Gender and Homophobia in Sport: A review of the Literature

... Gender and Homophobia in Sport: A review of the Literature This review of the literature suggests that women athletes who play traditionally male identified sport are often stigmatized as lesbians because it makes them too "mannish" (Pharr, 1996) or "ugly as a dyke" (Broad, 2001). I chose this topic because I play women's rugby and I have experienced this "She's too good to be a girl, she must be gay" label firsthand and decided to do some research on it. The review begins with a brief history of women's development in sports, an overview of sport in a social context and how it reflects patriarchal structure. It then moves to research and discussions focusing on gender and homophobia in sport, and in particular women athletes playing male-identified sports. Throughout much of history women have been perceived as inferior to men and have been denied access to equal opportunities in most

want to read more? →