Why are some women athletes so concerned about appearing ultra-feminine off the playing field?
Unfortunately, the lesbian label in women’s sports is still used in an attempt to intimidate some women athletes, to try to make women feel as if they do not belong in athletics, or to make them feel self-conscious about their athleticism. Though this is changing, some women still try to accentuate their feminine appearance or their heterosexual interests as a way to “prove” that they are not lesbians. In actuality, a woman’s appearance is unrelated to her sexual orientation, but femininity is stereotypically associated with heterosexuality. We are still working toward a sports world in which athleticism is a human quality unrelated to gender or sexuality. The more women and men can express their genders in ways that are comfortable for them rather than to conform to gender stereotypes or avoid being called gay, the closer we will be to this ideal.
