Homosexual Athletes: An Analysis Of Gender Stereotypes

They wear nice dresses, fix their hair, paint their faces, and behave in a feminine manner in order to attempt to dispel the ever-present myth that they are homosexual (Ross and Shinew, 2008). After the end of World War II, women who participated in working class sporting events were often targeted by the public as lesbians. It was a belief of some that because these women were not seen as attractive to men, they became uninterested in their attention. Babe Didrikson, a famous track star in the early 1900s, was often criticized for her mannish appearance and attitude despite her incredible abilities on the field. Even after she retired to marry a professional wrestler and then came back as a golfer, the attention of the public focused on her transformation from a “man-hater” to a wife rather than her achievements as an athlete. However, most of this attitude was directed at white females as African American females, even athletes, were seen as stereotypically, heterosexually promiscuous despite being referred to as mannish and aggressive. That is when these females were even recognized by the white public (Cahn, 1993). …show more content…
The majority of heterosexual sportswomen want to be found attractive by men. The pressure to be seen as sexually appealing and demonstrate a socially acceptable level of femininity actually prevents these females from performing to the best of their ability. Though a large amount of effort goes into suppressing the stereotypical idea that female athletes participating in certain sports have a specific sexual orientation, there has not been a large enough change in the way that the public views these women’s sports. Women athletes should not have to put this much effort into pleasing society, they should be accepted as they