“Sou negro, homossexual e tenho doença mental”: intersecções em jornais portugueses

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the discourses about homosexuality and race in sports, produced for the ‘coming out’ of a Portuguese athlete, and published in online newspapers, in the period from 2018 to 2019. It was used, as a theoretical contribution for the analysis of data, the French Discourse Analysis. The results indicated that the construction of standards that legitimize professional sport removes, silences and excludes individuals who do not conform to the ‘norm’. In the comments of the readers, the athlete’s revelation was viewed with disbelief, distrust, and denial, which should not be disclosed to the public space. In the athlete’s statements, the coming out was understood as a process of revelation that has as consequence the expression of freedom and selfacceptance, and the finding of mental illness is the greatest challenge.