Masculinity Theory And Homosexuality In Sport

Masculinity Theory reinforces the stereotype that a gay man is feminine and therefore cannot be masculine (Kimmel, 1997). These perceptions help form the contradiction at hand, that a man cannot be gay and play a masculine sport such as football or hockey. In other words since the masculinity theory is stating that in order to be masculine you can’t be feminine, while you also can not be feminine and play a popular male sport in the United States. Ultimately it comes down the fact that a homosexual in sport is required to stay closeted because of the fear that if
MEDIA PERCEPTIONS OF MALE HOMOSEXUAL ATHLETES 9 they show even a small amount of feminism then there gender and their masculinity will be put into question by their teammates (Dusenbery,