Gay men, well-being, and sport participation: A phenomenological analysis

ABSTRACT

There is a growing interest among scholars and practitioners in LGBTQ+ experiences in sport and leisure. To add to that growing body of literature, the purpose of this study was to explore how gay men navigate potentially stressful environments and derive experiences of well-being, and to gather phenomenological accounts of how gay men derive and experience well-being through sports participation. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, data were collected through semi-structured interviews over Microsoft Teams with nine gay men between the ages of 32 and 43. The participants were all living in Canada and the United States and are currently involved in team sports. Superordinate themes that capture the overall phenomenon were constructed. These were Sports and Living Authentically, and Sports as an Escape. The data demonstrated the complexity of gay men’s experiences of well-being. The findings highlight how gay men derive experiences of well-being from sports participation and the roles stressors play in these processes. This study provides a deeper theoretical understanding of the experiences of gay men participating in sports, as well as highlighting how gay men derive positive outcomes from these experiences.

KEYWORDS:

• gay men
• sports participation
• well-being
• interpretative phenomenological analysis
• social environments

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jake Quinton

Jake Quinton, MA, is a recent graduate of the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at Brock University and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Sport Management at the University of Masschusetts, Amherst. Jake’s research focuses on exploring and understanding GBTQ+ athlete experiences in sport environments. Jake is particularly interested in exploring how sport organizers can create genuinely inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ athletes.

Kyle Rich

Kyle Rich, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at Brock University. Kyle’s research looks at the impact of policy, community and both inclusion and exclusion on experiences in sport, recreation and physical activity programming. Kyle is particularly interested in using community-based and participatory research methodologies to help community organizers understand and address local issues in efforts to improve community health.