Global Sport Matters highlights: Sex, gender and sexuality in sport

To amplify inclusivity in sport, the Global Sport Institute released these standout digital issues through our Global Sport Matters platform. “The Power of Women & Girls in Sport” and “Beyond the Binary in Sport” provided multimedia content to share research, insights and stories in impactful ways.

In the "Power of Women & Girls in Sport" issue:

From participation to coaching and shattering leadership ceilings, 2020 was slated to be a year of progress for women’s sport. But then came the pandemic. In our March 2021 Global Sport Matters digital issue we asked “What longstanding barriers and future opportunities still lie ahead?” and “Could 2021 be a signifi cant year of growth for women and girls?” Read the full issue at bit.ly/GSM32021

Paola Boivin, Professor of Practice, Walter Cronkite School Of Journalism and Mass Communication

Photo courtesy of Paola Boivin

Paola Boivin, who wrote “43 Years After Melissa Ludtke, Female Sports Journalists Face the Same Treatment” said “This story was so cathartic for me. While my goal was to share my journey so others could understand the past and appreciate that so much work remains to be done when it comes to female sports journalists, it also brought to the surface some dark moments, ones I had avoided and stashed away. They needed to come out."

What surprised me was the strong reaction that followed the story, from female reporters young and old to journalists and academics who wanted to discuss the state of affairs of our business. It made me realize the reach of Global Sport Matters and also grateful to be included among such thoughtful content on the site.

In this "Beyond the Binary in Sport" issue:

The spectra of sex, gender and sexuality challenge our traditional understanding of sport and competition but are increasingly central to the conversation around athlete and fan experience.

With legislation and organization increasing around how these various identities intersect, sport creates a natural landscape for discourse and broadens our knowledge of these conversations. In our June 2021 Global Sport Matters digital issue, we examined how perspectives are shifting and what we can discover by diving into the multitudes underneath these nuanced topics. Read the full issue at bit.ly/GSM62021

Jessica Luther, who wrote “Gendered Violence Cases Challenge Sports Journalists to Consider and Reconsider Each Word They Write” said “I hope people gained an understanding of the intricacies and care that go into reporting on gendered violence and some particulars of those when sports are involved. Whenever I write or talk about this work, I am also hopeful that people will question the status quo ways that we often approach this topic.

It’s a distinct honor to know that professors will use this work in the classroom and that it therefore has the potential to shape, even in a small way, this work moving forward.

Jessica Luther, journalist.