Homophobia is the illogical fear or intolerance of lesbians, gay men, and bisexual people. In female sports homophobia is a tool used to challenge the femininity and heterosexuality of the athletes and the women that coach them by playing on their fear of not being accepted for their sexual preferences or by unjustly labeling them as lesbians.
Since ancient times males dominated sports. Sports were a place where men could flaunt their masculinity, build healthy and competitive relationships with other males, and establish themselves among their peers and society. As time progressed women entered into the field of sports and men began to be challenged by what society considered was the weaker sex. Males threatened by women's presence in sports used homophobia to attack the women by playing off their fear of being labeled something that was not accepted by society.
Today's society, because it is unaware of what lesbians are, use homophobia to scare female athletes into not participating or by having them emphasizes their femininity. Lesbians, according to society, are abnormal from other women because people believe them to have unusual strength and therefore others are at a disadvantage. They are also considered sexual predators that are out to corrupt young women and bring them into a wicked lifestyle. Society's view on the lesbian athlete has lesbians fearing to disclose their sexual preferences and female athletes fearing wrongful labeling if they do not prove their femininity.
Sports, which foster a sense of pride, confidence and a strong self-image in the participant, is becoming a place were women cannot express themselves. Homophobia is staining the meaning of what sports should be by harming all the things that an athlete takes pleasure in by labeling the females that participate in them something that society deems as wrong. Society's view on what lesbians are is an idea that influences people's thoughts in our every day society.
Although lesbians are the direct target when using homophobia to discourage female athletes from participating, all women are affected and therefore controlled by what society wants. The reasoning behind this is that in female sports there are bound to be lesbians and if lesbians are considered social and sexual deviants then society is able to control the women by using their fear of being labeled something negative.