30 years of LGBTQ+ history in Penn State Athletics through Collegian reporting

Penn State is one of the most historic sporting institutions in the country. Its athletics program has produced gold-medal winning Olympians, star NFL players, six Dan Hodge Trophy winners on the mat and dozens of LGBTQ+ athletes who, while charting impressive athletic careers, doubled as activists for equality at Penn State and across the nation.

Take a look at some of the most pivotal moments for LGBTQ+ athletes in Penn State history.

March 1991:

In the late 1990s, Rene Portland, Penn State women’s basketball’s winningest coach of all time, emerged as a polarizing figure. In the midst of her 11th season, she became the figurehead of one of the campus’s first Pride-related debates.

In a Philadelphia Inquirer profile, Portland claimed she didn’t allow players who identified as lesbians on her team. At the time, the Collegian spoke with the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Student Alliance (LGBSA), who said this illustrated “the need for a sexual orientation clause,” to protect the rights of queer athletes.

Shortly after the article's publication, more than 50 students gathered outside Rec Hall to protest Portland’s alleged anti-LBGTQ+ biases.

“It's evident that not only do the students need to be educated on homosexuality but, embarrassingly enough, so does the faculty," said protester Angela Mikula, then-co-director of the USG Department of Women's Concerns.

Penn State’s athletic department eventually announced it would conduct a formal investigation of Portland’s alleged anti-LGBTQ+ stance. That investigation unearthed a 1986 Chicago Sun-Times article which detailed similar anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments from Portland.

"I think that any of us who have been here recognize that there is a long way to go in the whole realm of tolerance," associate athletic director Ellen Perry said. "In Intercollegiate Athletics, as the rest of us, we are just trying to find ways in which we can effectively educate and deal with these issues."

During the investigations, athletic director Jim Tarman released a comment, leading many to believe that action wouldn’t be taken against Portland.

"There is no University or athletic department policy which precludes or otherwise discriminates against the participation of student-athletes on the basis of sexual orientation,” Tarman said. “We have complied and will continue to comply with the University's policies of non-discrimination."

The LGBSA continued to protest the administration’s inaction and advocated for the addition of a sexual orientation clause to anti-discrimination policies.

“I think we'll just have to keep on doing this until we get what we deserve," LGBSA social/educational co-director Jeff Kemp said. "So that might mean a very busy week or two weeks – whatever it takes.

Amid ongoing protests, Lt. Gov. Mark Single met with students and expressed support for the addition of a sexual orientation clause. Joab Thomas, university president, said he would propose the idea at the next Board of Trustees’ meeting.

April 1991:

In early April, the Collegian published an article authored by two anonymous student-athletes, detailing the challenges queer athletes face.

“We are two lesbian student-athletes representing separate Penn State Athletic teams. We feel forced to conceal our identity as lesbian athletes due to the possible repercussions which may accompany revealing our sexual orientation. We also feel that there are many other gay men and lesbian athletes who, like us, are closeted in fear of discrimination. In our case, losing the opportunity to continue our education at Penn State.”

Collegian archives report LGBSA continued to spearhead the fight to add a LGBTQ+ non- discrimination clause and for the university to fire Portland.

Summer 1991:

In June the Board of Trustees voted to add a sexual orientation clause to the university’s list of protected categories.

“The Pennsylvania State University does not discriminate against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.”

The clause received widespread support from athletes and coaches alike.

“The new policy makes it much easier to look into these complaints. Before there was nothing that gave the affirmative action office the authority for investigating a complaint of discrimination based on sexual orientation," Bonnie Ortiz, director of the office of Affirmative Action, said.

Importantly, Ortiz said the policy is not retroactive, a crucial caveat in the case of Portland.

1992:

Despite the clause’s addition, there was still no action from the university on Portland’s allegations. This boiled over when members of Temple’s Gay Student Union decided to protest Portland when the Lady Lions played the Owls.

"We're protesting because she's taking the easy way out. She just bans everyone and we're supposed to accept it," Julie Davids, a Temple alumna, said. “That statement is ridiculous. It's a slap in the face.”

Protests continued at away women’s basketball games, notably Rutgers students wore purple shirts in support of queer athletes when the Lady Lions faced them.

1996

In 1996 Sue Rankin, one of Penn State’s longest-serving allies, departed her post for new ventures. Rankin coached Penn State softball for 16 years, during which she was one of the first openly lesbian DI coaches and led the program to numerous successes.

"I coached for about 16 years," Rankin said. "And during that time I think the program was successful. At the same time I was involved in promoting diversity.”

Rankin took a new role in the administration as a senior diversity planning analyst in the Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity, focused on LGBTQ+ issues at Penn State. Rankin later revealed in an op-ed that her decision to leave stemmed from pressure from the athletic department to cease her activism.

Although Penn State lost Rankin, students and faculty continued to advocate for queer athletes.

In November 1996, the Coalition of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Graduate Students organized again wearing t-shirts at a women’s basketball game supporting LGBTQ+ athletes.

1997:

T-shirt displays continued at women’s basketball games. Portland, however, claimed not to see the show of support for LGBTQ+ athletes.

"I have enough problems coaching my kids on the court," Portland said. “Anytime I look up, it's to see my mother."

Portland continued to express no formal support from Portland for LGBTQ+ athletes. In March, the Collegian reported Julie Jarosz, a women’s basketball center, left the team for personal reasons. Jarosz's father claimed it was due to abusive leadership from Portland, reenergizing the old scandal and foreshadowing more issues to come.

Rankin held a group discussion to help gain awareness, support and propose potential changes at Penn State to help boost support for queer athletes. The discussion focused on readings of anonymous statements from Penn State athletes on LGBTQ+ relations on campus.

"You're at a game and you've got all these other people, you know, not wanting to room with you or eat with you," Rankin read from an anonymous athlete's statement. "I wouldn't say the gay issue was the biggest problem our team had, but I think it lost games for us."

With help from the National Center for Lesbian Rights, former Penn State women’s basketball player Jen Harris sent a letter to then-university President Graham Spanier claiming coach Portland discriminates against players she believes to be lesbian.

Harris claimed Portland made routine comments on her sexuality and pressured her to change the way she dressed.

"The climate in Penn State intercollegiate athletics is representative of systematic homophobia and heterosexism experienced by university community members on a daily basis," a statement by the campus queer community said, at the time.

The next day, the administration officially reviewed Harris's claims of bias, and the former Lady Lion continued to detail the mistreatment at the hands of Portland.

“(Portland) wanted me to change," Harris said. "She said my appearance came off, I guess, as being a lesbian. She didn't use those words exactly, but she kind of implied it."

In October, legal representatives for Harris and Penn State met, and Portland officially gave its reason for her release of the player. The coach claimed inadequate academic standing and improper conduct and denied anti-discrimination claims.

“It is unfortunate that she has chosen to attack me for her lack of success at Penn State," Portland said. "However, her lack of success had everything to do with her lack of commitment to basketball."

Those comments only further exacerbated matters, as Harris threatened to sue Portland the following day for defamation.

"Our original intent was to work with and cooperate with the university and assist them in their investigation," Karen Doering, Harris’ lawyer, said. "However, now that the university has put out statements making false and defamatory remarks about our client, we can no longer sit back and wait to begin the legal process that will enable us to produce evidence to prove that the allegations Jen Harris made are true."

Doering threatened a suit if the comments from Portland were not retracted. The renewed scandal in Portland led to more protests. The NCLR eventually moved forward with its lawsuit, after the administration claimed Harris’ side had not submitted sufficient evidence of Portland’s biases and that it couldn't investigate the matter without it.

Tension relating to the Portland scandal and support of LGBTQ+ athletes was at an all-time high. Nearly 70 protestors gathered outside Old Main to call for the firing of the coach, with a group of advocates even entering the building to chant their support.

The Office of Affirmative Action officially began an investigation of Portland and offered an update that same day, but no concrete action had yet begun.

2006:

In January, Portland had her first public appearance and refused to comment. Toward the end of the month, Portland and Penn State’s legal teams began filing motions to dismiss the suit and the coach again began to see protesters at away games, this time in Minnesota.

Earlier that same season, an estimated 500 protesters gathered at Michigan State against the coach’s practices.

By mid February, both sides had filed their claims in court and the case continued. At the end of the month protestors gathered for the last home game of the season and draped rainbow flags over sections of bleachers.

In April, the university completed its internal investigation and found Portland violated the university's non-discrimination policies. She would return to coach the Lady Lions; her punishment would be a $10,000 fine and a warning that if she were in violation again, she would be fired.

2007:

Portland continued to face public pressure, and in February 2007, the Collegian reported she and Harris reached a confidential settlement on the discrimination case.

“This has been a really important case, and this has had an impact on coaches and universities across the country," said Doering. "This case has generated an unprecedented public dialogue."

In the same year former Penn State basketball player John Amaechi detailed his coming-out in his 2007 book “Man in the Middle.” The center spent two seasons with the blue and white before five seasons in the NBA, and with his announcement, he was the first openly gay professional basketball player.

“Having the courage to say ‘I am gay,’ you can't get somebody better to stand in front of the camera and talk about it," ESPN books editor Chris Raymond said. "Now people have to have an enlightened discussion about [homosexuality in athletics]."

In an interview with the Collegian, Amaechi opened up on how his identity shouldn’t be defined by those two mere aspects.

"My definition is not wrapped by, such as my being is not wrapped up, in how I put a ball in a hole," Amaechi said. "It's also not wrapped in being a gay person. It's just a part of it."

In March 2007, the Collegian reported Portland officially resigned as head coach of the women’s basketball team two years before her contract expired with no exact explanation.

Her 27-year tenure at the helm ended with the most wins in program history.

Under the resignation article, the Collegian ran a piece on activist responses on the move; despite no legal ramifications for the alleged discrimination, it would be forever tied to her legacy.

“For nearly three decades, Coach Portland has had a documented history of discrimination and prejudice toward [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered] athletes. Her resignation is just one of many steps that needs to occur at Penn State to improve campus climate issues both within and outside the athletic department," a statement released by SpeakOut read.

2019:

In 2019, the Collegian profiled Penn State alum Lee Cary. Cary got the distinct honor of leading the 76ers delegation in Philadelphia’s 31st Pride parade.

“I didn’t start coming out to friends or even talk about being gay until the final semester of my senior year at Penn State, so I was pretty blind to the resources and groups that were on-campus,” Cary said. “I spent a lot of time trying to be someone who I wasn’t. I internalized quite a lot of pain before I came out, hoping one day I would be different.”

2021:

Carl Nassib, a former Penn State football defensive end who played from 2013 to 2015 in Happy Valley and delivered one of the program's best defensive lineman seasons — including setting the single-season sack record with 15.5 in his final year — became the first active professional football player to publicly disclose that he is part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Nassib had just closed out his sixth season at the time of his announcement, and additionally, donated $100,000 to the Trevor Project, an advocacy group.

"Just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I'm gay," Nassib said in a video on his Instagram account. "I've been meaning to do this for a while now, but I finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest."

Since his announcement, the West Chester, Pennsylvania, native has continued to fight for better awareness and support for LGBTQ+ athletes. Nassib’s main venture now is his app Rayze, founded in 2020 for activists.

“A mobile first platform powering individual activism, nonprofit fundraising & corporate giving,” the app’s site reads. “We’re connecting donors, individuals, businesses and nonprofits, creating one platform for fundraising, corporate giving, campaign management, and volunteer recruitment.”