ABSTRACT
The authors of this chapter came together from very different starting points but with a common interest in how gender, sexuality and sexual orientation are used as weapons of exploitation in various arenas and, particularly, in sport where such behaviour deters sports participation and enjoyment. Ian Rivers and Brendan Gough, although adopting two very different methodological approaches to their research, share a common interest in the ways in which homophobia manifests itself within contemporary society (Rivers 2001a, 2001b, 2004; Gough 2002, n.d.). Celia Brackenridge and Karen Llewellyn have approached their previous work from feminist sociological perspectives. Karen Llewellyn has always been interested in gender relations and their infl uence within physical education and sport and Celia Brackenridge’s work on sexual exploitation (1997, 2001, 2003), which has focused largely on sexual harassment and abuse, was the springboard for her interest in sport as a site of homophobic bullying.
