By Carley Crain
Her bright rainbow sash was hard to miss as she walked side-by-side with students in the front of the pack. The vibrant display of color worn across her chest was not only a visual representation of Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper’s commitment to equality, but also a sign of how far the College has come in regard to LGBTQIA+ rights on campus.
This year marked the second annual Pride Parade on campus, and Cooper has been at the forefront of each of them.
Springfield College has been home to some of the most prominent members of the LGBTQIA+ community, but for some, their sexual identity was actively suppressed on campus.
Tom Waddell (‘59), a student who excelled in a unique trio of sports, including gymnastics, football and track, was one of the best Springfield College athletes of all time. He qualified for the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games in the decathlon and placed sixth.
A few years later, Waddell came out as gay in a People Magazine, but for most of his life, he closeted his sexuality.
He knew that with his growing platform as an athlete he had a bigger purpose. Waddell started the Gay Games in 1982 with the hopes of celebrating LGBTQIA+ athletes on a global scale. The Gay Games’ mission is to promote equality and inclusivity throughout sport.
Not long after he started the Gay Games, Waddell was diagnosed with AIDs. He died in the summer of 1987 after a two-year battle fighting the disease.
In the fall of that year, Springfield College’s Alumni Magazine featured a remembrance piece in his honor. Both his sexual identity and the Gay Games were left out, however, as the piece simply stated; “He is survived by his wife, Sara Lewinstein, and their daughter, Jessica.”
To some, leaving his gayness out of the article was purposeful.
Two alums, Physical Education professor James Genasci ‘50 and his wife Jean, who graduated in 1955, wrote a letter to the magazine criticizing the College’s actions; “To have Tom’s gayness omitted from the alumni magazine article reflects the omission and silence in our society that perpetuates homophobia, and prevents the Humanics philosophy from achieving full maturity.” The letter was never published.
Three years after his death in 1990, more questionable acts arose surrounding Waddell.
Many thought that Waddell would be one of the first athletes inducted into the Hall of Fame because of both his extraordinary athletic ability and commitment to equality in sports globally. His name was not announced until 1990.
The original plaque located in the Springfield College gymnasium mentions nothing about Waddell starting the Gay Games, but does glorify his athletic achievements, such as being the New England Champion in both “tumbling” and the “flying rings.” It does, however, describe Waddell as a “Catalyst for Greater Understanding and Acceptance of All People.” An additional plaque has been added recently for Waddell’s Athletic Hall of Fame achievement that highlights more of who he was as a person.
For some former students, like Waddell, the closet was their home in college. Phyllis Plotnick ’69, a former three-sport athlete at Springfield College, knew this all too well. Until 1973, homosexuality was classified as a mental illness in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Because of this, homosexuality was condemned and shamed.
When Plotnick was a student at Springfield, she was in a constant state of fear over her sexuality. Being gay felt unsafe at the time. There was essentially no open LGBTQIA+ community on campus.
“Nobody talked about having romantic feelings for another person that was not straight,” said Plotnick. “I had a few boyfriends at Springfield, and that always felt acceptable. I felt like I was a part of the mainstream. It always felt kind of refreshing, in a very superficial way, to be accepted and to belong. It never had any depth to it because it was never who I really was.”
Plotnick felt lonely, like she was stuck in a maze and could not escape.
“At the time people were doing counseling to help someone make changes. I had friends that had electric shock therapy,” Plotnick said.
After graduation, the urge to be involved with the College was not the most appealing, as there was an overwhelming feeling of disconnect. Decades later, Plotnick stumbled upon Tom Waddell’s story after learning about the tragic suicide of Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, an eleven year old boy who was taunted by peers because of his sexuality.
His death motivated Plotnick to reach out to her alma mater, which led her to Waddell. Plotnick wrote a letter to the Springfield College community after his death stating that she wanted to establish an endowment in honor of Tom Waddell.
The funds from the Tom Waddell endowment are given to clubs yearly who promote diversity and sensitivity on and off campus.
When I Spoke on that panel it was the first time I have felt like this is where I belong.
In 2015 -- 45 years after she graduated -- Plotnick returned to campus to speak on a discussion panel as Springfield celebrated Tom Waddell Day. “When I spoke on that panel it was the first time I have felt like this is where I belong,” Plotnick said.
A Student's Perspective
Alden Street now has a completely different landscape. The College recently won the LGBTQIA+ Division III Athletics Department of the Year Award.
“I think that recognition was quite special,” said Marty Dobrow, Professor of Communications at Springfield. “I think it is something we should all be proud of and mindful of the fact that our teams’ names are the Pride, and that Pride is something that is very much associated with the LGBTQIA+ community.”
Junior track athlete Lily Gould was also recently nominated for the NCAA Div. III LGBTQIA+ Student-Athlete of the Year. Being openly gay is more accepted now than it was during Waddell’s or Plotnick’s time on Alden Street.
Former Springfield track athlete and current junior Tyler Olds waited to come out until college, even though he has known that he was gay since he was in sixth grade. The fear that came along with coming out was starting to become destructive for Olds. What if people don’t see me the same? What if my loved ones aren't supportive?
“I am always on edge, looking over my shoulder,” Olds explained. “When the word ‘gay’ would be casually tossed around, I would be like ‘Uh oh’ and I would stress out even though it was never directed toward me in any way. Any chit-chat about the LGBTQIA+ community threw me on edge because I was so afraid of being found out.”
The “what-if’s” were all-consuming. At the end of his freshman year, however, Olds knew he couldn’t hide his sexuality anymore. In order for him to live the life he wanted, he needed to share his secret.
“It was hurting me to not live true to myself. I realized I needed to do it because I wanted to be myself,” Olds said. “It’s not fair that I couldn’t 100 percent be myself.”
Olds’ former Springfield teammate, Will Delaney, came out as gay during his junior year of high school.
After Delaney established himself as a leader on his high school team, he felt more comfortable sharing who he really was. Delaney noted that had he not been in a position of power, coming out may not have been as safe.
As a first-year student at Springfield, he did not share his sexuality openly right away.
“I came out to everyone in college about two days in because I had to feel it out and make sure it was fine to do so,” said Delaney. “I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t get harassed or anything.”
Current Landscape on Campus
Springfield has taken steps to make the LGBTQIA+ community on campus feel safe and heard. Most recently, Springfield was the first college in the entire NCAA to include pronouns on athletic rosters – which was a monumental milestone considering the College’s controversial LGBTQIA+ history.
The Athletics Department also created a video series titled “True Colors,” where student-athletes and staff were invited to share their coming-out stories.
Louise McCleary, the interim Vice President of D-III, applauded Springfield College for its efforts to foster a safe environment for the LGBTQIA+ community.
"The LGBTQ Working Group and all of Division III applaud Springfield's dedication to creating and sustaining an LGBTQ-inclusive athletics department, campus, and community. The athletics department's leadership and demonstrated promotion of LGBTQ inclusion within the Division III membership is appreciated and commendable," said McCleary in an article posted on the Springfield College website.
The creation of an Athlete Ally chapter on campus also proved the college’s commitment to equity. Gould and senior Grace Dzindolet formed Athlete Ally through the Student-Athlete Leadership Team (SALT).
Their research into bringing an LGBTQIA+ athlete speaker to campus led the pair to Athlete Ally, which is a non-profit organization that aims “to end the rampant homophobia and transphobia in sport and to activate the athletic community to exercise their leadership to champion LGBTQIA+ equality.”
The club gives students the opportunity – athletes or not – to gather and talk about their feelings in a trusted environment.
Dzindolet’s and Gould’s shared passion for inclusion sparked a shared lifetime goal – making everyone’s voices feel heard. Athlete Ally does just that.
“I wish there was some way that Tom Waddell could look at the campus now. I know he would be smiling from ear to ear,” said Dobrow.
A special connection was made between Waddell and Dzindolet on April 8 at the seventh annual Sports and Social Justice Symposium– as Dzindolet was given the Tom Waddell Leveling the Playing Field award for her commitment to creating a safe environment for the LGBTQIA+ community on campus.
Waddell paved the way for Dzindolet and other LGBTQIA+ students on campus to not shy away from who they really are.
“I think it is a story of significant progress, but not a mission accomplished story,” said Dobrow.