Burn It Down (Episode 48)

This week on [un]phased, Shaunna and Lisa dive into the intersectional experiences of female athletes. Women, predominantly women of color, often face critiques of their physicality and femininity in the context of their sporting environment. In the United States especially, there has been a history of women of color being harmed by a white construct of femininity. Remnants of these biases still exist today and are especially pertinent in professional sport where women are judged so harshly based on their physical appearance.

Athletes are often conceptualized in the popular imagination as entertainers; performers who are there for us to watch and sometimes, judge. Women athletes are expected to conform to an image of femininity that is defined and constrained by whiteness. Women in sport often have to defend their identities and fight for the right to compete as they face added stress compared to their white, male counterparts.

As consumers of sports media, it is critical that we step back and examine any judgments we make, implicit or explicit, and how general critiques of, and commentary about female athletes, especially women of color, are presented to us. We have to resist harmful narratives that take power away from women athletes by limiting them to narrow definitions of womanhood. Consumers, athletes, leaders, sponsors, and business owners must constantly contemplate how to build anti-racist and anti-sexist sport organizations. Resisting limited notions of femininity is one place to start to support athletes of all identities.

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