The Gay Games: The Play of Sexuality, Sport - Victoria University ...

Vikki Krane, has researched the social-psychological impacts of Gay Games IV and
V on lesbian participants, most of who reside in the US.^ Critical philosopher and
social theorist, Brian Pronger, has analysed the masculine arena of sport and the
significance of gay men's sports involvement, particularly within gay sports leagues
and events such as the Gay Games. ^° Pat Griffin has written on the climates of
discrimination and inclusion for lesbians within sports organisations and settings of
the US.'^ Prominent sport sociologist, historian and feminist, Jennifer Hargreaves, has
recently made an important contribution to the understanding of lesbian and gay
sports developments, including the Gay Games, in her book on marginalised and
heroic sports women - Heroines of Sport. ^^ There is also a doctoral thesis written by
Judith Cramner that investigates the media coverage of Gay Games IV.'^ An online
joumal dedicated to GLBTQI issues, especially within Australia, produced an edition
featuring the Gay Games that was published just before Sydney 2002.''* However,
there has been little in the way of a comprehensive social history of the Gay Games.
Management, vol. 2 (2001), pp. 134-151; Brenda Pitts, 'Beyond the Bars: The Development of
Leisure-Activity Management in the Lesbian and Gay Population in America, Leisure Information
Quarterly, vol. 15, no 3 (1988), pp. 4-7; Brenda Pitts, 'From Leagues of Their Own to An Industry of
Their Own: The Emerging Lesbian Sports Industry, Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, vol.
6, no. 2 (1997), pp. 109-139.
^ Vicki Krane and L Romont, 'Female Athletes Motives and Experiences at the Gay Games',
Journal of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Identities, vol. 2 (1997), pp. 123-138. V. Krane and H. Barber,'
Social Psychological Benefits of Gay Games Participants: A Social Identity Theory Explanation'
Manuscript submitted for publication in Journal of Applied Sport Psychology in July 2001. Krane has
also written about the cultural and political significance of the Gay Games in a co-authored paper:
Krane, and Jennifer Waldron, 'The Gay Games: Creating Our Own Sports Culture', in K. Schaffer and
S. Smith, The Olympics and the Millennium: Power, Politics and the Games, New Brunswick: Rutgers
University Press, 2000, pp. 147-159.
'° Brian Pronger, The Arena of Masculinity: Homosexuality and the Meaning of Sex (Toronto:
University of Toronto Press, 1991).
" Pat Grififm, Strong Women, Deep Closets. Lesbians and Homophobia in Sports (Champaign,
111: Human Kinetics, 1998)
'^ Jennifer Hargreaves, Heroines of Sport: The Politics of Difference and Identity (London:
Routledge, 2000).
'^ Judith Cramer, ' We 're Here, We 're Queer': Breaking the Silence with Gay Games IV.
Unpublished PhD (Ann Arbour, Michigan: University of Michigan, 1997)
'* Feature articles were by Kevin Markwell, David Rowe and Donna Russo ' Towards an
'Exemplary Community'? The Politics of the Intemational Gay Games', Wordisout E-Joumal, no. 4