Attitudes toward gay, lesbian and bisexual athletes who reveal their sexual orientation in sport-related contexts

Abstract

Scientific literature has reported that sport environments are generally hostile toward coming-out of gay, lesbian and bisexual (LGB) athletes. The present study tested gender and sexual orientation differences in negative attitudes toward coming-out in Italian sport contexts. An ad hoc measure, developed for the current study, was used for evaluating negative attitudes toward coming-out in sports related contexts. A sample of 75 Italian soccer players (61.3% heterosexuals and 38.7% LGB athletes) was used to verify two hypotheses; (a) men and heterosexuals will show more negative attitudes toward coming-out in sports related contexts than women and sexual minorities will, respectively; and (b) elite players will show more negative attitudes than non-elite players. The results showed that men and heterosexuals reported more negative attitudes toward coming-out in sports-related contexts than women and sexual minorities did, respectively There were no significant differences between elite players and non-elite players These results suggest that negative attitudes toward coming-out may reflect heterosexism and homophobia in Italian sport-related contexts. It is necessary to promote anti-discriminatory policies in order to reduce prejudice toward LGB people in Italian sports-related contexts.