Sports, a human right for LGBT people
February 19th marks the International Day Against LGBT Hate in Sport. Experiences around the world and the advance of an anti-rights offensive targeting trans people.
Share
MEXICO CITY, Mexico. Sports have historically been a hostile and exclusionary space for LGBTI+ people because most sports have been structured under rules that reinforce gender stereotypes, where dissidents are excluded and where they have experienced harassment and discrimination. However, despite this situation, LGBTI+ athletes are paving the way and organizing to ensure that these populations' human rights are guaranteed at both the amateur and professional levels.
In the context of the International Day Against LGBT-Hate in Sports , commemorated on February 19, we tell you why LGBT+ inclusion in sports matters. We discuss the value of visibility and best practices, and the current challenges facing a landscape that seeks to displace and deny this right. This is especially true for trans girls and women athletes.
This date was chosen in memory of Justin Fashanu, a Black English professional footballer who came out as gay in 1990. After coming out, Fashanu was the victim of homophobic bullying and died by suicide eight years later.
“Sport has the power to change prejudices: it should not be used to reinforce them.”
The participation of LGBT+ people in sports, at the amateur, professional, and elite levels, opens up opportunities for LGBTI children, adolescents, and adults to avoid having to give up the sport they love just because of who they are.
According to several reports, including a 2023 report by a group of United Nations (UN) experts, states and sports bodies are urged to respect the right of all people to participate in cultural life through sport and games and to address discrimination against athletes, especially women and girls in all their diversity, LGBT people and intersex people.
“Sport has the power to change perceptions, prejudices, and behaviors: it should not be used to reinforce them. We therefore urge elite sports bodies to consider the implications of their decisions not only for LGBT and intersex athletes and people participating in sports at all levels, but also for broader societal perceptions and the ideal of inclusive sport,” the report states.
Spaces, LGBT athletes and good practices
In 1982, almost a decade before Justin Fashanu came out, in the United States, doctor, former Olympian, and LGBT+ activist Tom Waddell campaigned for the “Gay Olympics” to be held in San Francisco, California. His main goal was “to create an inclusive space where professional and amateur LGBTQ+ athletes could participate without the specter of discrimination, fostering a sense of community and breaking down social barriers.”
In the first edition of the Gay Games , as they were later called, 1,300 athletes from 12 countries participated. Since then, eleven editions have been held, with more than 10,300 athletes from 102 nations participating in this latest edition. In 2026, the city of Valencia, Spain, will host the twelfth edition. Any LGBT person or team from around the world is eligible to participate in this competition.
According to Outsports , at least 199 openly LGBT+ athletes participated in the last edition of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, 40 of which are from Latin America and the majority are lesbians. A total of 38 LGBT+ athletes participated in the Paralympics .
In Latin America, there are various LGBT teams, leagues, and associations that practice and train in soccer , rugby, swimming, track and field, basketball, water polo, athletics, and other sports. One of the first LGBT teams in the region is Dogos de Argentina, founded in 1997 .
There's even a Panini-style sticker album that promotes the visibility of LGBT clubs and athletes in Argentina.
In Mexico, the organization Somos Versus created the "Basic Guide for Inclusive and Prejudice-Free Communication ," aimed at journalists and consisting of 13 points to improve narratives about LGBTI+ people and women in sports. In 2023 alone, there were at least 55 LGBT teams organized in different parts of the country.
In the United States, the organizations Stonewall Sports, Athlete Ally, and Trans Athlete promote research on sports and LGBT+ people, create public policies, and advocate for this human right and provide spaces for inclusion, particularly in education and the media.
In 2018, ILGA World , the world's largest LGBTI organization, joined the Centre for Sport and Human Rights as an advisory board member, becoming the first LGBTI+ organization to work with the Centre to guide its work towards a world of sport that fully respects human rights.
The value of representation
The value of representation is vital for LGBTI+ children, youth, and adults to continue practicing the sport they love. It's also vital for fostering diversity, promoting more equal societies, and eradicating prejudices based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics.
“Soccer saved my life. I was struggling because of the discrimination I experienced every day. It ended up being a therapy for me, a psychological support.” -Mara Gómez, the first transgender soccer player to play in Argentina's first division.
“I’m incredibly proud to say I’m gay and also an Olympic champion. When I was younger, I thought I’d never achieve anything because of who I was. Being an Olympic champion now just proves you can achieve anything, ” -Tom Daley, British diver .
“You can't win a championship without gay people on your team; it's never been done before, ever. That's science! I'm motivated by people who love me, who are fighting for the same things. I get more energy from that than from trying to prove someone wrong.” -Megan Rapinoe, American soccer player .
“I don't just mean I'm a better runner, it goes beyond that. I'm better at being Sha'Carri. I'm better at being myself,” – Sha'Carri Richardson, American sprinter and one of the fastest women in the world.
“It saddens me to know that there were Olympians before me who were unable to live their truth because of the world. I feel acutely aware of the realities: trans women are barred from sports, facing discrimination and prejudice while trying to pursue their Olympic dreams. The fight is not nearly over… and I will celebrate when we are all here, ” – Quinn, Canadian soccer player .
Challenges in the face of growing opposition to human rights
Around the world, we're seeing growing opposition to the human rights of LGBTI people. Sports have become a particular hotspot, where misinformation fuels waves of hate and attacks, especially against trans athletes, women of color , intersex people , and those athletes who naturally develop high levels of testosterone .
In Latin America, there is no data on the perceptions and experiences of LGBT children and youth in sports. However, a 2022 study conducted in the United Kingdom with trans children and adolescents about their experience with sports sheds some light.
79% felt their gender identity was a factor that affected their participation in sports. The main barriers were sports uniforms and their relationship to dysphoria, and the fact that sports are categorized by gender in a binary way. 55% said that news stories with alarmist and negative narratives about the participation of trans athletes have influenced them not to feel part of playing the sport they enjoy.
Furthermore, there are no studies on LGBT hatred in sports in the region. However, some research conducted, especially in countries in the Global North, shows that exclusion, discrimination, and various types of violence are concentrated among vulnerable groups, with the sexually diverse population being one of the most affected.
According to a study conducted by the University of Cologne (Germany), 90% of those surveyed consider homophobia, and particularly transphobia, to be a current problem in sports environments. Furthermore, 82% witnessed homophobic and transphobic language, 46% of whom were trans women who reported being victims of direct discrimination.
September 2021 report by The Trevor Project also found that only 32% participated in sports for a school league, club, or community, compared to 68% who never participated. The reasons they give for not participating include violence and exclusion from coaches, other students, and their families. Among trans and non-binary populations, 52% reported not participating in sports due to a lack of interest combined with stigma and fear of harassment and bullying.
We recently saw how a Trump executive order denied trans girls and women the right to participate in school sports . No government in Latin America has adopted this measure. Argentine President Javier Milei has done so with others, such as amending the Gender Identity Law by decree . He has also replicated the same hateful rhetoric and misinformation about LGBT+ people.
We are Present
We are committed to a type of journalism that delves deeply into the realm of the world and offers in-depth research, combined with new technologies and narrative formats. We want the protagonists, their stories, and their struggles to be present.
SUPPORT US
FOLLOW US
Related Notes
We Are Present
This and other stories don't usually make the media's attention. Together, we can make them known.