ashleystayfree:

A big problem in the Quidditch community is since it is not an official sport, like basketball, football, soccer, etc, there is nothing stopping people from doing things like using the n-word, making creepy tumblrs/competitions like Butts & Brooms and making rape jokes. There is no higher committee to enforce laws that I am sure other sports have and there is no leverage to use against people to keep them from playing. The worst that could happen is they’re not allowed to play Quidditch anymore and I don’t even know if the IQA can enforce a rule like that. They won’t lose scholarships/esteem like they would if they played an official sport. I also question how much power officers hold in school clubs and if they’d really take actions against players who do things off the field, off season like these players have been doing lately.

I’ve been very disappointed with the Quidditch community lately and I think I’m finally done. I didn’t join this sport for the ignorant high school football playing jock mentality that has come about and I don’t see a real end to it in the near future.

I disagree with the idea that official sports are… particularly good at  stopping such behaviour. A lot of official sports, or at least the players, have a trend to a lot of racist and misogynistic behaviour, more than I see in Quidditch, so I don’t see anywhere else to go, which is why I think we need to stay in the sport and make sure it stays as open and respectful as possible. I actually now want to look at some studies I remember reading about regarding these types of attitudes in official sports, perhaps I can make it a summer project for myself.

That said, that does raise the issue about penalties we could enforce as a community on racist and sexist behaviour, and as to how much the IQA should be involved if they want to continue to be true to their mission and to keep up the spirit of things like title 9 3/4. So it’s worth brainstorming.

Regardless of your decision to stay or leave, I respect your decision and I hope either one brings satisfaction to you. I’ll be staying in what capacity I can and hopefully derail that type of behaviour and mentality. I will not welcome any sexist or racist or similar prejudiced behaviour into this community, and do not intend to back down without a fight.

(via fuckyesquidditch)

Source: ashleystayfree

Women in Quidditch: [trigger warning for rape and rape culture and general misogyny] I can't believe I have to explain this but Why the...

womeninquidditch:

so-fictitious:

cupcakemichi:

“Does this rag smell like chloroform to you?”
No, it smells like misogyny.

So on why this “bad pickup line” and other rape jokes aren’t funny….

  • Rape jokes perpetuate rape culture.

And what is rape culture? From here.

A rape culture is a complex of beliefs that…

Holy CRAP did this blow up.

GDI Tumblr.

This is blowing up—not because that darn Tumblr SJ community—but because these jokes threaten the safety of athletes in the quidditch community. We don’t feel comfortable when you dehumanize us and use slurs and treat our pain as a joke.

All these people that are objecting and making a big deal? Yeah, they’re your fellow athletes. They’re part of the quidditch community. They joined this sport to have fun, compete, and make friends with a group of people with shared interest in a story about a boy wizard and they thought it would be a safe environment. And now you treat our existence like a joke? I’m glad this is blowing up. I don’t want people to feel comfortable using racial slurs and making rape jokes. Because I don’t want to be part of a community that caters to racists and misogynists. 

Source: cupcakemichi

ashtree25:

Reppin’ some UMass Quidditch! :)

I bought this shirt for two reason:

1. I need more quidditch shirts! My mom is making a t-shirt quilt with all of my quidditch shirts after I graduate. 

2. They were selling them at WC and I was walking around in my sports bra because it was hot as hell and one of the guys (who was shirtless) was like, “You, m’am, I see that you, like myself require a shirt.” I found this funny and it might have just been because I was deliriously tired and hot. Nevertheless, good job random UMass quidkid.

Also, possibly just because the UMass quidkids are awesome.

Also, my new skirt I just made. YAY! It has a sash/bow that you can’t really see. 

Sorry the image quality sucks.

(via fuckyesquidditch)

Source: ashtree25

fyq: Sportsmanship: No Excuses

fuckyesquidditch:

theblackbludger:

Being “sporting” means competing in a way that is fair. Think Inigo Montoya allowing the Dread Pirate Roberts to rest after climbing the Cliffs of Insanity, sure he was going to kill him later, but he was more than fair. In quidditch, playing fair is done by consistently adhering to the rules of play.

Penalties will be committed by even the best teams, accidents happen, someone ducks and you wrap their neck instead of their torso, etc.

One thing I see players with strong athletic backgrounds being guilty of is repeatedly committing the penalties and later blaming it on “habit” left from their football days or whatever. “He tackles high because he played football.” or ” “She slide tackles because she played soccer.” Guess what, they’re not the only athlete playing quidditch. As a fellow athlete I find this insulting. Athletes spend years training their bodies to do exactly what they want them to do, why doesn’t this apply to quidditch? Muscle memory is a real thing, but stop being lazy, make a conscious effort to change it.

Similarly, I hear a lot of excuses like, “They’re new, they don’t know the rules.” Whether referring to a player or a team this is not acceptable.
Playing by the rules should be stressed from Day 1. If you’re so new that you can’t follow the rules, then you have no business being on the pitch. Just because I watched Invictus doesn’t mean I’m ready to go out for the rugby team, even if I am a 230 lb. Polynesian.

There’s really no excuse for not playing by the rules. If you don’t know the rules, keep yourself out of the game. If you have a player that doesn’t know the rules, don’t put them in. Going forward, I’m in full support of a red card meaning a 1-game suspension, maybe that will be the motivation that some teams and players need to start learning to play by the rules.

Yup, all of this.

Source: theblackbludger

whatswrongwithme1313:

My friend and I are making a muggle quidditch for our math project.
Right
Its called broomball
And when were finished with it
I will update picture and all the rulles
THEN WE ARE GOING TO PLAY IT.
OMG YOU GUYS

For the record, muggle quidditch is already a sport with a yearly World Cup, regionals, and an International Association :)

You should give it a look, there’s videos and the like to give you an idea of our game!