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Betty Baxter

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Betty Baxter
Born1952 (age 71–72)
Alma materUniversity of Alberta
Occupation(s)athlete, activist and politician
Known forCIAU coach of the year; Canadian national volleyball team coach

Betty Baxter (born 1952)[1] is a Canadian athlete, activist and politician. Baxter was once a school trustee for the Sunshine Coast District 46 in British Columbia.[citation needed]

Baxter was a member of the women's national volleyball team at the 1976 Summer Olympics,[1] and was later named the team's head coach in 1979.[2] Prior to being named coach of the national team, Baxter was a women's volleyball coach at the University of Ottawa,[2] and was named the Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union's coach of the year.

However, she was fired from that role in 1982 for a variety of reasons, one of which was speculation about her sexuality after the media began to report rumours that she was lesbian.[3][4] Baxter was not actually out as lesbian at the time, but subsequently came out and served as a board member of the 1990 Gay Games in Vancouver.[5] She also cofounded the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women in Sport and the National Coaching School for Women. Baxter subsequently worked as a professional volleyball coach.

Baxter ran as a New Democratic Party candidate in Vancouver Centre in the 1993 federal election,[6] in a high-profile race against Prime Minister Kim Campbell, but was not elected. Baxter later was elected as a school trustee in 2011.

Electoral record

[edit]
1993 Canadian federal election: Vancouver Centre
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Hedy Fry 19,310 31.19 +8.38
Progressive Conservative Kim Campbell 15,510 25.05 −12.19
Reform Ian Isbister 10,808 17.46 +16.08
New Democratic Betty Baxter 9,397 15.18 −21.63
National Thorsten Ewald 4,949 7.99
Natural Law John Cowhig 643 1.04
Green Imtiaz Popat 586 0.95 +0.14
Christian Heritage Darren Lowe 242 0.39
Libertarian Tunya Audain 220 0.36 +0.11
Independent Brian Godzilla Gnu Salmi 114 0.18
Independent Scott Adams 83 0.13 −0.07
Commonwealth of Canada Lucille Boikoff 25 0.04
Independent Peter C. Nuthall 24 0.04
Total valid votes 61,911 100.0  
Liberal gain from Progressive Conservative Swing +10.28

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "A matter of pride; Firing for being gay, Betty Baxter turned political; now she's out to win B.C. riding for federal NDP". Montreal Gazette, August 17, 1992.
  2. ^ a b "Sports roundup: Volleyball". The Globe and Mail, November 27, 1979.
  3. ^ "Gay sports figures discuss homophobia ; 'What I do in my bedroom is my business'". Toronto Star, June 22, 1999.
  4. ^ Zeigler, Cyd (2011-08-30). "Moment #34: Canadian volleyball coach Betty Baxter fired amidst rumors she is a lesbian". Outsports. Retrieved 2019-09-16.
  5. ^ "Vancouver hosts the third and largest Gay Games". The Globe and Mail, August 6, 1990.
  6. ^ "Lesbian candidate for the NDP [Betty Baxter acclaimed in June as federal NDP candidate for Vancouver Centre". Perceptions. July 29, 1992.