GENDER AND SPORTS

Participation

Most sports around the world have been defined as men’s activities and women have been excluded or discouraged from participating in many sports through most of the 20th century

The single most dramatic change in the world of sports in the past generation has been the increase and participation of girls and women in sport

Reasons for an Increase in Participation

New Opportunities Prior to 1970’s women did not play sports

because sport teams did not exist New opportunities have come from political

pressure or gov’t legislation Gov’t Equal Rights Legislation *Title IX of the Educational Amendment of 1972 *Official rights in other countries are controlled

by men who often see participation as disruptive of the social and moral order

Reasons for an Increase in Participation

Global Women’s Rights Movement Has emphasized that females are enhanced as

human beings when they develop their intellectual and physical abilities

Has redefined occupational/family roles Has fueled national/international political

action Expanding Health and Fitness Movement Awareness has encouraged women to seek

opportunities to play sports Muscles are more widely accepted

Reasons for an Increase in Participation

Increased Media Coverage Seeing women on tv and

reading about them encourage women and girls to be active

1999 World Cup/1996 Olympic Games

Women make up half of the world’s population and half of the world’s consumers

NBC experienced high ratings when it targeted women during the 175 hours of coverage of the Atlanta Olympics

Magnificent 7 Documentary: Anything To Win

Reasons to be Cautious When Predicting Future Participation

Budget cutbacks (#1 reason $$$$) Resistance to gov’t regulations Backlash among those who resent

changes favoring strong women Continued emphasis on “cosmetic

fitness” Homophobia and the fear of being

labeled “lesbian”

Gender Fairness

Women/girls have been steered into sports unrelated to strength, power and speed—the traits associated with masculinity

Olympic sports figures IOC had no women members from 1894-1981 1984- women could run the marathon in the

games, “Women need to be protected from these demanding events”

HS in GA are far from complying with the law Gender Equity - Georgia's Title IX Companion Law T

argets Rampant Gender Inequities

Inequality

Female athletes in most N. America hs and colleges seldom receive the same support enjoyed by the boys and men

Gender trends for US college coaching and administration

Over 90% of all national team coaches are men

IOC is only made up of 10% females

Reasons for Underrepresentation

Men have well established connections Most women don’t have strategic

professional connections and networks to compete with males

Support systems and professional development are scarce

Perceptions There's No Crying in Baseball

Seldom organized to be sensitive to the family responsibilities

Sexual harassment is more likely to be anticipated

Promoting Gender Equity

Confront discriminatory practices Insist on fair and open employment Keep a gender equity report card Recruit and train women to fill positions Create a supportive network for women Use women’s hiring networks

Homophobia and Challenges Faced

Gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered people are seen as being outside of normative boundaries and the same is true in sports

The myth that all female athletes are lesbians has been used for nearly a century to exclude and discourage women from playing sports

Myths have created a sense of loneliness and isolation, combined with fears about being outed

Myths have created forms of discrimination experienced by lesbians seeking jobs or promotions

Created fears among heterosexual women about relating to lesbian teammates and coaches

Identity Mang’t Strategies

Lesbians are faced with one of these: Being completely in the closet Passing as heterosexual Covering lesbian identity Being “out” by not covering identity in all

situations Being “out” by revealing identity to

trusted others Being an open lesbian in sports and the

rest of their lives

Lesbians

Often choose the “don’t rock the boat” strategy

Open lesbians must be prepared to handle everything from angry hostility to cautious acceptance

Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova lost millions of endorsement money when they came out

Gay Men in Sports Men’s sports have always been key for

reproducing dominant forms of masculinity There has been much at stake in maintaining

silence about gay men and discourages athletes from revealing their identities

Message to boys, “Don’t be gay and don’t play like a girl”

Heterosexual men have developed threatening antigay locker room talk that keep gay men in the closet

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel: 2010 Review - Gays in Sports

Esera Tuaolo on Gay Slurs

NBA player Jason Collins