You run like a girl!
Man up! Weak!
The world of sport is one that directly and indirectly dictates who can participate and how they should present themselves.
Man -mark!
She's too muscular for a girl!
Explore the stories of Sunil, Parul and Aditi to learn about how their gender identity and the use of gendered language has influenced their experience of sports.
These stories are based on real life experiences of 4 queer individuals who were interviewed for this project.
SUNIL
He/Him
Football player
I have been playing sports all my life. Sport has given me the space to express who I am and what I am capable of. I have had a tough time explaining who I am to my peers in college. Even my coach doesn’t understand my identity.
I started out playing in the women’s teams before I came out but I feel very alone, even though I play a team sport.
I have been playing sports all my life. Sport has given me the space to express who I am and what I am capable of. I have had a tough time explaining whoI am to my peers in college. Even my coach doesn’t understand my identity.
I am tired of getting asked questions like ‘why did you cut your hair?’, ‘why are you acting/dressing like a boy?’, ‘ Why are you using this washroom?’
I started out playing in the women’s teams before I came out but I feel very alone, even though I play a team sport.
I am tired of getting asked questions like why did you cut your hair, why are you acting/dressing like a boy? Why are you using this washroom?
Now I play in a team that accepts/ celebrates/ supports me and my identity. And it has given me the confidence to be the best athlete I can be.
PARUL
He/They
Disheartened
Sportsperson
I have always been overwhelmed by sports. Growing up it felt like there was no space for me in it. I could never relate to the stereotypical hyper -masculine personality associated with sports.
You run like a girl!
Why don’t you man up!
It never felt like a safe or comfortable space for me, in fact I was bullied for being effeminate and for being shy about my body especially in changing rooms.
Thanks to this, I never really explored sports. I never got the opportunity to develop my skills or to experience the sense of community and belonging that comes with participating in sports.
ADITI
She/They
Ultimate Frisbee Player
I started playing sports at the age of 20.
A friend invited me to play Ultimate Frisbee and I have been drawn to it ever since.
Because Ultimate is mix gendered sport, it creates more space for my identity compared other sports.
Although I have found a community of likeminded people, there are still instances where the man-woman binary is perpetuated.
Man Mark! Take your man! Man defence!
I think that making subtle changes in the way we speak about our sports can change the experience of the players who do not conform with the man-woman binary.
