Combatting Sexism in Speech and Debate Programs

There is no doubt that we have come a long way in terms of rights for women when looking at our country’s history. From the #MeToo movement to the Time’s Up movement, there have been many pushes for recognizing the struggles and disadvantages women face. However, when looking at speech and debate programs throughout high schools and colleges, it seems like times have not changed all that much.

Across the country, it has become clear that sexism is extremely prominent in speech and debate programs. Thousands of students in both high school and college take part in these kind of programs. Speech and debate programs are supposed to build confidence and argumentation skills that can be valuable in the real world. However, these programs have become valuable for only one group of people: males.

The bias becomes present when judges make comments like “You were rude to your opponents” or “Your tone of voice was annoying” on ballots given back to female speakers, as pointed out by coach Cara Borgsmiller. These comments perpetuate the notion that only men can speak up confidently without being “aggressive.” Women in this program are taught to be quiet and respectful no matter how their male opponent may act. These comments on ballots show the preconceived notions judges have when entering a debate round, leaving girls disadvantaged from the start regardless of the content of their arguments. 

This past summer at the National Speech and Debate Association National tournament, only 2 members from the top 30 teams in Public Forum debate were women. This shocking statistic has served as a deterrent for girls interested in joining this activity. Additionally, there have been many reports of sexual harassment by collegiate debate coaches. Former coach Ken Young resigned as director of Bradley University’s Speech Team in the wake of sexual assault allegations. The culture on many college campuses keep women quiet to prevent them from raising questions about questionable behavior, like that of Young. This behavior can be found all over college campuses in classrooms and extracurriculars.

A performance titled “Debate Like a Girl” by Ella Schnake has gone viral, showcasing the disadvantages women in debate face. The problem is, if sexism is still prominent in high school and college programs, there is no way it won’t exist in the workplace. These toxic gender roles are strengthened when girls are forced to be submissive and men are praised/rewarded for being dominant. Performances like Schnake’s bring light to these issues and spark conversations like this one to possibly change the culture.

There is still a long battle to address sexism within the country, but we have to start small. Generation Z is tasked with bringing these issues to light and pointing out the problematic language and actions of those around us. In a society where we are more connected than ever with social media, it is important that sexism is called out on these platforms. With every story comes a potential step in the right direction as wrongdoings are addressed. Step by step, men and women in all activities will hopefully be able to stand on an equal playing field.

My best,

Priya Thelapurath

About Priya:

Priya Thelapurath is a high school senior from Bentonville, Arkansas. She has taken Sociology and Gender Studies courses at her local community college and uses her experiences to drive her work and writing.