A new report has found homophobia continues to run rampant in sports with over 45 per cent of LGBT athletes having experienced some form of verbal abuse.
Victoria University worked with Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria (GLHV) to survey 293 LGB and 14 transgender sportspeople to produce the ‘Come Out to Play’ report.
Coming out in mainstream sports turned up unsurprising results with almost half of the survey not out as LGBT to their sporting group.
46 per cent of them weren’t out at all; 33 per cent were out to some while only 21 per cent were out to everyone as a member of the LGBT community.
Women generally fared better in both team and individual sports, with researchers suggesting a certain respect toward lesbians for their sporting success from their team mates.
However, more than half of the female participants experienced verbal homophobia compared to just one third of men.
Fear of judgment and persecution ranked as a leading factor for those remaining closeted while uncertainty over sexuality followed suit.
Co-author and president of Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria, Anne Mitchell said this report was the first to examine homophobia in Australian sports.
‘We saw a lot of research from overseas that indicated that participation in sport was limited for LGBT people, generally due to homophobia,’ Mitchell said.
‘Anecdotal evidence in the media was starting to build up but we just didn’t have any kind of evidence to show the sporting bodies.’
Perhaps the most controversial media coverage of late has been the comments from AFL star Jason Akermanis that were coincidentally published on the same day as the report’s release.
However, Mitchell was generally supportive of the Akermanis’ comments, as she believed they addressed, even highlighted the issue of homophobia in sport.
With only 44 per cent of men likely to be involved in team sports, Mitchell said gay men were disheartened to play team sports due to the same reasons Akermanis suggested.
‘They don’t feel safe in a team environment and are self-conscious in situations like the change room,’ Mitchell said.
Coincidentally, 45 per cent of males wanted to play AFL; the leading sport that gay men wanted to play but felt they couldn’t.
According to the report, only 12 per cent of participants from mainstream clubs knew of policies that promote the safety and inclusion of the LGBT community.
To combat the current state of homophobia in sports, the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) has partnered with the Victorian Equal Opportunities and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC).
A new 12-month pilot program began this month to find effective ways to create safe and welcoming sports environments.
The partnership plans to saturate one sporting code with a range of resources and information to address homophobia in the athletic community.
ASC Sports Performance and Development Assistant Director, Nadine Cohen said that a recent national survey of same-sex attracted young people identified that the second-most threatening environment for abuse was within sport.
‘We are working with the VEOHRC to affect cultural and behavioural change in sport across many areas including bullying and harassment, player well-being and discrimination, with a focus on addressing homophobia.’
A VEOHRC spokesperson said the ASC was investing $150,000 into the new ‘Integrity in Sport’ project, aimed at reducing the impact of homophobia in a sporting code.
The particular sport is yet to be announced but the VEOHRC has said that other sporting codes such as AFL will be consulted.
Benn Dorrington
