The impacts of discriminatory experiences on lesbian, gay and bisexual people in sport

This study examines the nature and impact of sexist and homophobic discrimination experienced by lesbians, gays and bisexuals (LGB) in Australian sporting settings. A mixed methods online survey was utilized to collate participant experiences. The findings suggest that, in sport, participants experienced sexism directly and systemically, and homophobia explicitly and implicitly. Women experienced sexism and homophobia, whilst men reported more homophobic events. The most mentioned impacts of discrimination were negative emotions such as sadness, anger, distress and shame, followed by negative engagement with sport such as disliking sport, or avoiding or leaving sport. The well-recognized benefits of sport such as physical and mental well-being, social connections, enjoyment, positive identity and achievement may be more difficult to realize within this context of significant social stress

Knowledge, Gender and Power in Physical-Education Teacher-Education

This paper is part of a larger study which looked at the social construction of knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and practices in a physical education teacher education program. Through participant observations and interviews, texts of pedagogy were read in terms of their gendered discourses. Specifically the discourses associated with staffing patterns, students' physicality and body image, social interaction patterns, course knowledge, and research foci and how notions of 'the body' underpin these were examined. Analyses suggested that the female students were marginalised by the dominant discourses although there was resistance from some faculty and students. The conclusion is drawn that the teacher education program perpetuated masculine hegemony. It thus contributed to limiting the voice of women physical educators and the potential of all graduates to challenge the sexist structures within physical education and the teaching profession