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Full-Text Articles in Law
(E)Racing Jennifer Harris: Sexuality And Race, Law And Discourse In Harris V. Portland, Kristine E. Newhall, Erin E. Buzuvis
(E)Racing Jennifer Harris: Sexuality And Race, Law And Discourse In Harris V. Portland, Kristine E. Newhall, Erin E. Buzuvis
Faculty Scholarship
In 2007 Penn State basketball coach Rene Portland retired shortly after a confidential settlement ended a discrimination lawsuit brought by former player Jennifer Harris against Portland and Penn State. Because of Portland's infamous policy of not allowing lesbians on her team, her departure was celebrated as a victory against homophobia in sports. Yet although Harris's claims of sexual orientation discrimination were validated in the media, her allegations of racial discrimination were ignored or dismissed as implausible. In this Article, the authors examine the omission of race from the discourse surrounding this case and suggest that both legal and cultural factors …
Transforming The Debate: Why We Need To Include Transgender Rights In The Struggles For Sex And Sexual Orientation Equality, Taylor Flynn
Transforming The Debate: Why We Need To Include Transgender Rights In The Struggles For Sex And Sexual Orientation Equality, Taylor Flynn
Faculty Scholarship
The Author observes that sex and sexual orientation equality jurisprudence is premised upon the traditional understanding of "sex" as determined by anatomy at birth. The presumption typically following from this reduction of sex to anatomy is the notion that certain gendered attributes are inherent in biological male- or femaleness. The Author asserts that these erroneous and unduly narrow views significantly hamper courts' ability to address the core of sex and sexual orientation discrimination-hostility based on failure to conform to conventional gender norms. Surveying workplace, public accommodation, asylum, marriage, and custody cases, Flynn explains how conventional jurisprudence fails a wide array …