What do we know about the sporting experiences of gender and sexual minority athletes and coaches? A scoping review

ABSTRACT

Scholarship on gender and sexual diversity in sport has advanced during the last decade and it is nowadays recognised that we need a better understanding of how to facilitate inclusive sport cultures that allow all people to participate as themselves. The purpose of this scoping review was to map research activity on the sporting experiences of gender and sexual minority (GSM) athletes and coaches, identify gaps in the literature and provide suggestions for future research, policy and practice. Our literature search in four different databases yielded 58 relevant studies. Based on their focal areas, five dominant interconnected themes were identified: (1) identity, (2) discrimination, (3) coming out, (4) the body and (5) strategies for social change. More research is needed on bisexual, transgender and intersex athletes, on GSM coaches and junior athletes, as well as on the intersection of gender and sexuality with other identities and social categories of difference. Combining anti-discrimination policy implementation with gender and sexual diversity education for all those involved in sport could lead to positive changes in some of the issues that GSM athletes and coaches face in sport.

KEYWORDS:

• Diversity
• gender identity
• LGBTIQ
• sexuality
• sport

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education and Culture in Finland under grant number: OKM/75/626/2018.