Queer and Non-Normative Characters: Underrepresentation and Clichés in Contemporary Sports TV Series

Abstract

This article highlights the lack of visibility of queer and non-normative characters in contemporary European and American sports television series by studying how these characters are usually presented and a narrative analysis of characters. We carried out mixed methods research, involving a qualitative study with two focus groups, with results pointing to the perpetuation of stereotypes and the idea of heterosexual overrepresentation, and quantitative research, based on 208 characters in 15 sports TV series, which confirms the limited diversity of these characters in contemporary fictional sports TV series. The quantitative results are strikingly contradictory to the qualitative results and show that the audience’s perception is that LGBTQI+ characters are overrepresented, which is a heteronormative attitude and a major discrepancy with the assumptions of gender studies. Interestingly, the few TV series that highlight the subject do so with a generous representation of homosexual characters (The Hockey Girls, Ted Lasso, and A League of Their Own) and a positive inclusion, promoting their acceptance and normalization, from a standpoint that is clearly opposed to homophobia.