Time for some "cross-blogging" with Pat Griffin. (and apologies for it being .2 days late)

"One of the enduring issues in women’s sports, at both the professional and collegiate levels, is the reluctance to acknowledge lesbian fans," says Pat. After a thoughtful overview, she gets to the cool news:

As far as women’s collegiate sports go, few schools make any serious attempts to attract or capitalize on support from the local lesbian and gay community. That is why the University of California women’s basketball game vs. the University of Arizona on February 16 is a real landmark.

UC-Berkeley has declared this game “GLBT Pride Day” and, on their publicity poster for the day, they invite LGBT fans to “get loud and be proud.” The poster goes on to invite everyone to “join Cal Women’s Basketball in celebrating the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community and embracing our diversity.” The poster, complete with rainbow flags, is posted on the UC-Berkeley athletics ticket page on the Athletic Department web page. The event is also advertised in the Bay Area Reporter, the local LGBT newspaper.

Is this, Pat asks, a first in women's collegiate sports? She also encourages fans to show their support through phone calls and emails.

Here, I'll make it easy:

Administration (510-642-0580 )
Sandy Barbour, Director of Athletics, athletic.director@berkeley.edu
Teresa Keuhn-Gould, Deputy Dir. of Ath, Sr Women's Admin., tkuehn@berkeley.edu

Marketing & Promotions (510-642-2444)
Matt Terwilliger, Assistant AD / Business & Revenue Development, mterwill@berkeley.edu

Women's Basketball (510-642-9448)
Joanne Boyle, Head Coach, jboyle@berkeley.edu