Specific detriment: barriers and opportunities for non-binary inclusive sports in Scotland

Sonja Erikainen* (Corresponding Author), Ben Vincent, Al Hopkins

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

While non-binary gender identities have become increasingly visible in recent years, little research currently exists on the experiences that non-binary people have in sport, where most opportunities to participate are limited to two, mutually exclusive female and male categories. This paper provides a starting point for addressing this gap, by reporting findings from a participatory scoping study that explored the barriers that non-binary people face in accessing sporting spaces, communities, and competitions. The study also identified strategies through which these barriers could be overcome, and non-binary inclusion facilitated. Taken together, these strategies suggest that genuine inclusion entails not only new ways of thinking about how gender operates in sport, but also alternative ways of thinking about the meaning and value of sport itself.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)75-102
Number of pages28
JournalJournal of Sport and Social Issues
Volume46
Issue number1
Early online date9 Oct 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Feb 2022

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgements
We are indebted to everyone who participated and contributed their knowledge and experience to the study that this article is based on, including, but not limited to, Vic Valentine, Huld Hølvold, Parker Hansen, Noanie Heffron, Angela Barron, Gaëlle Dumas-Galien, Gray Cuthill, Laura Clay, and Noah Chisholm. They all contributed directly and invaluably to the findings. We also thank the anonymous reviewers for their useful comments on earlier drafts of this article.
Funding
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was funded by the U.K. Economic and Social Research Council through the Sex Binaries, Performance Enhancement, and Elite Sport grant (reference: ES/S010602/1).

Keywords

  • non-binary
  • gender
  • sports
  • barriers
  • inclusion

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