Does sexual orientation affect the athletic path?

When we talk about sports and the world of sports in general, and especially the world of professionals, we rarely think about how the lives of LGBT people are affected by this reality. However, especially in recent times, this discourse is gradually becoming more and more popular even in non-gay settings, helping to shed light also in this area, which is often hidden.

Discrimination against LGBT and its impact on sports

For a long time, even the presence of homosexuals or non-straight athletes in the most important mathematical realities was considered impossible and opposed in many ways, often forcing non-straight athletes and athletes to conceal their true sexual orientation. The first female athlete to come out in the 1980s was American tennis player Billie Jean King, who is divorced and related to her secretary. Things have slowly changed since then, but you can see how easy it is to find lesbians ready to break out of gay or bisexual men. Women’s sports are clearly more open to non-straight people, and so it will be easier to find meetings with high-profile sports lesbians who don’t hide. Being able to have a date with a gay athlete, even if it’s open-ended, isn’t as difficult as one might think. On sites Dating with lesbiansIt, in particular, is easy to do precisely because they have been created specifically to be safe environments, where people seek out romantic encounters and outings or flirtations capable of becoming so much more. From places you play sports to dating sites, to bars and clubs, there are many places you can go to get to know someone, go out and try them out. To find love or at least meet people. Since the 1980s, more and more sports have announced to the world that they are lesbians, going out and introducing wives, girlfriends, and buddies, and at the same time accepting to become LGBTQ flags and spokespeople in the sports world. We also condemn the many problems that exist in this environment when it comes to homophobia and transphobia.

How athletes can handle loneliness

All athletes are generally very successful people who do not find themselves having to endure moments of anxiety, stress and loneliness. At high levels this becomes especially urgent, and the expectations of people and the surrounding world are much higher towards the people involved. Athletes are also expected to be able to maintain their composure and the professionalism required at the professional level they are at, which is why they sometimes find themselves having to put up with stress on their own. This type of situation was often overlooked before the pandemic, in the past year there has been more talk about how forced distance, physical or emotional, has negative effects such as Increased alcohol consumption Or panic attacks.

Great athletes have different ways of dealing with this type of situation, but it should be borne in mind that being gay or lesbian and not going out, or doing so in a non-ideal environment, can worsen the situation. Psychosocial support is definitely the best solution even in the long run, as it allows you to have someone who can always be your support. In the same way, it is imperative that you be part of a group capable of supporting and understanding each other and possibly having friends and family behind them.

Famous LGBT athletes

Some famous LGBT athletes have already been mentioned. First of all there is Billie Jean King, one of the most famous skilled tennis players of all time, the second protagonist A battle between the sexes Against Bobby Riggs, who came out as a winner and first to come out, even if not voluntarily. Megan Rapinoe, on the other hand, is the face of gay athletes nowadays, captain of the United States National Football Team who has also been fighting for community rights for years. But if we talk about the athletes who are out, we can’t forget Michael Sam, the first openly gay man to be a part of the NFL, who also goes down through history. Likewise, Ryan Russell was the first openly bisexual athlete to be a part of the NFL. In Italy, one of the last announcements in chronological order was that of Paula Igono, a volleyball player for the national team and a silver medalist at the last World Championships. In terms of Italian football, the Roma midfielder and national team Manuela Giuliano does not hide her history with former footballer Ambra Caputosto.

Be it in the present or the future, LGBT advocates are showing the world that they exist and have always been present in the world of sports, in an effort to make it more inclusive and better for everyone.Rarely there are no little difficulties.