GRSJ224/ Homosexual Athletes in Professional Sports

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Overview

Homosexuality is a topic that is rarely associated with mainstream sports, specifically male sports. The discourse of those who have come out as gay within the professional sports world, specifically within sports that are known for their adherence to hegemonic masculinity, shows the way in which homosexuality is portrayed, reacted to, and how it affects those who make the decision to come out.

Prominent Figures

In 2007, John Amaechi was the first former NBA basketball player to come out as gay.

In 2013 Jason Collins, a 34 year old NBA player made the public announcement that he was gay. He was the first male professional sports team player to come out as gay.

Michael Sam, in 2014, was the first openly gay man in the NFL. His coming out was met with a widespread shock in the sports communities, with coaches hesitant to take him on due to the attention that his situation was getting as well as the fear of difficulties in the locker room.[1]

Tom Daley, an Olympic diver, shared that he was dating a man in 2013. This announcement prompted homophobic commentary.[2]

Michael Sam 2013

These are two of many men who have come out in the sports world. These two men are prominent due to them being the first to come out in one of the four major leagues, specifically basketball and football in which systemic homophobia and toxic masculinity is present.

Portrayal in the Media

In the sports/media world, specifically men's sports, hegemonic masculinity continues to dominate as the expectation. This makes the sports environment a breeding ground for homophobia. [3] In the past, there has been mixed messages about homosexuality in sports portrayed in the media. When retired NBA player John Amaechi came out, sports reporters were quick to mention that gay men had no place in the locker room, while simultaneously calling for more acceptance for those who are gay. [3]This mixed bag of interpretations can be due to a mixture of institutional homophobia and the need for sports media outlets to stay relevant to the times.

A content analysis of the news articles and public media reaction on Collins was conducted. The overall themes in reaction to Collins coming out was celebratory and positive, however the reactions seemed to be overly so. The deception in this reaction is that the public believes that one openly gay NBA player renders homophobia to be obsolete, when in fact this a small step within a league that houses systemic homophobia.[3]

Jason Collins 2014

When John Amaechi came out as gay, he was faced by homophobic comments made by fellow former NBA player Tim Hardaway in 2007. [4] Hardaway made it clear in a radio interview that his stance was largely homophobic and he did not believe there should be gay people in the United States or anywhere else.

Tom Daley faced similar homophobic comments throughout his career. The public and the media were quick to comment on his body type and how it didn't match the 'masculine ideal', which further prompted offensive assumptions about his personal life. [2]

Although media reporting and portrayals of gay men in sports has gotten significantly better, there is still a long way to go before gay men are fully accepted and seen as 'normal' within professional sports, specifically popular sports that emulate the idea of the ideal masculine man.

Masculinity Within Sports

Masculinity is expressed and can be experienced in a variety of ways, however, the most socially recognized and acceptable form seems to be hegemonic masculinity. This form of masculinity embodies strength, dominance, and the idea of 'manliness.' At the turn of the 20th century, homosexuality was heavily identified with femininity, while men's professional sports, specifically contact sports, allowed for hegemonic masculinity to be upheld.[5]

Contact sports are used as indicators of masculinity, implicated through peer culture and institutionalized sports within the school system. [4] Boys are encouraged from a young age to form themselves into a masculine form of themselves by building their bodies and strength to participate in sports associated with hegemonic masculinity. [4] Boys are thus taught at a young age that to be gay is not acceptable, especially if they wish to fit into the desirable mold of the ideal masculinized man. [4]

It has been suggested that men's sports, specifically contact sports, are utilized as a way to demonstrate what it means to be a 'man' and create a contrast between masculinity and femininity. [6] It can be seen as a threat to the distinctions between gay and straight men if gay men, who are generally perceived as being feminine, excel at these sports and fit the masculine physique that fits the ideal masculine male.[6] Homophobia is thus used as a form of resistance against gay men disrupting the understanding of the orthodox masculine male as straight.[6]

References