Openly lesbian team sport athletes in an era of decreasing homohysteria

Abstract

Sociologists who examine the issue of lesbians in American sport in the 1980s and 1990s normally found overt and covert mechanisms of social discrimination.However, homophobia has been on a rapid decline over previous decades, and studies show attitudes toward female homosexuality in sport have improved since the research conducted on lesbian athletes in the mid-1990s. This article uses data collected between that epoch and current studies to analyze athletic narratives of openly lesbian team sport athletes in 2002. We find no universal pattern for the treatment of openly lesbian athletes existed in this era of decreasing homohysteria. However, as with gay men in sport at the time, athletic capital influenced who came out, and heterosexism was prominent.

International Olympic Committee consensus statement: harassment and abuse (non-accidental violence) in sport

“…The secrecy surrounding hazing makes it difficult to measure and quantify. Ethnographic studies provide some qualitative accounts109 120 but, by its very nature, it is rare for victims of hazing to speak out, and thus unusual for medical staff and other entourage members to become involved in evaluation or support.…”

The changing nature of lesbian athletes coming out in competitive organised team sports

“…Additionally, the Australian cricket environment in the 1990s has also been described as hostile to lesbians (Burroughs, Ashburn, & SeeBohm, 1995). Likewise, in the American collegiate sport system, two of 12 athletes interviewed by Anderson and Bullingham (2015) in their recent research reported homophobic language being used by players on their team.…”

“…Within a conditionally tolerant climate, the issue is not lesbian participation but rather their visibility within sport; lesbians are allowed to participate providing they subscribe to a set of rules (Griffin, 1998). This environment has more recently been described as 'don't ask, don't tell' (Anderson, 2002;Anderson & Bullingham, 2015), a policy implemented until recently within the US military. Within a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy, athletes may temporarily emerge from the closet to reveal their sexual identity, but after the revelation, normal play is resumed, with teammates ignoring the incident.…”

“…The stories of athletes 'coming out' as lesbian, gay, or bisexual differ significantly throughout research depending on the cultural epoch in which the research was conducted (Anderson & Bullingham, 2015;Anderson, Magrath, & Bullingham, 2016;Griffin, 1998). Using Griffin's taxonomy of climates, this chapter tracks the transition from the hostile climates of the 1980s, through conditional tolerance, to the open and inclusive zeitgeist of today in many Western contexts.…”

“…Using Griffin's taxonomy of climates, this chapter tracks the transition from the hostile climates of the 1980s, through conditional tolerance, to the open and inclusive zeitgeist of today in many Western contexts. Previously, only athletes who were integral to their team's success had been able to come out in climates of conditional tolerance (Anderson, 2002;Anderson & Bullingham, 2015). Athletes (both male and female) at a recreational level are increasingly able to come out regardless of their place on the team (Anderson et al, 2016).…”