Word for Word

27 Sep 2010

Homosexuality And Sport – Football, The Final Frontier,.

Arts, Health, News & Politics, Society & Culture

When it comes to the personification of Aussie Masculinity – the hyper macho man amongst men – I can think of no greater cliché than our Aussie Rules Footballer. And you only have to look at the Grand Final – the ultimate war of two tribes in battle to the bitter end…no matter how many weeks that takes…as the final frontier.
So how is it, that when you have so many men in the one spot, or on the one team, at the exclusion of women, … homosexuality does not manifest. How is it, that in the era of the metrosexual – a softening of masculinity – our football warriors are seemingly threatened by the mere thought of a homosexual amongst their ranks.
Today’s guest knows first hand, what it is like to experience homophobia in the sporting ranks. In 1993, when he came out as a coach, his team experienced overt and institutionalized homophobia – and one of his athletes was brutally beaten by a football player.
He has written dozens of books on masculinity, sport and homophobia and is here in Melbourne as the key note speaker at The Worlds of Football conference examining the triumphs trials and traumas experienced around gender and sexuality in sport.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 42:31 — 38.9MB)

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