If you look at the website of any LGBT community-based sports club, the goals, objectives and sentiment are generally pretty similar and very inclusive.
For example, Frontrunners proclaims that it’s mission is to ‘promote the sports of running, walking and related athletic activities for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders and their supporters’. But if you talk to most Frontrunners clubs around the world and their membership is dominated by middle-aged gay men.
This situation is consistent in LGBT sports clubs around the world:
- The Capital Splats racquetball club in Washington was only established in 2010, but already its membership is skewed towards gay men - with lesbians making up only 15% of the club’s membership.
- The Toronto Triggerfish , established in 2001 are Canada’s largest water polo club (and the world’s largest LGBT water polo club), but only 19% of their 80 members are women.
- For Rainbow Squash in Amsterdam , established in 1997, lesbians make up only 20% of its membership.
- And yet it’s undeniable that lesbians love sport and are actively participating in sport at all levels. So what is it about LGBT sports clubs that is a turn-off for women?
Keep reading HERE.
1 comment:
The women in the photo won the silver medal in the 5k and 10k road races at Gay Games VIII, Cologne 2010. This was her first Gay Games. She volunteered for Seattle Frontrunners and worked hard to recruit women to running in the club. She is a high school teacher and my friend. She got up early every day for a week at Gay Games for private German lessons as part of her visit. I taught her how to pronounce her name Judith in German. Her Italian is much better than her German!
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