The Power and Impact of Framing Transgender Athletes in Sports
Open Access
- Author:
- Adams, Danielle
- Graduate Program:
- Communications
- Degree:
- Master of Arts
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- November 11, 2020
- Committee Members:
- Nakho Kim, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Robin Redmon Wright, Committee Member
Stephanie Leigh Morrow, Committee Member
Craig Robert Welsh, Program Head/Chair - Keywords:
- Transgender
representation
athletes
sports
inclusion - Abstract:
- In today’s world, equal and fair representation in the media is needed to ensure equal and fair treatment throughout our society. As transgender athletes make up a small subsection of our population, many individuals learn about male-to-female (MTF) and female-to-male (FTM) transgender people through the media. This paper, using the standards set by GLAAD, an organization working to rewrite the script for LGBT acceptance, highlights how gender power relations are continued in the representation of transgender athletes. These standards provided through GLAAD’s Media Reference Guide are intended to be used by those who want to tell the stories of LGBTQ individuals fairly and accurately. Through the research findings it was discovered that MTF athletes are represented more negatively through the media headlines, text and images provided. The MTF athletes were frequently referred to by their birth name with incorrect pronoun usage, and used before and after transition comparison images, all of which do not align with the standards set by GLAAD. Additionally, the research proved that the sports industry recreates a vicious cycle that continues to amplify and expand the gender roles and pay gap that are evident throughout our society, no matter if an individual is assigned a gender at birth or not.