DC Strokes Calls for Masters National Championships Boycott
June 2, 2022
USRowing
252 Nassau Street
Princeton, NJ 08542
To the USRowing Board:
On behalf of DC Strokes Rowing Club (DCSRC)—the nation’s oldest rowing club for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) people and their allies—we write to protest USRowing’s decision to hold its Masters National Championships in Sarasota, Florida, in August 2022. In reaction to USRowing’s troubling decision, we have hereby voted to boycott this year’s event and subsequent Florida-based events, as long as the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law remains in effect.
DCSRC was founded in Washington, DC, in 1991, during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis and in direct response to the discrimination many members faced as a result of participation in other regional rowing clubs as “out” LGBTQ+ people. DCSRC’s early rowers were asked whether they were spreading AIDS into the Potomac River.
Over the years, discrimination within the sport of rowing in general, and at USRowing events in paritcular, has persisted. Most recently, at the 2019 Masters National Championships in Grand Rapids, Michigan, members of DCSRC were called “faggots” and “sissies” by members of a well-known club in New England. There remains a clear need within the sport for spaces that protect and encourage the participation of LGBTQ+ persons.
For as long as they have been in the public eye, LGBTQ+ people have been portrayed by bigots as pedophiles and threats to children and their families, all while research indicates these portrayals are highly associated with anti-LGBTQ+ violence and murder. Recent decisions by Florida’s government have made it clear that that trend continues to be an animating feature of the state’s leadership—even at great risk to LGBTQ+ lives.
In early 2022, Florida’s government passed its “Don’t Say Gay” law, encouraging parents to report “inappropriate” classroom activity. This includes, but is not limited to, the mention of a child’s LGBTQ+ parent(s). In March, the governor’s spokesperson said that those opposed to the law support “groomers” and are probably “groomers” themselves—those who commit or foster pedophilia.
While this harmful bill was working its way through Florida’s legislature and receiving significant national press coverage as well as wide criticism from the Human Rights Campaign, the Trevor Project, and other pro-LGBTQ+ organizations, USRowing was nonetheless negotiating the contract for the 2022 Masters National Championships. Its March 31, 2022, statement on failed negotiations with Oakland, California, indicates that cost was the deciding factor for choosing Florida as its 2022 venue. Compounding this problem, Florida law permits hotels and restaurants to deny services to LGBTQ+ persons, posing a direct risk to rowers from clubs all while asking USRowing members to provide revenue to a state advancing anti-LGBTQ+ policies that undermine the rights and humanity of so many of our rowers around the country.
While USRowing has taken rhetorical steps in recent years to support and encourage the acceptance of LGBTQ+ rowers with published statements, online forums, and social media, its conscious decision to hold 2022’s Masters National Championships in Florida shows that the organization is more interested in protecting its bottom line than the health, safety, and well-being of its LGBTQ+ rowers.
We will not participate in USRowing’s 2022 Masters National Championships, and we will encourage other rowing clubs to consider a similar boycott so long as Florida’s current laws are in place. Further, we call on USRowing to enact the following concrete actions:
Change its venue for 2022 (and beyond) to ensure the selection of a location with protections for the basic human and civil rights of all its members;
Develop and promulgate a venue and vendor policy that enforces its rhetorical commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion—so that USRowing can hold vendors accountable and so that its members we can hold the organization accountable;
Develop a more transparent process for venue selection in the hopes that USRowing’s members are not forced to choose between competing in a sport and protecting their health, safety, and human rights.
We understand that doing the right thing can be hard and costly, but that is how USRowing’s mettle and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion will be shown—if it is willing to do what is right to protect and support its members. Without cost, there is no courage; we hope to see USRowing behave with as much courage and commitment as its previous words promise.
Sincerely,
DC Strokes Rowing Club
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Are you interested in signing on in support of this letter and boycott? Email president@dcstrokes.org.
If you are an individual, include your name and club affiliation, if any (individuals are not assumed to represent their clubs); if you are a rowing club or organization, include your entity's name.
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Other Signatories
Clubs and Organizations
Burnham Boat Slings
Carnegie Lake Rowing Association
Chicago Rowing Union
Chirojoe, LLC
DEI Committee of Riverside Boat Club
East Bay Rowing Club
Friends of Sharks Crew
Greater Columbus Rowing Association DEI Committee
hybrED Fitness LLC
North Shore Maritime Center
Pacific University Rowing Team
Richmond Community Rowing
Ride Backwards
RowSource
Station L Rowing Club
Steady State Network
Tacoma Rowing
TopRow (All Locations)
Individuals
Kit Aaboe (ZLAC Rowing Club)
Mel Abler (TopRow NYC)
Shannon Ames (Riverside Boat Club)
Jerry Arnold
WT Arnold
Gary Ashley (River City Rowing Club)
Loretta Attardo (WeCanRow—Boston)
Elizabeth Avery (Cambridge Boat Club)
Simone Azure (Chicago Rowing Union)
J. Baker
Jessica Baker (Undine Barge Club)
Lauren Baker
Cristina Battani (Marin Rowing Association)
Grace Beery (Boston University Women’s Lightweight Rowing)
Moushumi Beltangady (Capital Rowing Club)
Tyler Bergmeier (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Chuck Bianchi (Sweeps & Sculls Rowing)
Kellie Bianchi (Sweeps & Sculls Rowing)
Mark Bianchi (Sweeps & Sculls Rowing)
Justin Boatner (Athletes Without Limits)
Maggie Bodkin (WeCanRow—Boston)
Estel Boix Noguer (River City Rowing Club)
Erin Bonney (Community Rowing Inc.)
Caro-Gray Bosca (Riverside Boat Club)
Laura Bottger (Bainbridge Island Rowing)
Kate Boyd (Marin Rowing Association)
James Braeu (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
Susan C. Brighton (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Barbara Brocker (Capital Rowing Club)
Ann Broderick (Toledo Rowing Club)
Michael Brown (Capital Rowing Club)
Leslie Brunetta (WeCanRow—Boston)
Anne Buckingham (Cambridge Boat Club)
Nick Buffinger (Riverside Boat Club)
Alden Bumstead (Narragansett Boat Club)
Miranda Bureau
Emily Burkett (Tempe Town Lake Rowing)
Gary Cairns (Dart Totnes Rowing Club)
Patrick Callahan (Capital Rowing Club)
Derek Callaway (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Andrés Carazo (Bachelors Barge Club)
Dawn Carey (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Florian Carle (Great River Rowing)
Phillip Carlisle (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
Krysta Chauncey-Allen (Community Rowing Inc.)
Karen Chenausky (Riverside Boat Club)
Ariana Childs Graham (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
Elizabeth Christmas (Riverside Boat Club)
Hazel Cimino (Richmond Community Rowing)
Debra A. Chute (Narragansett Boat Club)
Gary Clark (Cleveland Rowing Foundation; Western Reserve Rowing Association)
Janet Clark (Cleveland Rowing Foundation; Western Reserve Rowing Association)
Peyton Clark (Ohio State Crew)
Ingrid Clarke-Marshall (Capital Rowing Club)
Amy Clawson (Greater Columbus Rowing Association)
Tamara Clayton (TopRow—New Haven; Crew Haven Rowing)
Peter Clements (Potomac Boat Club)
Herb Cohen (Three Rivers Rowing Association)
Susan E. Cohen (Vesper Boat Club)
Meg Conan (Hamilton College Rowing)
Carey Connell (Station L Rowing Club)
Ernest Cook (Riverside Boat Club)
John Cooke (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
Charlotte Copp (Station L Rowing Club; Portland Boat Club)
John Cotter (Cambridge Boat Club)
Laurie Cotton-Smith (Atlanta Rowing Club) Leigh Cover (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
Adam Craft (Riverside Boat Club)
Morgan Craver (Capital Rowing Club)
Ala Crockett (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Sasha Cuerda (Narragansett Boat Club)
Michael Curtis (Athletes Without Limits)
Erika Dade (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Debbie Davis (Hampton Roads Rowing Club)
Eric Davis (hybrED Fitness LLC; Tacoma Rowing)
Kimberly Degutis (Riverside Boat Club)
Andrew Dellechiaie (Potomac Boat Club)
Colin Dicke (Riverside Boat Club)
Kim Donlan (Cambridge Boat Club)
Liane Douglas (Riverside Boat Club)
Jessica Dreier (Capital Rowing Club)
Bill Eldon (Long Beach Rowing Association)
Clara Elias (Capital Rowing Club)
Mickey Elsberg (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation; Chinook Performance Rowing)
Tammy Enright (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
Kelsey Euezich (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
Justin Fallon (Narragansett Boat Club)
Mike Farrell (Capital Rowing Club)
Justin Farrington (West Side Rowing Club)
Sandor Ferenczy (Malta Boat Club)
Tanya Ferguson (ZLAC Rowing Club)
Isabella Firth (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
Brian Fisher (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
Chris Floyd (Capital Rowing Club)
Brendan Mark Foo (Capital Rowing Club)
Brian Forehand (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
Ed Frankenberry (Riverside Boat Club)
Jen Friend (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Ren Gaffney Gay Gasser (Maritime Rowing Club)
Edward Geyh (Narragansett Boat Club)
Bruce Gillers (Cambridge Boat Club)
Laura Gillespie (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Sandy Gilmour (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Jack Giuliano (Sweeps & Sculls Rowing)
Elizabeth Glenshaw (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
David Gloss (Chicago Rowing Union)
Will Goldenheim (North Shore Maritime Center)
Renae Grant (Riverside Boat Club)
Risa Greendlinger (Community Rowing Inc.)
Paul Gross (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Margaret J. Grover (East Bay Rowing Club)
Charlie Hagedorn (Cambridge Boat Club)
Konstantin Hamilton (Narragansett Boat Club)
Annie Hammel (Capital Rowing Club)
Debbie Hannam (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Kate Harrison (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Dave Harvey (Tacoma Rowing)
Janice Hayes-Cha (Riverside Boat Club)
Ella Hazon (Athletes Without Limits)
Dr. Joseph Henderson (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
Alison Herr (ZLAC Rowing Club)
Janine Herring (Capital Rowing Club)
Trish Hetman (Cortlandt Community Rowing Association)
Betsy Hochberg (Cambridge Boat Club)
Spurge Hogan
Rachel Horta (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
Susy Hovland (mother, Oakland Tech High School Rowing; East Bay Rowing Club)
Amy Hubbard (Capital Rowing Club)
Kendra Hunt
Marny Jaastad (San Diego Rowing Club)
Heather Johnson (Portland Boat Club)
Marilyn Karl (Penn AC Rowing Association)
Corinne Kazmierczak (West Side Rowing Club)
Marie Keil (Community Rowing Inc.)
Deb Kemper (Community Rowing Inc.)
Annette Kennedy (Cambridge Boat Club; Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Marilyn Koblan (Para Rowing Foundation)
Tessa Kohl (Long Beach Rowing Association)
Ann Kraybill (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
KariAnne Kulig
Lisa Kunze (Riverside Boat Club)
Stephen Labas (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
Jean Lambert (Narragansett Boat Club)
Mark Lance (Capital Rowing Club)
Lisa Laskin (Community Rowing Inc.)
Rachel A. Le Mieux (Lake Washington Rowing Club)
Bartlett Leber (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
John Lehet (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
David Levy (Weld Boathouse)
Daniella Logan
Jessie Lordan (East Bay Rowing Club)
Narintohn Luangrath (Capital Rowing Club)
Melissa Ludtke (Community Rowing Inc.)
Terry Luskin (WeCanRow—Boston)
Jennifer Lynn (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Michael Lyons (Carnegie Lake Rowing Association)
Rob MacTurk (Octos)
Tracy Malloy (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Brian Marçais (East Bay Rowing Club)
Helen Marschek
Liz Marshall (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation; Cambridge Boat Club)
Denise Martini (East Bay Rowing Club)
Scott Mathis (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
Libby McCann (Community Rowing Inc.)
Sandra McCann (Community Rowing Inc.)
Denise K. McClanahan (Chicago Rowing Union)
Stephanie McFadden (East Bay Rowing Club)
Cinnamon Melchor (Athletes Without Limits)
Georg Menzl (East Bay Rowing Club)
Sarah Middleton (Athletes Without Limits)
Glenn Miller (River City Rowing Club)
Jill Milne (Riverside Boat Club)
Todd Milne (Riverside Boat Club)
Jai Mitchell (Capital Rowing Club)
Eve Montanaro (East Bay Rowing Club; Oregon Association of Rowers)
Mayra Montrose (Athletes Without Limits)
Louise Moon (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Walt Morris (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
And Morse (Upper Valley Rowing Federation)
Louise Moon (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Linda Muri (Cambridge Boat Club; Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Jonathan Near (Riverfront Recapture)
David Nelson
Rhonda L. Nelson (East Bay Rowing Club)
Steve Neumann
Nhat T. Nguyen (Capital Rowing Club)
Maura Norford (Richmond Community Rowing)
Nadège Nouviale (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
Katie O'Driscoll
Abby Oliveira (Community Rowing Inc.)
Sarah Opatz
Annie Osburn (Capital Rowing Club)
Carol Otten (Vesper Boat Club)
Joe Paduda (Potomac Boat Club; Syracuse Alumni Rowing Association; Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Kay Papandrew (Vesper Boat Club)
Doris Parker (WeCanRow DC)
Paul D. Pearlstein (ACBA; NCAWPA; Capital Rowing Club; Potomac Boat Club)
Racheal Perry (Dolphin Rowing Club)
Jeff Peterson (Cambridge Boat Club)
Laura Petto (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Charlotte Pittman (ZLAC Rowing Club)
Steve Platt (Swan Creek Rowing Club)
Daniel Ponce (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
Luis Prado (White Rock Rowing)
Ben Pratt (Potomac Boat Club)
Clark Rachfal (Capital Adaptive Rowing Program; Capital Rowing Club)
Lisa Raffel (East Bay Rowing Club)
Leah Rand (Community Rowing Inc.)
Beata Randall (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Valerie Reeves (Three Rivers Rowing Association)
Stacy Rexrode (Carolina Masters Rowing)
Carin Reynolds (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Abby Rezneck (East Bay Rowing Club)
Lisa D. Richardson
Ann Robbart (Cambridge Boat Club)
Heidi Robbins (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Pamela Roberts (Potomac Boat Club)
Patricia Robinson (Community Rowing Inc.)
Miranda Robinson-Perez (Capital Rowing Club)
Danny Rogers (TopRow NYC; Row New York)
Jon Roux (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
Lindy Roux (Capital Rowing Club)
Marloes Rozing (Riverside Boat Club)
Cheri Ruane (Riverside Boat Club)
Paula Rugg (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Thor Runeman (Cambridge Boat Club)
Jessica Sabat (Sag Harbor Community Rowing)
Olivia Sabat (Harlem River Community Rowing)
Peggy Sadler (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
CB Sands-Bohrer (Cambridge Boat Club)
Bjorn Sandstede (Narragansett Boat Club)
Dustin Schade (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
Jane Schaffer (Station L Rowing Club)
Andrea Schley (Saugatuck Rowing Club)
Daniel Schley (Saugatuck Rowing Club)
Pam Scott (Marin Rowing Association)
Kathy Sierminski (Palmetto Rowing Club)
Rock Singewald (Narragansett Boat Club)
Karen Sluzenski (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Arthor Soloman (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
Leslie Sonder (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Sarah Stafford (Greater Columbus Rowing Association)
Meris Steele (Capital Rowing Club; Gray Knights Rowing Club)
Claire Stoner (Capital Rowing Club)
Jennifer Stoner (Greater Columbus Rowing Association)
Taylan Stulting (TopRow NYC)
Camilla Sutter (Community Rowing Inc.)
Daniel Swartley McArdle (Undine Barge Club)
Berin Szóka (Capital Rowing Club)
David Szybalski (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
Janet Taylor (Cambridge Boat Club)
Luce Taylor
Karin Tetlow (Bachelors Barge Club)
Susan G. Toler
Michael Toutloff (Chicago Rowing Union)
Darije Tufekcic (River City Rowing Club)
Roberta Turri Vise (Cambridge Boat Club)
Alanna Uthgenannt (Austin Rowing Club)
Mary Ann van Beuren
Laura Van Orden Rudberg (Riverside Boat Club)
Annette Von Jaglinsky (CHaOS Rowing)
Tolsun Waddle (Walt Whitman Crew)
Matt Weise (Rowers Dream)
Lisa Weise (Rowers Dream)
Theresa Welsh (Community Rowing Inc.)
Liz Welsh Bryan (Undine Barge Club)
Edward D. Wengryn (Carnegie Lake Rowing Association)
Carolyn A. White (Cambridge Boat Club)
Ann Whitney (WeCanRow—Boston)
Jen Whiting
Amy Wiesenfeld (WeCanRow—Boston)
Alice Wiseberg (Riverside Boat Club)
Jane Woods (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Therese Wos (Chicago Rowing Union)
Craig Wu (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
Christine Yannelli (East Bay Rowing Club)
Nancy Yannuzzi (Cambridge Boat Club)
Mark Yolton (East Bay Rowing Club)
Mia Zierk (Northern Michigan Rowing Club)
[Unalphabetized; In Progress]
Mark Grinberg (Riverside Boat Club)
Anita Verheul (Riverside Boat Club)
Alison Sanders-Fleming (Cambridge Boat Club)
Nikki Navta (River City Rowing Club)
Gretchen O'Sullivan (DC Strokes Rowing Club)
Mike Shields (Amoskeag Rowing Club)
Andrea Covelli (Community Rowing Inc.)
Tom Loughlin (Marin Rowing Association)
Fred Good (Cambridge Boat Club)
Ryan Weeks (Baltimore Community Rowing)
Kate Devine (Upper Valley Rowing Foundation)
Larry Elswit (Cambridge Boat Club)
Caryn Muellerleile (Capital Rowing Club)
Pat Trzcinski (Riverside Boat Club)
Megan Lydon (Community Rowing Inc.; Boston College Rowing)
Claudia Loeber (Station L Rowing Club)
Victoria Goetz (Riverside Boat Club)
Courtney Forrester (Cambridge Boat Club)
Lynn R. Osborn (Riverside Boat Club)
David J. Nelson (Open Water Rowing Center)
Tricia Carney (Riverside Boat Club)
Barbara Hoyt (Casitas Rowing; Riverside Boat Club)
John Langermann (Riverside Boat Club)
Lizzy Houston (Riverside Boat Club)
Kara Brown (Riverside Boat Club)
Meloni Courtway (Bainbridge Island Rowing) Sarah McKinnon (WeCanRow—Boston)
Karen Landy (Community Rowing Inc.)
Marjorie Elliott (Community Rowing Inc.)
Neeharika Mehta (Community Rowing Inc.)
Libby Boghossian (Riverside Boat Club)
Kate Boyd (Marin Rowing Association)
Julie Warren
Lauren Schumer (Potomac Boat Club)
Jenn Panko (Marin Rowing Association) Chelsea Vessenes (Bainbridge Island Rowing) Jen Vasterling (Riverside Boat Club) Ed Ballo (Riverside Boat Club)
Chris Downey (East Bay Rowing Club)
Lisa Hassler (Quinsigamond Rowing Club)
Carla Ferrara (Quinsigamond Rowing Club)
Linda Guida (Quinsigamond Rowing Club)
Karen Duffy (Quinsigamond Rowing Club)
James Byrnes (Quinsigamond Rowing Club) Paul Cannistraro (Riverside Boat Club) Esther Lofgren (Potomac Boat Club; Old Glory Boat Club)
Mindy Hatfield (Cincinnati Rowing Club) Ann Wolfe (Montlake Rowing Club)
Maria Alonso (Cincinnati Rowing Club)
James Wilson
Liara Meg Gonzalez (CHaOS Rowing)
Elizabeth Hogan (CHaOS Rowing)
Tracy Lathrup (CHaOS Rowing)
Sean MacRosty (CHaOS Rowing)
Hal Maner (CHaOS Rowing)
Beth Manley (CHaOS Rowing)
Felix Muhlebach (CHaOS Rowing)
Douglas O’Flaherty (CHaOS Rowing)
Jan Niklas Ulrich (CHaOS Rowing)
Reid Wilson (CHaOS Rowing)
Julianne Peters (CHaOS Rowing)
Laura Nelson (CHaOS Rowing)
Sara Walker (Station L Rowing Club)
Madeline Pommier (Station L Rowing Club)
Anita Bigelow (Portland Boat Club; Station L Boat Club)
Lisa Regan-Vienop (Station L Rowing Club)
Dana H. Perrone (Potomac Boat Club)
Connor Goham (Capital Rowing Club)
Lori Jensen (Station L Rowing Club)
Ann E. Maloney MD (Quinsigamond Rowing Club)
Susan Lucas-Conwell
James Stokes Hatch (Potomac Boat Club) Ann Sullivan (Quinsigamond Rowing Club)
Ed Ryan (Potomac Boat Club)
Jane Rueger (DC Strokes Rowing Club) Nicholas Hudak (DC Strokes Rowing Club) Mark C. Shields (Lincoln Park Boat Club)
Lyle Antieau
John O’Donnell
Laurie Lawton-Smith
Nancy Diessner (Yankee Rowing Club)
Jim McCarthy (Bergen County Rowing Academy)
Julie Ciulla
(List current as of September 16, 9:00 a.m.)