Homophobia and Women's Sport: The Disempowerment of Athletes

One means to discredit women who engage in nontraditional gender role behavior, and thus challenge the prevailing patriarchal and heterosexist normative system, is to label them lesbian. This strategy is particularly effective given the homophobic attitudes so prevalent in society. Women athletes, in particular, are susceptible targets of lesbian labeling because of the historical linkage of masculinity with athleticism. The present study explores the dynamics of how this labeling of women athletes as lesbians and the accompanying homophobia fostering this label impact female intercollegiate athletes. Based on in-depth telephone interviews with 24 athletes, two major themes emerged: (1) a silence surrounding the issue of lesbianism in women's sport, and (2) athletes' internalization of societal stereotypes concerning lesbians and women athletes. These two processes disempower women athletes as they detract from the self-actualizing potential of sport participation. Paralleling other socially marginalized groups, women athletes internalize their oppression and adopt blame the victim strategies.