Experiences of trans persons in physical activity and sport: A qualitative meta-synthesis

Víctor Pérez-Samaniego, Jorge Fuentes-Miguel, Sofía Pereira-García, Elena López-Cañada and José Devís-Devís

Sport Management Review, 2019, vol. 22, issue 4, 439-451

Abstract: •Language has negative consequences for trans people but also becomes an act of resistance.•Changing rooms are experienced as embarrassing and unsafe.•Trans persons use different strategies for transgendering within physical activity and sport.•Trans people are perceived as abject, although abjection can also play a subversive role.•Commitment of managers is necessary to enhance access and safety.Access and participation of trans people in physical activity and sport result in a variety of experiences. The purpose of this paper was to map and provide new insights to existing qualitative research on experiences of trans people in physical activity and sport. Searches in international databases identified 604 documents related with those issues. Of these, the authors assessed 31 studies in accordance with a reading guide. Finally, 12 qualitative studies were selected. Key issues are condensed into four cross-cutting themes: (a) language; (b) facilities and spaces; (c) transgendering strategies; and (d) abjection. The identified issues show how trans persons diversely experience and manage situations of verbal discrimination, resistance, occupation of spaces, identification, and rejection. The paper concludes with insights based on the distinction between gender conformers and gender transformers, and implications for sport managers in order to enhance participation, enjoyment, and wellbeing of trans people in physical activity and sport.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1016/j.smr.2018.08.002

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