Coaches, gender non-conforming youth and athletics: examining male identity and masculine expression

Abstract

Participation in athletics by gender non-conforming (GNC) and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) is lower in comparison to their participation in other school activities; LGBT students avoid athletic fields, locker rooms, and coaches. We examine the ways DeVita, a GNC student athlete in high school negotiated his identity, expression, and sexual orientation as an accomplished classical ballet dancer and all-conference soccer player. Using Butler’s work on gender and discourse, we analyze DeVita's gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and the performances of masculinity he maintained to ensure his emotional safety, position on his teams, and access to playing time. We underscore the ways two coaches affirmed his identity and expression and represent their everyday speech acts as account of the ways educators can disrupt the discourse of dominant binary gender norms.