Bisexual Erasure in the British Print Media: Representation of Tom Daley's Coming Out

ABSTRACT

In December 2013, British Olympic diver Tom Daley announced that he had begun dating a man but was still attracted to women. In doing so he became the highest profile male athlete to disclose that he has bisexual attractions. This article provides a textual analysis of the British print media's reaction in the week after Daley's ‘coming out’ announcement and examines whether the portrayal of him is consistent with the inclusive response to gay male athletes who have come out of the closet in recent years. Results indicate almost unanimous support for Daley's decision to come out. However, highlighting the processes of bisexual erasure, much of the print media labelled Daley as gay—rather than bisexual. This article thus highlights that the print media is ostensibly supportive of male sexual minority athletes, but the evidence we present suggests that the media are simultaneously significant in erasing bisexuality as a legitimate sexual orientation.

KEYWORDS:

• Bisexuality
• bisexual erasure
• diving
• media
• celebrity
• inclusive masculinity

Notes

1. Although legislation permitting same-sex marriage in England and Wales was passed in 2013, the first same-sex weddings did not take place until March 2014. In Scotland, legislation was passed and came into force in the same year.

2. While Tom Daley may not have publicly declared himself as ‘bisexual’, we argue that his comments in his ‘coming out’ speech are evidence that he identifies as such.

3. Best evidencing this, the most recent social attitude survey data in the UK has indicated that only 22% of those sampled believe same-sex sex to be ‘always wrong’, compared to 64% in 1987. Similar patterns have emerged in the US, where Pew data has reflected the shift toward inclusivity.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rory Magrath

Rory Magrath is the author of Inclusive Masculinities in Contemporary Football: Men in the Beautiful Game (Routledge, 2016) and coauthor of Out in Sport: The Experiences of Openly Gay and Lesbian Athletes in Competitive Sport (Routledge, 2016). He is currently senior lecturer in the School of Sport, Health and Social Sciences at Southampton Solent University. His research focuses on decreasing homophobia and the changing nature of contemporary masculinities, with a specific focus on professional football.

Jamie Cleland

Jamie Cleland is the author of A Sociology of Football in a Global Context (Routledge, 2015) and coauthor of Football's Dark Side: Corruption, Homophobia, Violence and Racism in the Beautiful Game (Palgrave, 2014). He is a senior lecturer in the social science department at Loughborough University, United Kingdom, and writes widely on issues of sexuality, masculinity, and homophobia in professional men's football.

Eric Anderson

Eric Anderson is professor of sport, masculinities and sexualities at the University of Winchester, United Kingdom. He holds four degrees, has published 14 books, and more than 60 peer-reviewed journal articles. His research is regularly featured in international television, print and digital media.