Battle of the Sexes and Women's Sports History

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to the lecture on the Battle of the Sexes, Second Wave Feminism, and the progression of women's roles in sports.

Second Wave Feminism

• A feminist movement that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, focusing on issues of equality, discrimination, and women's rights.

• Sports were the most symbolic setting of the second wave

• Sports was the hardest setting for women to break into

Boston Marathon

• An annual marathon that began in 1897; initially, women were forbidden from participating.

• Thought that women were not strong enough to be able to run a marathon

Roberta Gibb

• The first woman to unofficially run the Boston Marathon in 1966, finishing with a time of 3 hours and 21 minutes.

• She sneaked into the race

Katherine Switzer

• The first woman to officially complete the Boston Marathon in 1967, who registered under a male pseudonym.

• Ran beside her boyfriend and when Jock Semple tried to remove her from the track, her boyfriend smacked him

Billie Jean King

• A prominent female tennis player and advocate for gender equality in sports; key figure in the second wave feminist movement.

• One of the best tennis players at the time

• Had an abortion which was very controversial

Virginia Slims Circuit

• A women's professional tennis league founded by Billie Jean King and other female athletes in response to unequal pay.

• In open era

• Reduced the disparity between what women and men got paid due to major tournaments losing the best females

Battle of the Sexes

• A famous 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs that highlighted issues of gender equality in sports.

• Winner would win $100,000

• Played by Men’s rules

• Bobby Riggs had bold claims to help him make more money from the match

• The match was as much as a show than a sporting event

• Billie Jean King won in straight sets

Bobby Riggs

• A former male tennis champion who famously challenged women, including Billie Jean King, to matches to promote his anti-feminist views.

Open Era of Tennis

• A period in tennis starting in 1968 when major tournaments became open to both amateur and professional players, impacting prize distribution.

• Billie Jean King argued that women should be paid equally

Sources of the Women’s athletic Revolution

1. Second Wave Feminism

2. Title IX

3. Billie Jean King (face of the second feminist movement)