Unit Six: Sexual Identity in Sport

10 Biggest ideas:

1.     Sexual Identity in Sport- This issues of being a gay or lesbian athlete, and how it affects the individual.

2.     Gender is socially constructed, not biologically constructed. This means you could be born a male but feel female, or born a female but feel male. A male does not need to be masculine, and a female does not need to be feminine.

3.     The privileges that male masculine men have in sport. Part of this privilege comes from the idea that sports are meant for men with a masculine sexuality.

4.     Hyper masculinity and sport- Being a masculine athlete means you hare strong, heterosexual, aggressive, powerful, dominating, and other masculine adjectives.

5.     Problems of being a homosexual male- fear of what others will think/ how they will treat you. There is the fear of what will happen in the locker room. There is also fear of coming out, stigmatization, and marginalization.

6.     Lesbians in sport- Intersecting gender and sexuality. There are assumptions of female athletes who are masculine. Masculine women are assumed to be lesbians. 

7.     On the other hand, there is hyper femininity- The opposite of hyper masculinity. These women are submissive, have grace and beauty.  Hyper feminine women get stereotyped as submissive.

8.     Culture of Silence- Sexuality is downplayed by the media. Many athletes, male and female, feel the need to silence their sexuality, because of the possible backlash it may have for the individual.

9.     Equality/equity in sport- This is important to have because of the backlash gay and lesbian athletes may encounter by peers and the media.

10.  The inequalities that athletes have may discourage future athletes in even joining a sport.

·      Gay and lesbian athletes have had difficult experiences in sports; partly because of the gender ideologies our society has on what it means to be a male or a female. In our society, a female is supposed to be feminine and males are supposed to be masculine, which is problematic when looking at sport athletes.  *

·      Scholarly Research Analysis Protocol: “Gender Transports: Privileging the “Natural” in Gender Testing Debates for Intersex and Transgender Athletes”

·      What structural features define this text as falling within the genre of scholarly/ academic writing? (Create a bulleted list.)

·      Scholarly authors/ books

·      What is the argument statement of this text?  (Write one sentence.)

·      The argument of the text is that higher levels of testosterone do not correlate to better athletic performance, and female athletes with intersex conditions do not have an unfair advantage. The text argues that there is no known optimal level of testosterone that ensures a high-level athletic performance.

·      Identify the jargon of this text. [Jargon is specialized terminology characteristic of a particular discipline or area of theory.]  (Use bullets.)

·      “loggerheads” – 20

1)                     “It is an argument that privileges biology as the path to legitimacy. Of course, an argument based on the grounds of biological diversity attempts to unseat the prevailing view of biological homogeneity or consistency, but it nevertheless elies on the same strategy as those who question an athlete’s gendered legitimacy,”(20).

2)                    “Whatever differences exist in androgen levels in female athletes with intersex conditions, there is no intention to deceive, to unfairly change the playing field, or to “enhance” their athletic performance in ways not permitted in competitive sports,”(20).

3)                    “Trans persons are, after all, individuals who often are “introducing foreign material” into their bodies, in addition to sometimes dramatically altering the body itself,”(20).

4)                    “Until we can begin to consider the ethical dilemmas of gender testing for intersex and transgender athletes in the same conversation, we will never be able to fully examine the range of ethical liabilities for all women athletes.”(20).

5)                    “There is a rich body of literature highlighting the concerns of transgender athletes that demonstrates a striking range of issues that match up precisely with the needs of intersex female athletes,”(20).

·      What values or views were represented in the message?

·      Values that were represented in this article were that it does not matter if you are a female athlete with intersex conditions. It is discriminating to change the playing field just because of a person that is an intersex athlete.

UNIT SIX-  STEP ONE: First, write down two or three direct excepts from President Obama that explain how he changed his original political position about recognizing the right of marriage for same sex-oriented couples in the United States.  Second, incorporate those excerpts into two or three sentences that argue why President Obama changed his position.

“In part because I thought civil unions would  be sufficient but that was something that would give people hospital visitation rights and a other elements that we take for granted”

“For a lot of people you know the marriage was something that evokes very powerful traditions, religious beliefs.”

President Obama changed his position because, after talking to friends, family, and neighbors, when I think about members of my own staff, who are incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same sex relationships, who are raising kids together, he thinks that same-sex partners should be able to get married.

STEP TWO:

Write down two or three excepts as you watch that identify the tensions that permeated U.S. society regarding individuals with same sex orientation. Afterward, compose 2-3 sentences in which you incorporate the excerpts into a statement that defines why U.S. society has changed in the way it depicts individuals with same sex orientation.

“The average homosexual, if there be such, is promiscuous.”

“He is not interested in, nor capable of, a lasting relationship like that of a heterosexual marriage.”

“The rest of your life will be living hell.”

“Homosexuals, and atheists, are not to be allowed to be registered as leaders, or members, of the Boy Scouts of America.”

There was also the issue of gay men being able to donate blood. The video mentioned how these gay men have to be tested first, in case of HIV. We still have a long way to go in our world, but have made major improvements. There are more openly gay men and women today then ever before. Gay men and women are being portrayed positively in the media, such as movies and television. The video talks about why the U.S. society has changed in the way it depicts individuals with same sex orientation. One man talked about how you cannot just discriminate a group of people because of their orientation. Gay men and women are able to adopt, where there was a ban at one point.  The Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy has expired.

STEP THREE:

 “So why is it that sports world still lacking when the law says it needn’t be, and logic says it shouldn’t be.”

“It’s absurd to think of just how many athletes today might be feeling compelled to essentially hide in plain sight at game we all enjoy, simply because of their sexual orientation.”

“Jocks don’t like to talk about homosexuality, and when they do its often crude terms.”

Gumbel talks heavily on how absurd it is that in today’s sports world (this was back in 2011 but sill relates to today), being gay is something to almost be ashamed about as an athlete. He talks about how athletes feel compelled to hide in plain sight because of their sexual orientation.

STEP FOUR:

This was a great video. The argument of this video was that being a heterosexual or a homosexual is not something that you choose.  I liked how one of the women said how it’s not a choice, but it just chooses itself. We aren’t always necessarily “born gay”, but it could just happen naturally as you get older. It’s something that we cannot control, and nobody else can control it for you.

STEP FIVE:

This is the first time I have ever heard of this film. One contradiction that the film presents about same sex orientation that is portrayed in the film is, how being gay is just experimental. If you are a woman feeling attracted to another women, it’s just a “phase”. Once the right man comes along, everything will be back to normal. This sends the wrong image to society, especially younger men and women who are going through changes, and not sure if they are straight or gay.  Also, one of the women in the film says how she is guilty for being attracted to another woman. Why does this make a person guilty?

STEP SIX:

I have never seen this film, but have seen the documentary in the seminar I took my junior year.  I think there is still progress that needs to be done in the U.S. regarding same sex orientation.  I believe their needs to be a more positive outlook on being part of the LBGTQIA community. There needs to be more roles played in movies and television as well, since the media is run by heterosexual white, able-bodied, males.  There needs to be more representations in schools, starting as young as elementary, so kids understand what they are going through it normal, and does not make them abnormal.

STEP SEVEN:

I have never heard of this project, but find it amazing. The athletes who are endorsing the You Can Play Project are hoping to accomplish equality and justice in sports. Some of the athletes say that we are all on the court together, and if you have a will to win, you have a place on our team. It does not matter what color your skin is, what gender you are, what sexual orientation you have, you have a place on our team. The athletes state that there is no place for discrimination. My favorite line is at the end, which stated, “if you can serve, you can serve. If you can swim, you can swim.  If you can fence, you can fence. If you can play, you can play.” This was a powerful video to watch, and should get more coverage around the world.

STEP EIGHT:

The Supreme Court verdict was historic for many reasons. As Feinstein stated, “when DOMA was passed fifteen years ago, not a single state supported same-sex marriage. Now you have six states, plus the District of Columbia that changes the argument. “ Same-sex parents are able to adopt children who may have never been adopted. Same sex marriages are being legalized, and finally getting the rights and benefits that heterosexual couples have always gotten.

STEP NINE:

This was such a great article, and Jason Collins is an inspiration. He is an athlete that young boys should look up too. I think Jason points out perfectly how our cultural climate of sport in contemporary U.S. society portrays same sex orientation.  Collin’s said, “When I was younger I dated women. I even got engaged. I thought I had to live a certain way. I thought I needed to marry a woman and raise kids with her. I kept telling myself the sky was red, but I always knew it was blue.” We have this idea in our society that there are only certain ways to live. One includes the idea of masculinity and femininity. You are male, which means you must be masculine and if you are feminine you must be female.  We have an idea from young ages that you are supposed to be attracted and be with the opposite sex. Collins’ talks about how he thought he had to live a certain way, just as many people do in the society in which we live in today. “Now I'm a free agent, literally and figuratively. I've reached that enviable state in life in which I can do pretty much what I want. And what I want is to continue to play basketball. I still love the game, and I still have something to offer. My coaches and teammates recognize that. At the same time, I want to be genuine and authentic and truthful.” This statements gives hope to all boys and girls out there, who are feeling uncomfortable in their own skin. He clarifies that he is finally free by becoming open about his sexuality. I want to end with this quote that Jason had in this article which stated,   “I've endured years of misery and gone to enormous lengths to live a lie. I was certain that my world would fall apart if anyone knew. And yet when I acknowledged my sexuality I felt whole for the first time.” Many people in today’s world fear for what may happen if they come out to the world. Will my family, friends, co-workers, teammates, betray me? You have to put all these questions behind you, and just come out to the world. It may not be an easy task to do, but it is what will set you free.