What is the "image problem" and why is it a problem? The "image problem" is the fear that ALL women athletes are lesbians. Why is this a problem? Obviously it is not fair to label female athletes as lesbians. People need to get rid of the picture that female athletes are manly and/or gay by performing well on their athletic surface. However, the few homosexual athletes out there are not treated very well just because of their sexual preference. For example, Martina Navratilova won more tennis titles than any other tennis player, yet she had few endorsements during the height of her career due to her coming out as a lesbian.
After understanding what female athletes are going through off of their field or court or what have you, it is important to know how they go about their lives. Most of these athletes use the "feminine apologetic" to avoid the stigma of being a lesbian. The "feminine apologetic" is idea of female athletes dressing up in heels and wearing make-up to have an image as a heterosexual.
Personally, I feel like this is crazy. I do not feel like it is right that women athletes have to go out of there way to dress and look a certain way and not be themselves just so people don't get the wrong impression that could ruin their career. What would happen if this was the case for male athletes? Would male athletes really dress a certain way to show people that although they play a sport they are not a homosexual?
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I never thought of it this way before, but maybe the male apologetic is being homophobic in the locker room--making sure that all male athletes know that being gay is not accepted by other male athletes. Sport is already a masculine domain, so if homophobia reinforces masculinity that makes it okay to be homophobic. Does that make sense?
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is crazy that women athletes have to go out of their way to make sure people do not view them as lesbian. I think it is wrong for women athletes to be thought of as masculine because they are aggressive and masculine on the court. Just because they act one way on the court does not mean they act that way off the court. Just like male athletesm they act differently off the court.
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