Gender and Sexuality in Sport and Health

This paper provides a critical response focussed on how gender can be influenced through sports as well as how masculinity stretches the ideals of gender. Two articles will be used for this purpose; the article on Athletic Genders: Hyperbolic Instance and/or the Overcoming of Sexual Binarism, by Judith Butler and No Taste for Rough-and-Tumble Play: Sports Discourses, the DSM, and the Regulation of Effeminacy, by Mary Louise Adams.

Running head: GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN SPORT AND HEALTH
Gender and Sexuality in Sport and Health
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Introduction
Gender preferences and ideals havebeen a bone of contempt ever since, as the society
has failed to acknowledge individuals who belong to a particular gender yet seem to behave
like the opposite gender. This paper provides a critical response focussed on how gender can
be influenced through sports as well as how masculinity stretches the ideals of gender.
Twoarticleswill be used for this purpose; the article on Athletic Genders: Hyperbolic Instance
and/or the Overcoming of Sexual Binarism, by Judith Butler and No Taste for Rough-and-
Tumble Play: Sports Discourses, the DSM, and the Regulation of Effeminacy, by Mary
Louise Adams.
Main themes covered in the two articles first paragraph
LGBT people should be treated the same as the rest of the citizens. The articles
emphasize that human rights should not be discriminative, though this is not the case across
the world.The article on Athletic Genders: Hyperbolic Instance and/or the Overcoming of
Sexual Binarism, by Judith Butler, portray a theme of a female gender ideal that has been
blurred by the presence of masculinity female athletes(Butler, 1998). Such masculinity is
sometimes not regarded as normal, and hencecalls for the revision of the societalnorms and
standards.Judith Butler explains the involvements of women in sports that require masculinity
are most likely to be sidelined by the society in terms of female gender classification. The
masculinity challenges the existing knowledge ideals that define feminism. The article by
Judith Butler also portrays the same message of not using sports as the tool for determining
gender preference. The article emphasizes the need for capacious and imaginative norms. The
author questions how a woman can still be strong and at the same time remain within the
boundaries of female gender. The argument is quite clear about the limitation of sports to
determine gender behavior(Butler, 1998).

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On theother hand, the article No Taste for Rough-and-Tumble Play: Sports
Discourses, the DSM, and the Regulation of Effeminacy, by Mary Louise Adams, focuses on
effeminacy in men and how gay men’s behaviourscan be transformed through sports.The
author has gone ahead to highlight an article about how to bring up your kids gay. The theme
portrayed by the author has leaned on sports as the pillar of dealing with thebehaviour of
effeminacy.Mary Louise Adams advocates that, boys who shy off from sports and public
participation are most likely to be sissy and gay in the future(Adams, 2013).The author also
states that sports can be used as a tool to transform gay men. The author includes an
exampleof a boy whom with the assistance of a school PE teacher was able to change from
the effeminacy behaviour.
The articles have highlighted the need for physical exercise in ensuring that the body
is healthy and functions optimally. Moreover, the articles have opened to new information
that the society needs to know and accept. In my experience, I have met individuals who
participate in sports and retain the opposite gender’s behaviour; this is to show that sport is
not the only way to transforming gender. The articles have shown that more comprehensive
and deeper research is required to avoid the narrow focus on sports. This is because there are
boys who participate in sports, but retain the effeminate behaviour, while other girls do not
participate in sports but still portray a masculine behaviour.
The article by Mary Louise Adams has appreciated that with time all genders have
come to be acknowledged regardless of their preferred sport, however, the author is still
concerned aboutwhetherthere will be a time when the sport will not be used to define
heteronormative (Adams, 2013).The message supports the current LGBT friendly nature.
Homosexuals are also permitted to celebrate unique identiy in Canada major cities with major
political figures and are guaranteed fundamental human rights. Since the 2013 election,the
Canadians have largely supported same-sex marriage which was permitted in 2005.Many

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media reporters have been against the legalization of LGBT rights. However, as more
awareness is created, people are gaining new knowledge and accommodating the LGBT
rights into their programs. Richard Quest a business presenter has been on the fore frontin
fighting gender discrimination. He has been cited advocating for non-discrimination on
sexual orientation. (Good, 2018)
Conclusion
In conclusion, using sports as the only tool for identifying gender behaviour is rather
limiting. This tool and closes out other factors for individuals who do not participate in
sports. Therefore, in as much as the articles have made a great leap towards solving this
problem, it is also necessary to find out other ways, which can assist in identifying more
individuals with such behaviours. LGBT people should be treated the same as the rest of the
citizens.

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References
Adams, M. L. (2013). No taste for rough-and-tumble play: Sports discourses, the DSM, and
the regulation of effeminacy. GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies, 19(4),
515-543.
Butler, J. (1998). Athletic genders: Hyperbolic instance and/or the overcoming of sexual
binarism. Stanford Humanities Review, 6(2), 6-2.
Good, C. (2018). CNN's Richard Quest Talks How Being Gay Changed Life For Good.
Retrieved from https://hollywoodmask.com/relationship/richard-quest-cnn-gay-
married.html