Volume: | 46 |
---|---|
Issue: | 49 |
Start Page: | A10 |
ISSN: | 00095982 |
Subject Terms: | Colleges & universities Logos Homosexuality College sports |
Companies: | University of Hawaii-ManoaSic:611310 |
Full Text: | |
Copyright Chronicle of Higher Education Aug 11, 2000 |
AFTER MONTHS of planning and research, officials at the University of Hawaii-- Manoa thought the unveiling of the university's new athletics logo would draw cheers from fans and alumni.
The new insignia (above)an "H" in a traditional Hawaiian design was to replace a 77-year-old rainbow logo (right), which had been picked to reflect the rainbows that often appear above the campus. And a new color scheme-green, black, and silver-would give the campus's teams, which had been sporting a variety of colors, a unified look.
But at last month's unveiling, an athletics official gave another reason for the change-the rainbow's association with homosexuality. And the cheers turned to boos.
First, Charlie Wade, an assistant volleyball coach, joked that he had been propositioned by a man because of the old logo. Then Hugh Yoshida, the athletics director, told a reporter that the rainbow logo "really put a stigma on our program" because it's often connected to "the gay community."
The Gay and Lesbian Community Center in Honolulu demanded an apology, for what one local woman called "a slap in the face."
In a printed statement later that week, Mr. Yoshida said he and his colleague were sorry "for any misunderstanding."
Jim Manke, the university's spokesman, said: "The intent of the comment was not derogatory, but simply to illustrate possible confusion over the rainbow symbol." He pointed out that Mr. Wade also mentioned Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition and Jeff Gordon's Rainbow Warriors NASCAR team as sources of confusion.
Although the university's rainbow is fading from sight, it may remain in spirit and in name. Team coaches will decide whether to keep the rainbow reference in their team nicknames, even though they'll no longer use the logo. While many coaches are pondering, the men's basketball team, for one, will play on as the Rainbow Warriors. Said Mr. Manke: "I think that the teams for some time will still be referred to as the 'bows or the Rainbows."