Sexuality and Gender Diversity in Sport
Sport plays an important role in Australian society. It can bring communities together, build community identity and sense of place, promote social interaction and inclusion, and play an important role in providing opportunities for physical activity and improved health outcomes. 1, 2
But for many LGBTIQ+ people experience of discrimination and hostility mean that sport is not seen as safe or welcoming. This means they miss out on many of the benefits that sport can offer. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Recognising the unique strengths and potential barriers that affect LGBTIQ+ participants can help sports to be more sustainable and accessible to everyone in the community. 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 77
Based on a limited data it is estimated that around 3-4% of Australians identify as LGB. 11 International studies have found approximately 1% of people identify as transgender, and an estimated 1.7% of live births are people with intersex variation. 12
Definitions
In line with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and discussions with representatives of the sector, the Clearinghouse for Sport primarily uses the acronym LGBTIQ+ to refer to the diverse population of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans/transgender, intersex, queer, and other sexuality (including asexual), gender, and bodily diverse. The way in which individuals and communities identify and preferred acronyms have and will change over time and may vary depending on available evidence and the groups or issues discussed. 13
Best-practice is to follow the language used by the person or group that you are working or communicating with, and if in doubt ask. 14
Sex | a classification that is often made at birth as either male or female based on a person’s external anatomical characteristics. However, sex is not always straightforward, as some people may be born with an intersex variation, and anatomical and hormonal characteristics can change over a life span. 14 |
|---|---|
Gender/gender identity | one’s sense of whether they are a man, woman, non-binary, agender, genderqueer, genderfluid, or a combination of one or more of these definitions. Gender can be binary (either a man or a woman), or non-binary (including people who have no binary gender at all and people who have some relationship to binary gender/s). 14 |
Sexual orientation | an umbrella concept that encapsulates sexual identity (how a person thinks of their sexuality and the terms they identify with), attraction (romantic or sexual interest in another person), and behaviour (sexual behaviour). It is a subjective view of oneself and can change over the course of their lifetime and in different contexts. 14 |
Experiences of LGBTIQ+ Participants
There is very limited data on sport participation by LGBTIQ+ individuals and communities. What we do know comes from small scale surveys, often from a single state or territory. 2, 5, 15
Participation
62% of Australian LGBTIQ+ respondents in the 2021 Writing Themselves survey participated in some sport. 16
Australian and international research has estimated that LGB youth participation in team sports is around half that of heterosexual youth. 2, 25
In the Free to Exist survey, 54% of Victorian LGBTIQA+ young people aged 16-25 engaged in competitive and/or social sport. 5
- 33% played competitive sport
- 37% played social sport
Popular activities
Popular categories of activities for Victorian LGBTIQ+ individuals in the Free to Exist survey were: 5
- Informal sports or leisure (41%)
- Gym or fitness club (40%)
- Sports clubs (31%)
- Recreational clubs or associations, e.g. social club, abseiling association (24%)
- Events, e.g. fun runs (21%)
- Private studio, e.g. dance, yoga, pilates (21%)
- Individual personal trainer or coach (15%)
The Writing Themselves survey identified the most popular sports among Australian LGBTQA+ individuals as: 16
- Swimming
- Dancing
- Netball
- Soccer
- Cycling
- Basketball
Safety and Inclusive environments
Multiple Australian reports and surveys show that between 50 and 75% of LBGTIQ+ participants report feeling unwelcome in sports, teams, or clubs, leading them to conceal their sexuality and/or hide who they are. 16, 17, 18, 19
Between 50 and 80% of participants in sport have witnessed or experienced homophobia in sport as reported in Australian and international research. 5, 18, 20, 21, 22
Australian participants who reported experiencing harassment or assault based on their sexuality or gender identity at sport in the past 12 months reported the perpetrator was a: 16
- player/s from their team [64%]
- player/s from another team [52%]
- spectator/s [21%]
- coach/es [17%]
68% of respondents to the Australian 2023 Pride in Sports survey agreed that active allies positively impacted their sense of inclusion. 19
Research from Sport England showed that while men were broadly more likely to attend live sports events [31%] in the previous 12 months compared to: 24
- females [14%]
- other and transgender individuals [12%]
In a South Australian survey, 40% of LGBTIQ+ respondents had felt unsafe or vulnerable in a sporting environment, compared with 16% of heterosexual participants. 15
Participants from Australian clubs that held Pride Cups were significantly less likely to use or witness the use of discriminatory language than participants from comparison clubs. 8
Only 35% of Australian LGBTI+ youth feel safe at sporting events, and more broadly 75% of Australian respondents felt LGB spectators were not very safe at sporting events, with nearly half saying this is where homophobia is most likely to occur. 17, 23
Australian and international gay men often report the highest rates of witnessing and experiencing homophobia in sport, especially team sports. 5, 18
Gay men are least likely to attend live sporting events [7%] compared to:
- lesbian women [24%]
- heterosexual individuals [22%]
- bisexual individuals [15%]
- those with other sexual orientations [12%]
REFERENCES
- The value and benefits of sport, Clearinghouse for Sport, (accessed 23 July 2025).
- ‘Game to play?’: barriers and facilitators to sexuality and gender diverse young people's participation in sport and physical activity, opens in a new tab, R. Storr, L. Nicholas, K. Robinson, et al., Sport, Education and Society, Volume 27(5), pp.604-617, (2022).
- LGBTIQ+ communities, Australian Sports Commission, (accessed 26 June 2024).
- LGBTI+ Inclusion within Victorian Sport: A Market Analysis, opens in a new tab, Ruth Jeanes, Erik Denison, Nadia Bevan, et al., Monash University for VicHealth, (2020).
- Free to exist: Documenting participation data on LGBTIQA+ young people in sport and physical activity, opens in a new tab, Ryan Storr, Carleigh Yeomans, Kath Albury, et al., Swinburne University for VicHealth, (May 2024).
- “The Equal Play Study”: The Impact of Homophobic Bullying during Sport and Physical Education Participation on Same-SexAttracted and Gender-Diverse Young Australians’ Depression and Anxiety Levels, opens in a new tab, Caroline Symons, Grant O’Sullivan, Erika Borkoles, et al., Victoria University for the beyondblue Victorian Centre of Excellence, (March 2014).
- Examining Pride Cups as a health promotion resource to address homophobia in Australian men’s sport, opens in a new tab, Justen O’Connor, Ruth Jeanes, Erik Denison, et al., Health Promotion International, Volume 37(5), (October 2022).
- Evaluating LGBTI+ Inclusion within Sport and the Pride Cup Initiative, opens in a new tab, Ruth Jeanes, Karen Lambert, Justen O' Connor, et al., Monash University for VicHealth, (2020).
- Creating and Sustaining Workplace Cultures Supportive of LGBT Employees in College Athletics, opens in a new tab, George Cunningham, Journal of Sport Management, Volume 29(4), pp.426-442, (2014).
- Positive sport experiences of gay men, opens in a new tab, Jake Quinton and Kyle Rich, SIRC, (7 December 2022).
- What is the size of Australia’s sexual minority population?, opens in a new tab Tom Wilson, Jeromey Temple, Anthony Lyons, et al., BMC Research Notes, Volume 13, Article number 535, (November 2020).
- Research Matters: How many people are LGBTIQ? A fact sheet, opens in a new tab, Marina Carman, Claire Farrugia, Adam Bourne, et al., Rainbow Health Victoria, (2020).
- LGBTIQ+ communities, opens in a new tab, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), (accessed 29 May 2024).
- LGBTIQA+ glossary of common terms, opens in a new tab, Australian Institute of Family Studies, (February 2022).
- Sport and the LGBTIQ+ Community: A South Australian Study, opens in a new tab, Murray Drummond, Sam Elliott, Claire Drummond, et al., Frontiers in Psychology, Volume 12, (May 2021).
- Writing Themselves in, 4, opens in a new tab, Hill AO, Lyons A, Jones J, et al., Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University, (2021).
- Summary for Australia on Homophobia in Sport, opens in a new tab, Out on the Fields, (2015).
- Out on the Fields: The first international study on homophobia in sport, opens in a new tab, Denison E, Moseley L, Kitchen A, Repucom, (10 May 2015).
- PSI Practice Points: Data analysis from the PSI National Survey, Best practice for the inclusion of people of diverse genders and sexualities in Australian Sport, opens in a new tab, Pride in Sport, (2023).
- Inclusive Sport Practices, opens in a new tab, Murray Drummond, Sam Elliott, Claire Drummond, et al., Flinders University, Sport, Health, Activity, Performance and Exercise (SHAPE) Research Centre for Inclusive Sport South Australia (SA) and the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing, (May 2019).
- Exploring Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Inclusion in Australian Cricket, opens in a new tab, Ryan Storr, Grant O’Sullivan, Caroline Symons, et al., Victoria University prepared for Cricket Australia and Cricket Victoria, (August 2017).
- LGBT+ Inclusion in Football in Victoria, opens in a new tab, Proud2Play for Football Victoria and VicHealth, (March 2020).
- Growing up queer: issues facing young Australians who are gender variant and sexuality diverse, opens in a new tab, Robinson K, Bansel P, Denson N, et al., Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre, (February 2014).
- Active Lives Adult Survey: November 2022-23 Reports, tables and technical documents, opens in a new tab, Sport England, (April 2024).
- Reviewing evidence of LGBTQ+ discrimination and exclusion in sport, opens in a new tab, Erik Denison, Nadia Bevan, Ruth Jeanes, Sport Management Review, Volume 24(3), pp.389-409, (June 2021).
Topic Focus
Benefits of sport
The benefits of regular sport and physical activity are numerous and supported by a broad body of research and evidence.
Factors influencing participation
There are many factors that can influence sports participation or non-participation.
Policies, programs, and supporting structures
Australian and international initiatives to support and encourage participation in sport.
Awards and recognition
Awards are an important recognition of the contribution of athletes, coaches, officials, and administrators to sport and society.Last updated: 03 July 2024 Content disclaimer: See Clearinghouse for Sport disclaimer
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