ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we first address the lack of representation for gay and lesbian athletes at the professional level of sport. We highlight the oxymoronic concept at play: whereas gay men are highly under-represented in professional sport, partially because they are less interested in playing competitive, contact sports and perhaps because they are less powerful than heterosexual men, lesbian athletes are both interested in these types of sports, and perhaps more powerful than heterosexual women. Lesbian athletes are both attracted to sport, and potentially benefited by a more masculine biology that helps them succeed in it. This chapter examines why, then, there is poor representation of lesbian athletes in professional sport.
