1992
DOI: 10.1111/j.1533-8525.1992.tb00141.x
|View full text |Cite
|
Sign up to set email alerts
|

Women Athletes as Falsely Accused Deviants: Managing the Lesbian Stigma

Abstract: As the behavior of women athletes is often interpreted to violate gender norms, women athletes are frequently devalued and stigmatized. The present study examines the manner in which such devaluation and stigmatization impact on women athletes and how these athletes manage the lesbian label attached to their sport participation. Indepth telephone interviews were conducted with 24 intercollegiate athletes from three Division I universities. Processes underlying athletes' responses parallel Becker's construction… Show more

Help me understand this report

Search citation statements

Order By: Relevance

Paper Sections

Select...
2
1
1
1

Citation Types

3
101
2
1

Year Published

2001
2001
2023
2023

Publication Types

Select...
7
2

Relationship

0
9

Authors

Journals

citations
Cited by 121 publications
(107 citation statements)
references
References 17 publications
3
101
2
1
Order By: Relevance
“…This is because the presence of openly lesbian players potentially casts further suspicion on the heterosexuality of other teammates (Griffin, 1998). Such is the prevalence of homohysteria, and the stigma of being thought lesbian, that female athletes have been shown to fear being called dykes more than whores (Blinde and Taub, 1992). As a result, both lesbian and heterosexual athletes are subject to social prejudice and discrimination.…”
Section: Orthodox Notions Of Heterosexual Femininity In Sportmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…This is because the presence of openly lesbian players potentially casts further suspicion on the heterosexuality of other teammates (Griffin, 1998). Such is the prevalence of homohysteria, and the stigma of being thought lesbian, that female athletes have been shown to fear being called dykes more than whores (Blinde and Taub, 1992). As a result, both lesbian and heterosexual athletes are subject to social prejudice and discrimination.…”
Section: Orthodox Notions Of Heterosexual Femininity In Sportmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Recent work by Heywood (1998) makes a compelling argument that weight lifting is a specifically third wave feminist strategy to physically self-empower, ward off attack, or heal previous bodily victimization and abuse.1 This moves us beyond previous conceptualizations of women in fitness and sport as totalized objects under patriarchal control. However, while men's participation in many sport and fitness activities has historically been consistent with dominant conceptions of masculinity as well as heterosexuality, women's participation has tended to bring their femininity and heterosexuality into question (Blinde and Taub 1992;Cahn 1994;Griffin 1998;Kane 1995;Lenskyj 1987;Nelson 1994). Thus not only do women challenge narrow constructs of masculinity and femininity through being active, fit agents, but they are also subject to narrow conceptions of womanhood that often become conflated with heterosexual attractiveness.…”
Section: Fitness Gender Bodiesmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…30 Female athletes are expected to be competitive, strong, and physically excellent as long as they retain their femininity. 30 Thus, they must perform a balancing act between being too masculine on one end of the continuum or too feminine on the other end.…”
Section: Heteronormativity and Homonegativity In Sportmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…30 Female athletes are expected to be competitive, strong, and physically excellent as long as they retain their femininity. 30 Thus, they must perform a balancing act between being too masculine on one end of the continuum or too feminine on the other end. Female athletes quickly learn that they face criticism for not adhering to the Western notion of gender roles, in which being perceived as a feminine woman equates acceptance, appreciation, and respect and being perceived as a masculine woman equates social deviance and lesbianism.…”
Section: Heteronormativity and Homonegativity In Sportmentioning
confidence: 99%