Inclusion of Queers in Professional Sports

Football is probably the most hyper masculine sports someone can be involved in. However, just Michael Sam’s being out is so helpful in taking apart the ignorance around homophobic stereotypes. It goes to show, a broader aspect

Sports have always been effective in challenging the oppression of minorities by showcasing their talents and abilities and not dwelling on their differences. If a gay athlete is able to perform as well as straight athlete then the two are equal. Minorities face major amounts of inequality, however sports is one the few areas that minorities are offered equal footing.As well as being a tool for ending racial conflicts, it is also an influential stage that can encourage its audience to view the world through a different lens.Sports can be a very powerful avenue for change in society because of the number of viewers. Thus it is very common and effective platform to spread a positive and core message that not only has the potential to reach millions but also to change society. Sports are a reflection of a societies strengths and weaknesses. In Jackie Robison case, the racial prejudice and discrimination towards him was the reflections of the weaknesses in society at the

Homosexuality has nothing to do with whether or not one is a proficient athlete. However, due to predisposed perceptions of what it is to be an athlete and what it is to be homosexual, the words homosexual athlete and the athlete himself are not always met with the warmest of regards. The reason for this dissonance can be somewhat explained through the Role Congruity Theory. Role congruity is the social phenomenon that an individual is perceived more positively when their actions and behaviors are consistent with their gender (Lanter 2008). When action and gender are perceived to be inconsistent the perceptive party feels dissonance, which is can be displayed in a variety of ways ranging from avoidance to disgust or even anger. Athletes are big and strong, they are the men that the women swoon over and the men wish to be. Athletes are considered to be the ideal picture of what it means to society to be a man. When an athlete comes out as gay, especially a male athlete, it skews the entire picture for some; leaving them lost and questioning what exactly it means to be a man based on their learned societal constructs.

Latinos have managed to make a profound impact in the field of American sports. Their interest in sports helped them assimilate themselves into American mainstream culture. They were also able to maintain their entire families’ ethnic identity at the same time. Since they had limited economic opportunities and had to face racial discrimination they were able to use sports as a refuge from the grim realities of the society. They used the field of sports to negotiate race relations, nationalism and citizenship. Sport was an arena that they could use to learn how to behave according to societal gender norms. Even for female athletes sports arenas provided the space to achieve gender equality, something that could never be achieved outside the field of sports (Alamillo, n.d).

The Diversity in Sport Leadership discussion on Thursday, run by Wura, was a fascinating conversation. We got to listen to Wura ask Nicole Melton, Dr. Burton, and Fleurette King some questions about the topic, and then we got to ask the panel questions of our own. The topic of diversity in sport leadership is a complicated one, but I thought that they each had some valuable viewpoints on the matter. Fleurette King talked about how sports can be an access point for diversity, which can break resistance from society. An example of this would be the effect that Jackie Robinson playing in the MLB had on our society. But also, she noted that sports can also perpetuate societal issues, as with the issues of athletes using gay slurs during games. She also noted that concerning the Rooney Rule

The first article I read, titled “Pro Sports, still homophobic in 2014”, was about how there is still a lot of homophobia in professional sports even in this day and age. The author, Hudson Taylor, discusses different controversies that happened within the professional sports community that range from alleged gay accusations toward Green Bay Packers quarterback all the way to statements made by Vikings assistant coach encouraging the idea of placing all gays on an island and nuking the island until it glows. Taylor discusses how when he was in high school he was part of the group that felt strongly against those that made fun of the gay community but did nothing about it because he felt as if it wasn’t his place nor his battle. He told how in college his world changed completely once he witnessed how accepting his theater friends were to people with different sexual orientations and how he ultimately found his voice and started speaking out. Because of that experience, Taylor is now the founder of a program called Athlete Ally, where he travels the world empowering the athletic community to stand up against homophobia in sports.

These are shocking statistics, when asking Ryan about his comfort level with his team he said, “It was okay, I never felt physically threatened...”. He did say, however, that he did never feel quite like a part of the team due to his sexuality. Another aspect of homophobia affecting gays in sports is the homophobic slurs used in the locker room and on the field, granted, Ryan said that even in day to day life he never felt harmed or hurt by homophobic slurs. However, it is still a major problem in sports. 89 percent of homosexuals heard or felt targeted by homosexual slurs, according to the study. In my interview with Ryan I asked him if the culture of the locker room needed to be the first aspect to change, he said “Absolutely, sometimes it has to start from within a team and then that positive and encouraging attitude can go on to others.”

There have been copious amounts of players that have come out after they retired, such as Kwame Harris and Dave Kopay, but never has there been a player courageous enough to disclose his homosexuality prior to being drafted (Russo). Nevertheless, in February of this year, Michael Sam announced to the world that he is an “openly, proud, gay man” (Russo). His decision to share his secret with the world has had a major impact on opening doors for gay African-Americans (Gregory “Be Smart NFL”) and bringing about a change in the NFL by erasing stereotypes. For example, he is

My first experience with discrimination in the terms of stereotyping and categorizing in the sports world came when I was a young child. During my adolescent years, I was a very active child. I participated in different sports from cheerleading, tennis, and basketball. As a child, I loved participating in sport teams and having the camaraderie of a team that loved, supported, and played for one another. However, that camaraderie and support that I once received during my time playing sports came to an abrupt halt during a change in my life and my health.

Homosexuality has nothing to do with whether or not one is a proficient athlete. However, due to the perception of what it is to be an athlete and what it is to be homosexual, the words homosexual athlete, and the athlete himself are not always met with the warmest of regards. The reason for this dissonance can be somewhat explained through the Role Congruity Theory. Role congruity is the social phenomenon that an individual is perceived more positively when their actions and behaviors are consistent with their gender (Lanter 2008). When action and gender are perceived to be inconsistent the perceptive party feels dissonance, which is can be displayed in a variety of ways ranging from avoidance to disgust or even anger. Athletes are big and strong, they are the men that the women swoon over and that men wish to be; they are considered to be the ideal picture of what it means in society to be a man. When an athlete comes out as gay, especially a male athlete, it skews the entire picture for some; leaving them lost and questioning what exactly it means to be a man based on their learned societal constructs.

Athletes could be discouraged from playing certain sports due to social ideologies which may determine what suitable sports is for males and females. These homophobic trends emphasised by the media, could deter athletes from expressing themselves genuinely.

Sports today are played by both males and females. Yet, female athletes that are homosexual are rarely talked about compared to male athletes that are homosexual. Rather than being a surprise, lesbian females announcing or even just stating that they are gay is expected. However, whenever a male athlete comes out as being homosexual, it makes all news headlines and is talked about for weeks. In today’s society men are raised to think they have to prove their masculinity, and one big part about being masculine is being heterosexual. Men that do not live up to this ideal masculinity are considered gay. Anywhere from having a high pitched voice to the flamboyancy of the man’s attire send signals that he is gay. Being gay is already a hardship

In the hundreds of years that pro sports has existed in the United States we have seen not once during the midst of their career a person come out as openly gay. As the world has slowly become more acceptable to sexuality difference the professional sports world has witnessed few cases of players breaking through the barriers and becoming true heroes. Jason Collins, a professional basketball player, and David Denton, a professional baseball player, have both recently come out and identified as a gay in their respected sports paving the way for not only athletes but young kids across America.

It can be inferred that sports is a social construct in which supporters acknowledge athletes for their talent and skill. As athletes are identified on the basis of membership of their sport and team, we as the general public, rarely acknowledge them as individuals. Rather, we decide when to individuate them –praising them when they shine a little a brighter than the rest, and when to chastise them because they went against the grain. When discussing the LGBTQ community and their involvement in sports, many thoughts come to mind, most of them negative with very few positive observations. The pros and cons in association with this group’s participation in sports are typically based on either breaking stereotypes or strengthen them as mentioned in our guest lecture. Although breaking stereotypes is seen as a good thing, this essay aims to address the discrimination that goes on within this social environment in regards to athletes who are part of the LGBTQ community.

Homosexuality is defined as forming sexual relationships with members of the same sex (Blonna et al 2010), and for decades now, the societal attitudes towards homosexuality have varied, from casual integration through acceptance and then to repressing it through law enforcement and judicial mechanisms (Gregory 2004).. In recent years the concept of homosexuality has become a controversial topic amongst the sports community. Since the 1920’s Homosexual athletes have competed as Olympians and in various other professional sports. Due to the various stigmas associated with Gays and Lesbians, coming out in the sports world has shown to be an alienating and difficult experience for homosexual athletes and coaches. In most