The and Olympic Games had the most openly gay athletes take part than ever before in human history and the general perception is that sports are becoming more accepting of gay athletes. However, a majority of gay people perceive sports to be unsafe and exclusive, with many athletes going to great lengths to conceal their sexual orientation or quitting sports altogether. There is plenty of research that establishes the existence of homophobia within sports and that it is a widespread, systematic problem; but what are the psychological effects of this homophobia on the athletes who take part despite their sexual orientation. There is currently very little research that goes in depth into this topic, so for this paper we are examining the how homophobia affects sports performance via its impact on mental health. That is, we established that direct and indirect homophobic discrimination in sports has a negative effect on mental health, which in turn leads to lower performance output. Gay American People Gap implications of this are important to inspire more research into this topic and help build more effective intervention strategies to deal with it. The issue in regard to the inclusivity and acceptance of gay and lesbian athletes in sports has been heating up lately as we are seeing more athletes in individual sports taking the steps to come out and compete as openly gay. Major professional sports teams in the NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA and Gay American People Gap have been showing support by hosting various Pride Night events, some of which include prominent displays of rainbow flags, appearances by LGBTQI sports teams and athlete panels. In some cases, funding and sponsoring LGBTQI organizations and events. In addition, several sports companies and corporations have been working to promote their various Pride products in an effort to show their willingness to be LGBTQI inclusive. Companies such as Nike and Brooks Running Company have even taken it a step further by investing in LGBTQI sports clubs and events to promote LGBTQI inclusion in sports. Yet, as of Junethere is only one openly gay male athlete in the five US major professional sports leagues and zero in Europe who are still on an active roster. In sports, it is important for teams to have all their athletes be able to perform at their best levels. In this article, we are digging deeper into the psychological effects of homophobic discrimination and its impact on the mental health of athletes that drive their participation and performance in sports. First, we will examine the state of the relationship between sports and the LGBTQI community, athletes who are openly gay, experiences of discrimination in sports and the consequences of said discrimination. Secondly, we will examine the sociological research on homophobia within sports, how sports are perceived to gay people, different ways homophobia manifests itself within team and sports environments. Fourthly, we will dive into the research on the effects of homophobia on mental health, examining how students specifically are affected by direct and indirect homophobic discrimination that puts them at an increased risk of developing mental health issues. Finally, we will bridge the gap from homophobia to sports performance by examining the effects of mental health on sports performance. But without understanding what pride truly means or understanding what really counts when it comes to LGBTQI inclusion in sports. The overall effort though is falling short of creating any deeper level change within the culture of sports and behavior of athletes. This pushes the burden onto athletes who must choose whether to put their own health, careers, personal lives and dignity at risk for coming out. A risk that continues to have divesting impacts for the athletes. Athletes such as skier Gus Ken worthy, figure skater Adam Rippon and diver Tom Daley have found much success in coming out and remaining active in their sports. Yet, those athletes compete in individual sports where the overall risk is lower, and the reward is significantly better. Within team sports, the only gay athletes who have had success in coming out while active in their careers are MLS players Robbie Rogers and Colin Martin. Yet, with soccer being such a low-profile sport in the United States, there is a relatively low risk for those athletes to be open. Athletes such as Michael Sam and Jason Collins who came out in the NHL and NBA respectfully faced a much higher risk in coming out. Michael Sam banked his entire professional football career in becoming the first openly gay NFL player when he was successfully drafted to the Rams, only to be cut after a few weeks. Jason Collins waited until the end of his professional basketball career to come out, and the last year of his career it was uncertain as to whether or not a team would draft him after becoming a free agent. He finally Gay American People Gap on with the Brooklyn Nets at the last minute and mostly stayed on the bench for his last season before officially retiring. Justin Fashanu the first openly gay professional athlete to come out while still active in any sport was unofficially blacklisted from professional soccer Gay American People Gap he came out in Yet, for professional athletes there are so many more variables to deal with including a sports environment built to discourage such levels of self-expression. The higher the profile of the athlete, team, or sport, the bigger the risk. It is a risk and distraction that most teams, coaches and managers are incapable and unwilling to deal with [1]. Gay American People Gap as recent as JulyRockies outfielder Ian Desmond is making a statement of sitting out this MLB season, risking his entire professional career over the racist, sexist and homophobic discriminatory culture present within his own team and the perpetuation of that same culture across the MLB. We know that discrimination is present, but nobody is asking what are the psychological effects of these discriminatory cultures on the athletes who are forced to work and live in it. Current Research on Homophobic Discrimination in Sports. Digging even deeper, sports in general is simply not a very welcoming and inclusive place for LGBTQI athletes to participate in. Research has shown that high school students who identify as LGBTQI are statistically less like to participate in sports than their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts [2]. People who identify as gay men are more likely to drop out of sports than their heterosexual counterparts [3]. The primary reason for this disparity of participation between gay athletes versus straight athletes is the high levels of fear, bullying, and victimization of being openly gay within a sports context. These are stressors that really take a toll on the mental health of the athletes most affected by this discrimination. This is fear is certainly confounded due to the use of homophobic language and attitudes within sports. A study of high school students showed that males who participate in core sports such as football, basketball, baseball and soccer are three times more likely to express homophobic attitudes than people who do not participate in those sports [4]. A lot of these attitudes are rooted within toxic masculine and heterosexist identities that are present in sports culture.
Springer Professional. Out on the Fields: The first international study on homophobia in sport. Surveyed rugby players in Australia and found a disconnect between what people say and what people think when it comes to homophobia in sports. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the implications of queer Mile End for theorizing the contemporary queer inner-city. This conceptualization is consequential for theory, practice, and political activism, and ends the main body of this edited volume on a more ambitious note.
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For example, lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people counter the gendered expectation that people of the same gender cannot have relationships with each other. People who identify as gay men are more likely to drop out of sports than their heterosexual counterparts [3]. The primary reason for this. Klawitter's () meta-analysis shows that lesbians gain a premium of 9% on average while gay men gain a penalty of 11% on average. Objectives: People marginalized based on their sexual and gender identity face specific health risks and experience barriers to culturally.PDF Zum Volltext. It is also different from racist language and slurs in that, unlike racism, the victim in this circumstance is invisible and leads athletes to hide their sexual orientation, degrades their mental health and self-worth, makes them feel alienated and even quit sports altogether. Regardless of their personal opinions on LGB lifestyles, it is their responsibility is to ensure the health and wellbeing of their athletes during practice and competition. TechTarget, Inc. The socio-spatial consequences of the novel coronavirus will be a confluence of positive and negative developments, and while some will be reversed as soon as an effective vaccine is found, others will linger indelibly in bodies and the built environment for years to come. We use two cases from relatively under-studied regions; Atlanta and Istanbul to illustrate the utility of this framework. Big cities are now open for business to the community in a way that separation is no longer in a community's best interest. It is also important to recognize the role of the fulfillment of basic psychological needs based upon Self Determination Theory within a sports context and how it can influence mental toughness on the performance output for athletes. In addition to a change in the location where LGBT business owners set up shop, the NGLCC also notes that the shift is prompting different types of businesses to emerge. Companies such as Nike and Brooks Running Company have even taken it a step further by investing in LGBTQI sports clubs and events to promote LGBTQI inclusion in sports. Some analysts have used US Census same-sex partner data to make judgments about LGBTQ neighborhoods. A study of high school students showed that males who participate in core sports such as football, basketball, baseball and soccer are three times more likely to express homophobic attitudes than people who do not participate in those sports [4]. Town is the latest casualty in a series of well-known gay and lesbian bars that have been closing in D. Homophobic behavior exists and is persistent within sports but for those who are unaffected by such discrimination, there is little acknowledgement that such behavior exists in sports due to the normalization of it and the low visibility of openly gay athletes. Even as recent as July , Rockies outfielder Ian Desmond is making a statement of sitting out this MLB season, risking his entire professional career over the racist, sexist and homophobic discriminatory culture present within his own team and the perpetuation of that same culture across the MLB. However, it is unclear how exactly male same-sex couples are spatially reorganizing within desegregating cities. In: Sports medicine. LGB and questioning students in schools: The moderating effects of homophobic bullying and school climate on negative outcomes. Coaches and sports psychologists have a direct influence on the culture that they create within their teams that drives the development of their athletes. It is crucial that coaches and sports psychologists have the training and education to build a healthy and inclusive team culture that will reduce the incidences and drive increased participation and visibility of LGB athletes. Please select at least one newsletter. Print ISBN Coaches guide the social environment and culture of their team and athletes. The overall effort though is falling short of creating any deeper level change within the culture of sports and behavior of athletes. Finally, we will bridge the gap from homophobia to sports performance by examining the effects of mental health on sports performance. Beginning in , COVID produced shock-shifts that were felt across the globe, not least at the level of the local neighborhood. This chapter uses data from the and Decennial Censuses to investigate neighborhood-level changes within desegregating cities. Yet the capitalist logic that drives this thinking often trades the physical threat of exclusion or violence for an existential one, jeopardizing a distinctive culture that remains valuable in the self-realization process of local queer citizens. Copyright-Jahr J Gay and Lesbian Mental Health. We know that discrimination is present, but nobody is asking what are the psychological effects of these discriminatory cultures on the athletes who are forced to work and live in it. Alex Bitterman Prof. Recommended Reading There goes the gaybourhood: why gay areas in cities may disappear Financial Times DC's Gayborhoods Are Disappearing. In addition, a higher percentage of gay male participants reported experiences of homophobic behavior when compared to lesbians.
