Buitengewoon grensoverschrijdend. Sportervaringen van transgenders
Auteurs
Agnes Elling
Samenvatting
Sport practices can be regarded as specifically
confronting environments for transgenders,
due the central position of the body and
the gendered structures (changing room,
competitions) and cultures in mainstream
sports. In this article the results of a
qualitative study about sport participation
and gender negotiations of transgender prior
to, during and after transition, are presented.
The sports biographies show that sports were
indeed experienced as rather ‘dangerous’
environments for many transgender people,
especially for transwomen. However, sports
were not only regarded as places where
shame and/or control of the ‘wrong’ body
occurred. Some sports environments
were perceived as safe or even as places
of resistance and physical awareness and
pride of the ‘right’ body were also expressed
through sports. Moreover, the results
illustrate that binary gender categorisations
were both challenged and reproduced
through sports’ participation