Context, temporality and biography in shaping a gay man's sporting experiences: A case study from Norway

There is little empirical research on the sports experiences of LGB individuals in Norway, a country that is considered highly egalitarian in terms of sexual diversity. This article examines how the sporting experiences of a gay man are shaped through the interplay of social context, historical time, and individual biographical conditions. The analysis draws on a single case study based on a biographical-narrative interview with a self-identified gay Norwegian man and reconstructs his sporting experiences across different contexts from adolescence to adulthood. The findings obtained through a thematic analysis show that his experiences in physical education were largely positive, primarily because his athletic competence functioned as a source of social acceptance. Nevertheless, he refrained from sports club participation during adolescence because of anticipated discrimination. His decision to join a club at the age of 35 emerged from a constellation of interrelated changes, including his evolving relationship with his sexual orientation, increased self-confidence regarding his sexuality, and perceived societal shifts in the acceptance of LGB individuals in Norway. By highlighting the temporal and contextual dynamics of one sporting biography, the study demonstrates how sporting experiences are shaped by the complex interaction of broader societal changes and individual life-course processes.