Who's Coming Out to Play : Disruption and Disorientation in Queer Community Sports

A unique exploration of queer community sports and what they tell us about bodies, gender, and social relations. __Who's Coming Out to Play__ paints a vivid picture of the lived experiences of queer bodies in queer sporting spaces, exploring both the possibilities and the continued problems they face. Exploring queer teams and leagues of varying sizes and from various locations, this book focuses on leagues that have previously identified as women's or lesbian and are now becoming trans and genderqueer inclusive. "Queer community sports leagues, by their sheer numbers, have a presence that is changing the energy and space of school gyms and community recreational spaces. Some leagues are well-established, having been in existence for over 25 years, whereas others are relatively new, but their collective presence tell stories about the sizable and changing dynamics of queer communities in Canada. Within Toronto and Vancouver, the two major cities tied to this research, there are numerous queer leagues including, softball, hockey, soccer, basketball, volleyball, and dodgeball. Within other smaller cities, queer teams and/or leagues exist, but not with the same numbers or history. This book focuses on leagues that have previously identified as women's or lesbian and are now becoming trans and genderqueer inclusive. Queer community leagues are based in a commitment to community building - prioritizing fun, socializing, and inclusivity over competition and/or winning. As a result of these commitments, these spaces - and the bodies that come to play in them - reflect new ways of being in and with bodies, different ways of embodying gender, and new and/or different forms of engagement, notably different "rules of play" within sporting arenas. This book considers the disruptive potential of queer community sports on the embodiment of gender and sense of social belonging, with an awareness of numerous factors that limit this potential."-- Provided by publisher "Queer community sports leagues, by their sheer numbers, have a presence that is changing the energy and space of school gyms and community recreational spaces. Some leagues are well-established, having been in existence for over 25 years, whereas others are relatively new, but their collective presence tell stories about the sizable and changing dynamics of queer communities in Canada. Within Toronto and Vancouver, the two major cities tied to this research, there are numerous queer leagues including, softball, hockey, soccer, basketball, volleyball, and dodgeball. Within other smaller cities, queer teams and/or leagues exist, but not with the same numbers or history. This book focuses on leagues that have previously identified as women's or lesbian and are now becoming trans and genderqueer inclusive. Queer community leagues are based in a commitment to community building - prioritising fun, socialising, and inclusivity over competition and/or winning. As a result of these commitments, these spaces - and the bodies that come to play in them - reflect new ways of being in and with bodies, different ways of embodying gender, and new and/or different forms of engagement, notably different "rules of play" within sporting arenas. This book considers the disruptive potential of queer community sports on the embodiment of gender and sense of social belonging, with an awareness of numerous factors that limit this potential."-- Provided by publisher Queer community sports leagues, by their sheer numbers, are changing the energy and space of school gyms and community recreational spaces. Some leagues are well-established – having been in existence for over twenty-five years – whereas others are relatively new, but their collective presence tells stories about the shifting dynamics of queer communities in Canada. Who's Coming Out to Play considers the potential of queer community sports to disrupt notions of the embodiment of gender and community, while maintaining an awareness of numerous factors that limit this potential. Exploring queer teams and leagues of varying sizes and from various locations, this book focuses on leagues that have previously identified as women's or lesbian and are now becoming trans and genderqueer inclusive. Queer community leagues are based in a commitment to community building, prioritizing fun, socializing, and inclusivity over competing or winning. As a result of these commitments, these spaces and the people who come to play in them reflect new ways of being in and with bodies, different ways of embodying gender, and new or different forms of engagement – notably distinct "rules of play" – within sporting arenas. Who's Coming Out to Play paints a vivid picture of the lived experiences of queer bodies in queer sporting spaces, exploring both the possibilities and the continued problems they face. Queer community sports leagues, by their sheer numbers, are changing the energy and space of school gyms and community recreational spaces. Some leagues are well-established - having been in existence for over twenty-five years - whereas others are relatively new, but their collective presence tells stories about the shifting dynamics of queer communities in Canada.0Who's Coming Out to Play considers the potential of queer community sports to disrupt notions of the embodiment of gender and community, while maintaining an awareness of numerous factors that limit this potential. Exploring queer teams and leagues of varying sizes and from various locations, this book focuses on leagues that have previously identified as women's or lesbian and are now becoming trans and genderqueer inclusive. Queer community leagues are based in a commitment to community building, prioritizing fun, socializing, and inclusivity over competing or winning. As a result of these commitments, these spaces and the people who come to play in them reflect new ways of being in and with bodies, different ways of embodying gender, and new or different forms of engagement - notably distinct "rules of play" - within sporting arenas.0Who's Coming Out to Play paints a vivid picture of the lived experiences of queer bodies in queer sporting spaces, exploring both the possibilities and the continued problems they face Cover Copyright Contents Acknowledgments Introduction 1 Bodies at Play 2 Queering Gender in Play: Community Sports, Spaces for Diverse Gender Embodiments? 3 Queer Sports: Re-imaging Space, Community, and Inclusivity Concluding Thoughts: Forging New Paths ... References Index