[[alternative]]Studies of the consideration of the lesbians to participate in sports, identity, volition to come out and the willingness to participate in sports

Abstract

[[abstract]]This research aimed to explore the present situation and the consideration of the lesbians to participate in sports, their identity, their volition to come out and the willingness to participate in sport.. Data collected through the use of a specially designed paper and internet questionnaire of 282 lesbians, and in depth interviews from 11 of them, were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, F-test, scheffe, Pearson's correlation, and stepwise regression, and concluded from the results of the contents of the statistic data and the interview : 1. The sports environment in Taiwan was considerably friendly to lesbians, and lesbians were rather active in sports fields. The salary per month, record of normal schooling, sports skill level, and frequency of sports-taking of these lesbians is sports were also comparably higher than females and other lesbians in Taiwan in general. Lesbians of different sex belongings present life styles in great variety in sports. 2. Two major factors of the lesbians participating in sports were "sports demands" and "identity and activity of the lesbian ". They thought participation in sports had a positive influence on their identity of the lesbians. They had the most willingness to come out in sports gatherings, however, had the least willingness to come out in usual sports occasions. 3. This study confirmed the positive correlations among the consideration to participate in sports, identity, and the occasions to come out. These three factors also affect the willingness and behaviors of the lesbians to participate in sports. The most predictive factors of the willingness of the lesbians to participate in sports were "sports demands", "identity and activity of lesbians", "social identity", and "the situation for the lesbians to come out in sports gatherings".