“You Have to Validate It”: Experiences of Female Sexual Minority Student-Athletes

College coaches’ engagement in advocacy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and other gender and sexual minorities (LGBTQIA+) rights and racial justice: Experiences, facilitators, and barriers.

“…The NCAA, though, has not adequately addressed each of these discriminatory policies (Lens, 2023). In response, some LGBTQIA+ college athletes have reported feeling invalidated and fearful of victimization (Anderson et al, 2023). Relatedly, many Black and Indigenous people of color (BIPOC) athletes face racist taunting and are subject to hypersexualization and fetishization by opponents and the media (Cooky et al, 2010; Litchfield et al, 2018; Prewitt-White, 2019).…”

Diversity matters: highlighting the differences in sport consumption motives of marginalized college students

“…Additionally, sporting environments have also historically been burdened by hetero and gender normativity and hegemonic masculinity that have threatened sexual and gender minority participation (Anderson, 2002). While there is evidence of improvement in the overall climate of sport at a variety of levels for sexual and gender minorities (Anderson, 2011;Anderson et al, 2016;Pariera et al, 2019), there is also ample evidence that problems persist (Anderson et al, 2021a(Anderson et al, , 2021b. This culture of fear and emphasis on hetero and gender normativity has permeated through all levels of sport, from the professional to the recreational levels (Anderson, 2017;Anderson and Mowatt, 2013).…”

“…Researchers have examined the relationship between sexual prejudice and professional soccer, predominantly within European systems (Cashmore and Cleland, 2011;Caudwell, 2011). Anderson et al (2021b) state, "While research on collegiate sport spectator attitudes toward LGBTQ þ participants is lacking, there are some indications heterosexual fans are less-receptive toward promotions like "Pride events" within the professional sporting context than non-heterosexual fans" (p. 4). Even when these issues of sexual prejudice are examined in reference to sport spectatorship, the relationship between the sexual identity of fans, or potential fans, in reference to their likelihood to attend events and motivations for doing so are vastly underexplored (Caudwell, 2011).…”

“…, 2019), there is also ample evidence that problems persist (Anderson et al. , 2021a, 2021b). This culture of fear and emphasis on hetero and gender normativity has permeated through all levels of sport, from the professional to the recreational levels (Anderson, 2017; Anderson and Mowatt, 2013).…”

“…Researchers have examined the relationship between sexual prejudice and professional soccer, predominantly within European systems (Cashmore and Cleland, 2011; Caudwell, 2011). Anderson et al. (2021b) state, “While research on collegiate sport spectator attitudes toward LGBTQ + participants is lacking, there are some indications heterosexual fans are less-receptive toward promotions like “Pride events” within the professional sporting context than non-heterosexual fans” (p. 4).…”