Gender Discrimination In Sports

Women re-enact Civil War as men, quite accurately

BALTIMORE (AP) — Hoop skirts and washboards don't appeal much to Joyce Henry, so she found another way to relive the Civil War — as a man.

With her breasts tightly bound, shoulder-length red hair tucked under a shaggy auburn wig and upper lip hidden by a drooping mustache, Henry impersonates Lt. Harry T. Buford, a real-life Confederate soldier.

The impression could hardly be more accurate since Buford, too, was a woman. He was invented by Loreta Janeta Velazquez, a Cuban-born woman from New Orleans who fought as a man in a series of Civil War battles including the First Battle of Bull Run, according to her autobiography.

Researchers have documented more than 200 such cases. And today, a small number of women follow suit by donning blue and gray uniforms as Civil War re-enactors.

A century and a half ago, women weren't allowed into military service; masquerading as men was the only way in for those who weren't satisfied with supporting the war effort from home or following their husbands' military units around. As the country marks the 150th anniversary of the War Between the States, some female re-enactors still cling to secrecy — not just for historical accuracy but because uniformed women aren't always welcome in the male-dominated hobby.

Some of these women are easily spotted by their lack of attention to detail. Others go to great lengths and expense to avoid detection. Henry, of Williamsburg, Va., said she even got an FBI expert to teach her to apply facial hair.

"My goal has always been to be as authentic as possible," said Henry, a former Petersburg National Battlefield ranger who is now head coachman at Colonial Williamsburg. She said she has spent nearly $3,500 on her Civil War outfit and gear, including an $850, custom-tailored, gray wool frock coat.

But just having the right accouterments isn't enough. To pass muster as a man, the normally exuberant Henry says she "flatlines" herself: "You have to alter your mannerisms, the way you speak, the way you use your hands, the way you walk, the way you use your facial expressions."

Even then, getting in may not be easy.

Audrey Scanlan-Teller, a re-enactor in the Washington area, was initially denied a role in this year's 150th anniversary commemoration of the Confederate bombardment of Fort Sumter, S.C., because of her gender. She successfully appealed to the National Park Service, citing a 1993 federal court ruling barring gender discrimination at park service events.

Leading women allege sex discrimination in ... - Women Talk Sports

Stacey Allaster, the head of the WTA, had given the story legs by backing her up: "Serena Williams is a four-times Wimbledon singles champion, the defending champion of Wimbledon, and a 13-times grand slam singles champion. I share her disappointment."

Even Andy Roddick said the players were "all pretty surprised" when they saw Williams had been scheduled on Court 2. "Certainly if anybody deserves to play anywhere, the two Williams sisters do." Wozniacki put it down to a "tradition" that was "hard to change", calling on the All England Club to change the 2:1 ratio of men's matches to women's on Centre Court.

Essentials of Sports Law

Ethics in sport

Discrimination in American Sports

Values in sport, elitism, nationalism, gender equality, and the scientific manufacturing of winners

The Law of Sex Discrimination