wear the ribbons like the rest of the team for the Pride meet. The same teammates took part in wearing the colored ribbons for other meets that the team dedicated the meet to.

So they had no issue wearing pink for breast cancer awareness, but when it came to a Pride meet they refused to wear the ribbon. So it isn’t about the actual ribbon, but the cause it represents.

I am not saying those three gymnasts should be forced to wear the ribbon, but if Linton felt like her teammates didn’t support her or the community that the cause represented, that is her opinion.

 

[xxParkerxx]

Being a part of the LGBTQ+ community, I do not have an issue with people not wearing hair ribbons. I mean, being at the meet alone shows support. However, I recognize that everyone has the right to feel certain ways.

 

[Sasha]

I mean, being at the meet alone shows support.

Being at the meet is obligatory for the gymnasts, not a show of support.

When an athlete chooses not to wear something that provided by the team and specifically meant to show support for a certain group, that says something about their feelings or attitude towards said group. Either that or the gymnast in question finds rainbows to be particularly unflattering, but that seems wildly unlikely.

 

[xxParkerxx]

Or the gymnast isn’t comfortable with hair ribbons. The gymnast could come from a conservative family, where the family would be extremely angry at the gymnast. I’m simply trying to play devil’s advocate here - NOT saying that I by any means agree with what occurred.

 

[irichluck21]

Or the gymnast isn’t comfortable with hair ribbons.

The gymnasts that refused to wear the pride rainbow ribbons have worn other ribbons at other meets.

 

[cuuf]

Geez, its not like she was there for one year and got offended and left. Damn the girl was there for 4 years, put up with it, did her job, and now with a 5th year option is saying thanks, I am going to try something different for my last year that maybe I am more comfortable with. Some of you need to look in the mirror about being sensitive and offended.

 

[RedBirdie]

Can we get back on track and discuss coaching changes and athlete transfers, please?