By John Mack Freeman
A new study of homophobia in sports in English-speaking countries was released this week. The United States scored the worst, having the highest prevalence of homophobia towards participants. 84 percent of those in the study said they had experienced or witnessed homophobia in sports. Via the Advocate:
Of those queer athletes who experienced it themselves, 29 percent of men and 19 percent of women said they’d been threatened. Of the men, 19 percent said the homophobia came in the form of physical assault, compared with 8 percent of women.
The results of the study, initiated by organizers of rugby’s Bingham Cup (named for 9/11 hero Mark Bingham), released Sunday found that safety is an issue at all levels of sports, with 78 percent of respondents saying youth team sports are unsafe for LGB people. Meanwhile, LGB people aren’t even safe in the stands, according to 83 percent of American participants who said being in the stands is the most likely place to get targeted.
The media summary from the report can be found below:
