The perception of homophobia and discrimination of LGBTQIA+ community in the context of Physical Education in Portugal

• Autor(a) principal: Craveiro, Ana Catarina
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Outros Autores: Mendes, José, Vieira, Fernando
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: https://doi.org/10.31211/rpics.2021.7.2.222
• topic: Discrimination; Internal homophobia; LGBTQIA; Physical Education; Mixed study; Discriminação; Educação Física; Homofobia interna; LGBTQIA; Estudo misto

Background and Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate internalized homophobia and the feeling of everyday discrimination among LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) community in physical education. Methods: Qualitative, quantitative and exploratory study was used on a convenience sample, non-probabilistic, carried out from May 2021 to July 2021. One hundred eighty individuals, aged between 18 and 60, participated in the study by answering a sociodemographic questionnaire, a questionnaire evaluating comfort with sexual identity (the Internalized Homophobia Scale), and the Everyday Discrimination Scale. Results: Regarding the evaluation of internalized homophobia, the perception of external stigma presented moderate to high correlations with the variables associated with discrimination in school settings and physical education classes. It was possible to confirm statistically significant sex differences in favorite sports practiced in physical education classes, where girls preferred group contact sports and boys preferred individual/non-contact sports. Through qualitative analysis was noticeable that most participants recalled homophobic rhetoric from classmates during physical education classes. Conclusions: There is a need for a greater understanding of gender differences and physical education practice. Concerns arise associated with the abandonment of physical exercise or sport due to the discrimination felt by young students. Future studies should analyze the perspective of those involved in the development of the physical education curriculum, taking into account the evolution of society.