Locker room color seems frivolous

By Dave Seavy

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Jill Gaulding attended the Iowa Governor's Conference on LGBTQ Youth, and announced that Kinnick Stadium could be hauled into court for its selection of color for the visiting sports team's locker room.

It's a relief to know that we now have another potential issue over which to file suit against a public institution.

I was concerned we'd run out of things for which to run to a judge.

According to Gaulding and her Minnesota association that apparently has the latest America's list of all things offensive, the color pink sends a message that anyone who comes in contact with it is a sissy/girl/woman/effeminate. That's quite a charge.

Until I read that statement, I had no idea I should believe my manhood is at stake if I ever walk into the locker room.

I appreciate the clarification.

Of course, I won't have occasion to be in the room, so I won't feel the threat. Imagine my relief.

First, opposing teams are guests of the university. As such, their legal standing to challenge the color of the locker room seems thin at best. Had the brass at the UI elected to write homophobic slurs on top of the pink paint job, I could see good reason for an uproar.

But they didn't. They simply painted the room. Judging by the accompanying photo in last Thursday's Gazette story, the room looks rather cozy.

Second, there is merit to the claim that pink can have a calming effect on humans. Many jails and prisons use Baker-Miller Pink as way to get out-of-control inmates to settle down and work with their captors. I doubt they'd select the color if it really meant what Gaulding says it does.

I don't believe jail officials want to convey to a 300-pound violent offender that he's a sissy. The outcome wouldn't be positive.

We as a society must stop dreaming up reasons to be legally miffed.

With the economy in the tank, mass-shootings and all the other issues we're facing at the moment, the color of a locker room seems insignificant.

If pink does end up in litigation, I'll have no choice but to find the color blue in any female locker room and convince the occupants they need to be offended. I wouldn't want them to think they're subliminally being told they're manly.

Equal opportunity at its finest!

Dave Seavy, a Cedar Rapids native, is a freelance writer and author who resides in Rochester Minn. Comments: daveseavy@gmail.com