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| About
Homophobia |
Homophobia is an irrational fear or intolerance of lesbians and gay men (conscious or unconscious). The world of sport is extremely homophobic and this homophobia affects the sport experience in countless negative ways. In Canada, where homosexuals have full equality rights and where lesbian and gay issues are frequently discussed in mainstream society, the topic of homosexuality in sport is rarely raised. Lesbians and gays in sport are virtually invisible, their existence seldom acknowledged. In the rare situations where an athlete or coach does ‘come out’, reactions are typically negative and such individuals receive little or no support from their sport leaders or sport governing bodies. Canada is a leader in promoting a sport environment that is safe and welcoming. Harassment, bullying, violence and homophobia make sport exclusive and unsafe, and undermine the powerful potential of sport to contribute to personal, social and community development. Addressing the issue of homophobia in sport is thus very timely given Canada’s inclusive stance on minority rights as well as the Canadian sport system’s overall strategy of making the sport environment, and the sport experience, safe and welcoming. CAAWS has started this work to initiate discussion about addressing homophobia in sport. CAAWS views it as a first step in a longer-term strategy to reduce homophobia in Canadian sport and to make sport an inclusive and safe place for all participants. Part of CAAWS’ mandate is to promote participation in sport by girls and women. Homophobia in sport is often an obstacle to participation, presenting barriers and challenges to individuals, both homosexual and heterosexual. In particular, many girls and women shy away from sport out of fear they will be perceived as lesbians. While this initiative addresses homophobia in general terms, as it applies to both females and males, CAAWS’ priority is to improve the conditions for females in sport and it is with this objective in mind that CAAWS has prepared this material. After a series of consultations with lesbian athletes, coaches and administrators working in the Canadian sport community – many of them still closeted, CAAWS commissioned a position paper on homophobia in sport, and published “Seeing the Invisible, Speaking about the Unspoken”. CAAWS also developed workshops and educational sessions for the Canadian sport community, and trained both facilitators and presenters from across Canada to deliver these workshops and information sessions in both official languages. There are a variety of steps which can be taken to begin addressing homophobia in sport. These include:
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