Homosexuality and sport
Investigation of 2 May 2013 published on the blog Bellunopiu.it
At international level there are very few investigations published in scientific journals on the topic of homosexuality in sport. However, the media more and more frequently deal with the themes of homosexuality and homophobia in the sports world given the growing coming outs by athletes and former professional athletes and also in the face of some episodes and discriminatory and homophobic declarations.
What is certain is that the sporting environment limits the possibility of serenely expressing its homosexual orientation: especially in some sports, countries and especially in the male world. This forces many athletes to live their experience in a non -complete way. What are the reasons that underlie these realities?
The stereotype that we usually have male athlete is that of a person who is associated with characteristics such as strength and masculinity. For this reason it would be difficult to accept a coming out by one of them: being gay threatens the image of male sports, especially in those who represent an excellence a symbol of virility and machismo.
Female stereotype generally provides for a more emotional, weak and fragile figure than man. The world of sport, however, requires psychological and physical characteristics considered to be considered as a male heritage. So a woman who goes to present these qualities is often considered masculine and not very feminine: the former tennis players Martina Navrátilová and Amélie Mauresmo are an example.
In any case, the facts speak clearly: in the sporting world the number of women is higher to begin compared to men, it is more acceptance of female homosexuality than the male one.
But in the professional sports world it is more convenient to do or not come out? What is recommended?
Around the elite athletes rotate strong economic interests given above all by the sponsors determined to protect the image of their testimonials. The tennis player Martina Navrátilová after declaring his homosexuality, in the 80s, lost 12 million dollars of advertising contracts.
Sports Illustrated, a famous sports periodical, in a survey revealed that 65% of the selected sample would have been less inclined to buy a brand supported by a gay athlete.
Keeping heterosexual behaviors is sometimes necessary to preserve group relationships and also guarantee the continuity of sponsorships and financial support.
Characters, such as John Amaechi (gay athlete of American basketball) and Max Clifford (former British basketball player, professional in the NBA and in Europe and gay declared) would recommend to the athletes not to make them out or to do so only very late as it could be destructive for their popularity, their success and earnings ability. It is no coincidence, in fact, that most of the gay professional athletes decide to come out at the end of his career.
Others like Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated and Jim Courier (former American tennis player and coach) think that the coming out by an athlete could almost go to his advantage: the differentiation to date would be essential to obtain sponsorship contracts.
The English association Stonewall states that, beyond the possible economic advantages, the coming out of a personality would significantly notify the self -confidence of many fans who would thus be able to not see their sexual orientation as an obstacle to professional success.
Among the most famous characters (athletes and former athletes/e) who have made out in the sports world we find: the aforementioned tennis players Martina Navrátilová and Amélie Mauresmo, Billie Jean King, the former professional American football player Performs Tuolo, the former Welsh rugby player Gareth Thomas, the former player and today manager of the NBA Rick Welts, the former boxer Emile Griffith, the diving Matthew Mitcham, the former world champion cyclist on the Graeme Obree track, the Swedish world champion specialized in the upper jump Kajsa Margareta Bergqvist, the former Alpine skier Anja Lake
On Wikipedia, to this link Find the list of all LGBT athletes who have made out out.
At the moment in the most popular sports in the world (football, baseball, basketball, hockey, tennis, volleyball, rugby) male athletes who have declared themselves gay while they were still very few. Coming out is not simple: some, like the champion Ayrton Senna, are created wives of coverage.
It is above all in the world of men's football that homosexuality still remains a taboo: in fact it represents one of the sporting activities symbol par excellence of virility and machismo. Precisely for this reason it would seem more difficult for a gay footballer to come out: the risk of becoming the object of discrimination by the fans and the media would be too big. Then there are enormous economic interests at the base of the modern football-show that leads to cover scandals, create girlfriends or coverage wives and remove the players who openly expose their homosexuality. In addition, many football contracts forbid the players to declare their sexual orientation and Fifa has issued the official ban on kissing after a goal.
Among the few players in the world to have made Out we remember Wilson Oliver, Uruguay, the first footballer to have publicly declared his homosexuality in the 80s, victim of homophobic discrimination that led him to quickly leave his football career; Justin Fashanu, black player of color, suicide who died in the 90s; Anton Hysen, the first Swedish footballer to declare himself gay in his country; Robbie Rogers, an American striker who played in England and who recently decided to come out and abandon the football world at just 25 years old.
The last gay footballer declared in the world of football, still in business, is David Text, a US Montriall Impact midfielder.
Although in women's football homosexuality is more accepted, noteworthy, the case of Eudy Simelane, captain of the South African women's national team declaredly lesbian remains. The athlete was killed in 2008 with numerous stab wounds after a "corrective" group rape in order to change his sexual orientation. This news traveled the world creating a sensation and controversy which also followed various disputes but to date the situation has returned what it was: in South Africa, although there are also very open laws, homosexuality is not tolerated and so " Cura "through religious faith and, in the case of female homosexuality, through these corrective rapes.
However, in many other countries female homosexuality is accepted without any problem in the football world: in fact, the coming out in women's football than the male football are greater and an example are Nadine Angerer, Ursula Holl, Megan Rapinoe, Sarah Walsh.
One of the reasons for these numbers is also to be found in the clear superiority of the economic interests present in the world of men's football compared to the female one.
Of the 3500 fans and professionals of the English football world who took part in a survey made by Staffordshire University in 2012, 93% said that it would not be at all against a possible coming out by professional footballers and the same percentage said also contrary to any form of homophobia. Fans also, in this survey, would glue agents and clubs for the lack of transparency of football organizations that would impose the culture of secrecy.
It would seem, on the basis of this survey, that the major obstacle in the world of football, for gay athletes, is mostly represented by agents, federations or in any case by the managerial staff rather than the fear of the reactions of the fans.
However, it is difficult to think that this percentage reflects reality.
Staffordshire University has always conducted another study out of ten declared gay men, of variable age, who work in the sports world at various levels (professional, collegiate or inside clubs) asking what their overall experience was (as current players and ex, as employees, and as fans) in the world of sport. The results were clearly contrasting and in equal percentage: five men provided very positive experiences and five men instead reported profoundly negative experiences. These results lead us to reflect on how gay experiences in sport can be much more complex and nuanced than you think.
In Italy, unlike other countries, homosexuality in the sports world still remains a strong taboo not only in football but also in any other sporting discipline. In fact, there are no examples of coming out by professional Italian athletes. And there is also no literature on the theme of homosexuality in sport, except for a book written by Alessandro Cecchi Paone and Flavio Pagano (the champion in love. Prohibited games of sport, Florence, Giunti Editore, 2012) whose preface was written From Cesare Prandelli who repeatedly declared the absurdity of the persistence of this taboo towards homosexuality especially in the Italian football world.
The publication of this book and some public statements by Cecchi Paone raised various controversies. Certainly you will remember Antonio Cassano's statements in a recent press conference. For these statements, UEFA has inflicted on him a penalty of 15,000 euros.
Also in Italy, an episode of the V-ICECORY transmission conducted by the journalist, gay declared, Paolo Colombo on La7 also made a lot of discussion in 2008. In fact, the episode was entirely dedicated to the theme of homosexuality in sport. Given the success and the great controversies found, the following week V-Irotory decided to dedicate further space to the theme. We highly invite you to the entire vision of these episodes. The links that bring you back to the first part of each episode, within the La7 website, are the following respectively:
In recent years, Lippi and Moggi have also given interviews regarding this theme, both declaring that according to them they would not exist gay in the football world.
What comforts in this climate of homophobia widespread in the sports world is the multiplication of foundations, federations, associations and sporting events LGBT, at national and international level.
Internationally, among the foundations we have for example the gay and lesbian Athletics Foundation, among the federations and sports associations we have the Federation of Gay Games, the European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation and the Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association. The latter organize the most important LGBT sporting events together with the gay and lesbian community: Gay Games, Eurogames and World Outgames. Sporting events, but also cultural, open to all those who wish to participate, regardless of sex or age provided they are in compliance with a membership of a federation recognized internationally. These events collect athletes and artists from all over the world together and many come from nations in which homosexuality still remains a punishable crime even with the death penalty.
Also in Italy we have some examples of associations, clubs, groups and sports teams from LGBT, especially in the North.
To date, however, a lot has been done to combat homophobia in the sports world in support of the equality of the LGBT community. However, Italy is an exception.
Internationally, the media inform us of continuous battles against gay discrimination in the sports world.
Recently, for example, the American basketball star Kobe Bryant had to pay a very large fine for insulting a referee in anti-gay terms. Peter Vidmar, Olympian gymnast, was excluded from the London 2012 committee for its anti-homosexual activism during the Californian referendum four years ago.
The young tennis player Laura Robson wore a gay friendly elastic during a tournament played in the Margaret Court Arena, a field dedicated to the former tennis player Margaret Court that a few days before the tournament had made for the umpteenth time of public statements against gay and cons marriages homosexual people in general.
In Canada, a campaign was launched strongly desired by Patrick Burke and his father Brian (director of the ice hockey team of the Toronto Maple Leafs), both engaged in the fight against discrimination in the world of sport and hockey in particular. Within this campaign, a magnificent spot was created that you find at the following link:
During the 2012 Superbowl, the event most followed by the Americans, one was broadcast spot of the NBA, part of a campaign to try to contrast homophobia in the sports world.
Many professional athletes have also taken a position in favor of the rights of the LGBT community including the recognition of their equality on marriage and adoptions.
David Beckham, for example, said he will not get married until gay marriages are also legalized.
Sean Avery, ice hockey player, showed his support for gay marriages in New York through one spot.
In Italy Marchisio said he was in favor of gay marriages, Mastrangelo that he was also in favor of gay adoptions, while Gattuso and Cannavaro have made their dissent public for both issues.
To conclude, in Italy it is necessary to make awareness, information and training on this issue through research, investigations, articles and books. Especially in the sports field, where everything is enlarged and emphasized, we need to create advertising campaigns that go to contrast homophobia and sexual discrimination.
In Italy we are left to accept homosexuality: our culture is still very steeped in homophobia, male chauvinism and heterosexism.
We also have models that every day feed, with repercussions also in the sports world, the stereotypes of the Macho and virile man and the weak, fragile, emotional woman and therefore considered less suitable, than men, also in sports disciplines.
In addition to a practice, sport is also a large -scale social and cultural phenomenon and has great training and educational potential, it can therefore be a vehicle for high values and ideals, an instrument of prevention and promotion of a culture to respect the differences with consequent effects also at a social and cultural level, going to reduce discriminatory and homophobic phenomena.
