Women in Sports The Lesbian Peril or The Fear of the Masculinisation of Women in Spor

Yes metabolivia and Stheno gender stereotyping and the sexualisation of athletes are the issues in question here.
Women have been kept out of sports and I mention boxing a lot because this is the first time womens boxing has been allowed.
When we look at the reasons womens boxing has not been allowed we see the gender stereotyping.
I think it is important to look at these ideas and the ways they are expressed.
They are not some marginal unimportant ideas that effect no one except academics who choose to write about them, they effect whether men or women are allowed into a sport. Thats pretty powerful stuff.
As you have shown Stheno even when a woman is allowed into a sport the remnants of the ideas that kept her out before are not all gone and when there is a difficulty there will be loads of I told you so's

If anyone is aware of Maria de Villota and her accident this week, and some of the sheer vitriol that has resulted by men talking about women in motorsports, it's a classic example of gender stereotyping.

Of course as with any gender stereotyping men will be effected when it comes to sports that are perceived to have any feminine attributes like poise or elegance but it can be difficult to talk about women without putting the focus back onto men but basically the same issues apply and yes when men move out of gender stereotype they are suspected of being gay.

metabolivia says
Because gymnastics is one of those sports that's perceived as feminine, metabolivia. And that's led to a really big macho movement in the sport that goes all the way up to the leadership. It's the main reason why the FIG has recognized women's rhythmic gymnastics for decades now, but refuses to officially recognize men's RG. And, interestingly, it's the men who are most opposed to the inclusion of men's RG.

If as Stheno says we take the gay issue out of it I agree many of the heterosexual readers here would probably be better able to see some of the issues.
Maybe thats the only way posters want to engage with the issues which are important for women generally in sport and yes important for men too.
I am including the lesbian issue because lesbians and gay men are often at the cutting edge of challenges to gender stereotyping and whether you are gay or not, male or female, if you break out of gender stereotype you will be suspected of being gay. I think people in general need to stand up to this idea of anyone being "accused" of being gay. I would like sportspeople to stand in solidarity any time it comes up. If its not coming up for you personally maybe just becoming aware of the issues is enough for now.
That is why I say the fear of lesbians in sport because you don't have to be lesbian to feel the effects of it. All you have to do is step out of gender stereotype and you will feel it. Some women as I have said who can bring along boyfriends or take part in social events looking for men can throw off the lesbian suspicion but not everyone can or wants to do that.

As I originally said this has been and still is, a very taboo subject. People who know lesbians in sport especially at a high level often dont even want to name the sport they are active in let alone the names of the women themselves. There is huge resistance and denial to talking about homophobia in sport even though most people know that the first thing most people are jeered about when they step out of gender stereotype is sexuality, as metabolivia said "the guys who compete get crap about their sexuality"
I really appreciate the opportunity to have written all this here as I think this is a big part of how we bring about change through reasoned discussion, bringing the issues forward and allowing people to say what they need to say and hear a reasonable reply.

Generally and importantly the way most women (and men) feel these issues is simply in the gender stereotypes and that can be expressed in all kinds of powerful ways as both Stheno and metaoblivia have pointed out by giving concrete examples.
If we can see the stereotyping and not buy into it or at least let those who dont fit into it have their own way of being without ridicule or censorship that would be great. If athletes when they encountered crap about their sexuality didnt run to show how feminine or macho they were in order to distance themselves from the idea that they might be gay that would be even better.