LGBTQ+ Research in Sport

In a recent study, CSMRE faculty affiliate and director, George Cunningham, partnered with Sally Shaw to conduct a scoping review of LGBTQ+ research in sport. They analyzed 260 studies published from 1969 to 2020. They identified the most prolific authors in the area (Eric Anderson, George B. Cunningham, Vikki Krane, E. Nicole Melton, Mark McCormack, Rory Magrath, Edward M. Kian, and Pat Griffin). Next, they tracked publications over time, showing that 73% of all LGBTQ+ studies in sport have been published in the past 10 years. Most of the research has been published in gender studies journals, followed by sport studies, sociology of sport, and sport management journals, among others. Finally, they classified the scholarship into seven themes: athletes experiences and behaviors; conceptual overviews; legal and regulatory; management and advocacy; marketing, communications, and consumer behavior; prejudice and discrimination, and sport managers, coaches, and parents.

Shaw, S., & Cunningham, G. B. (2021). The rainbow connection: A scoping review and introduction of a scholarly exchange on LGBTQ+ experiences in sport management. Sport Management Review.