Association football, masculinity, and sexuality: An evolving relationship

Abstract

In this chapter, we present evidence that English professional football has undergone a significant transformation over the past two decades. Once an institution justifiably assumed to be a hostile environment for sexual minorities, we show here that improvements in cultural attitudes across much of the Western world also have parallels to the football industry. Specifically, we discuss the key arguments related to football fandom, football players, the utility and interpretation of homosexually themed language, the significant influence of (sports) media, and the nature of anti-homophobia (and anti-discrimination) policy. We conclude the chapter by offering important recommendations for future research.