Representation Matters: Progressing Research in Plurisexuality and Bisexuality in Sport

Abstract

Plurisexual is an umbrella term which refers to individuals who are, or who have the potential to be, attracted to more than one gender. Identities including bisexual, pansexual and fluid therefore fall under the category plurisexual. Academic research surrounding plurisexuality and sport has received limited academic attention in comparison to research based on homosexuality and sport. Existing academic research in relation to plurisexuality and sport concentrates predominantly on bisexuality, although this is also limited. For this reason, bisexuality takes a central focus within this article. The analysis highlights the complexities when defining the term bisexual. It then examines the impact of athletes and bisexuality in the media. A critical analysis of research based on the experiences and understandings of bisexuality and sport is then undertaken. Suggestions for future research are also given to increase academic knowledge in this currently marginalized area of sport.

The Experiences of Bisexual Soccer Fans in the UK: Inclusion, Engagement, and Digital Lives

“…On the sports field, though, the past decade has seen an increasing number of out elite male and female bisexual athletes. These include, for example, Nile Clark (tennis), Zach Sullivan (ice hockey), Nicola Adams (boxing), Levi Davis (rugby), Jessica Aguilar (MMA), and Piper Niven (WWE) (House et al, 2021). More recently, the delayed 2020 Olympic 9 Games in Tokyo also included bisexual athletes Jack Wooley (taekwondo) and Maarten Hurkmans (rowing) (as part of a record 186 out LGBTQ athletes at the Games, and 36 at the Paralympics).…”

“…Reflecting broader gender inequity of sports media coverage (e.g., Cooky et al, 2021), bisexual female athletes have received substantially less media coverage than their male counterparts. Accordingly, House et al (2021) recommend that there is a greater need for research "regarding analyzing media content in relation to female athletes and bisexuality" (p. 16).…”

“…This suggestion is, according to House et al (2021), one of numerous gaps in scholarly research regarding bisexuality and sport. These also include how bisexuality might intersect with race, ethnicity, age, and other core demographic factors; existing theoretical frameworks to further incorporate bisexuality; and a better overall understanding of attitudes toward bisexuality in sport.…”

The experiences of female bisexual student-athletes in China: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

“…However, while scholars have focused on the sports participation of LGBTQ individuals, issues related to bisexual individuals have been neglected. Previous studies either examined LGBTQ as a whole or focused only on lesbian, gay, or transgender individuals, and bisexual individuals-related studies were severely underrepresented in sports contexts ( House et al, 2022 ). Only Anderson and Adams (2011) have studied male bisexuality in team sports.…”

Drafting behind LGB: Transgender athletes in the sport of cycling

“…In the contemporary social zeitgeist, research suggests that sport and physical activity settings have seen a decline in homophobia and biphobia (e.g. Anderson et al, 2016;Magrath et al, 2017;House et al, 2022), with sexual minority athletes reporting far more positive experiences of coming out than seen in the late 20th century (Gaston and Dixon, 2020;White et al, 2021). Furthermore, whilst attitudes towards trans people in sport are less positive than they are in comparison with LGB people (Cunningham and Pickett, 2018), research has reported that trans (female-to-male) experiences in sport are also starting to be more positive (Ogilvie, 2017), despite the persistence of various barriers to participation (Buzuvis, 2012;Travers, 2017Travers, , 2018.…”