As part of BBC Sport's LGBT+ History Month, Clare Balding looks at what it means to be a gay woman in sport. From the outing of high profile athletes in the 1980s through to today's younger stars, she'll reveal how women have adapted and changed as they try to reclaim the word 'Lesbian'.
Rich archive and emotional interviews are at the core of this telling of the turbulent life of British footballer Justin Fashanu. His coming out in an age of widespread homophobia not only damaged his football career, but led to the demise of his relationship with the brother with whom he shared a painful early history and a lifelong rivalry.
Forbidden Games: The Justin Fashanu Story
2017
6
In both amateur and professional sports, being gay remains taboo. Few dare to come out of the closet for fear of being stigmatized, and for many, the pressure to perform is compounded by a further strain: whether or not to affirm their sexual identity. Standing on the Line takes a fresh and often moving look at some of our gay athletes, who share their experiences with the camera. They’ve set out to overcome prejudice in the hopes of changing things for the athletes of tomorrow.
Standing on the Line
2019
7
From adoption and homelessness to navigating relationships and overcoming self-harm, the four transmen in MAN MADE all have something else in common: they are all bodybuilders. Through the lens of FTMFitCon, the world’s only FTM bodybuilding competition, we delve into the lives of Dominic, Rese, Mason, and Kennie as they define what it means to be a man while contextualizing that definition through the social, racial, and economic realities of their lives. For the men of MAN MADE, it’s not about winning—it’s about stepping on stage and being seen for everything they are.
Man Made
2018
0
In the world of 1970s car racing, Hurley Haywood was cool, calm and collected. A five-time 24 Hours of Daytona winner, three-time Le Mans winner and Trans-Am champion, Haywood was a Hollywood archetype: a strikingly handsome man brought up by a good Midwestern family. Yet Haywood was often overshadowed by racing partner and volatile mentor, Peter Gregg—the Batman to his Robin—whose abrupt suicide in 1980 shook the sport to its core. And yet Haywood had secrets of his own. Despite multiple encounters with women, some that included public appearances alongside Penthouse models, he remained elusive about his personal life. With deft use of archival footage and exclusive interviews featuring actor and fellow racer, Patrick Dempsey, Hurley reveals a greater insight into Haywood’s tightrope walk between career and sexuality, while posing the question—will motorsport ever be ready for openly LGBT racers?
Hurley
2019
4
This inspirational documentary follows a number of LGBTQ athletes, including Robbie Rogers (Major League Soccer), Layana White (NCAA basketball player), Gus Kenworthy (freestyle skier and Olympic silver medalist), Megan Rapinoe (soccer, Olympic gold medalist), and Trevor Betts, a trans high school athlete, charting their social and legal challenges within the schools, sports leagues, and within their own families, as well as their triumphs in the face of great adversity.
Alone in the Game
2018
8
From a celebrated hoops prodigy to a self-reliant professional basketball star, from Baylor to the WNBA and overseas, Brittney Griner had a wild ride last year. Her trip ended in China, where she drew oohs and aahs from fascinated crowds ... and learned a little something about herself along the way.
Brittney Griner: Lifesize
2014
0
A release that features 7 shorts from Italy, Israel, Tunisia, New Zealand, the United States and France, exploring those furtive first steps that men take as they decide to act on their sexuality. The 7 short films are: The First Time [La prima volta] (2012); Kiss Me (2022); Nidhal [نضال] (2022); Sparrow (2016); I Am Mackenzie (2019); The Place Between Us [Il posto fra di noi] (2010); By the End of the Night [Que la nuit s'achève] (2018).
The Male Gaze: Fleeting Glances
2022
3
Abby Wambach, the soccer phenom, has maintained an astonishing level of success, from helping the Florida Gators win their first and only national championship, to collecting a Founders Cup title with the WUSA's Washington Freedom and earning two Olympic gold medals.
Abby Head On
2013
0
The deeply personal story of elite Welsh trans cyclist Emily Bridges as she fights to represent her country in the female category for the first time at the Commonwealth Games.
Race to Be Me
2022
0
Serginho was one of the founding members of the historic Coligay fan club, the first fan club formed exclusively by homosexuals in the history of Brazilian soccer. Here, he tells a bit about his story and also about his relationship with Magia, one of the most recent seven-a-side soccer clubs in Brazil, formed only by homosexuals, who compete in championships and tournaments exclusively for LGBT's with the goal of bringing together a space of respect and welcoming amidst the still sexist and prejudiced scenario in soccer.
Três cores e outras
2018
0
This is Mike Parrow's Journey so far in life. He is a independent professional wrestler who struggled with his sexuality most of his adult life. After meeting the love of his life, Morgan, he revealed to his friends and family that he was gay. In this short documentary Mike talks about becoming a wrestler, finding a home in Orlando, the tragedy of Pulse Nightclub, and being a role model for other athletes struggling with their sexuality. The goal with this project is to highlight other athletes in the LGBTQ community.
Mike Parrow’s Journey: Coming Out as a Gay Athlete
2018
0
An introverted high school wrestler struggles for acceptance after his secret sexual identity is exposed.
Headlock
2020
0
When a hot, openly gay new neighbour moves in across the street, high school senior Jake is forced to think about what - and who - he really wants.
Golden Delicious
2022
6
Young sprinter Chris Cahill is having difficulty reaching her potential as an athlete, until she meets established track star Tory Skinner. As Tory and her coach help Chris with her training, the two women form friendship that evolves into a romantic relationship. Their intimacy, however, becomes complicated when Chris' improvement causes them to be competitors for the Olympic team.
Personal Best
1982
5
Selma and Sinan are a couple who now find it difficult to endure each other. At the end of high school, rumors start circulating about their son Umut, who is gay. While Selma and Sinan are trying to cope with their tiring marriage, Umut suddenly disappears.
Bilmemek
2019
5
After his son insists on bringing his boyfriend to practice, a rugby-mad father fears for his son’s chances of getting onto the national team.
Zinzan
2017
0
By living his entire life fearing the prejudice of others, Aksel inadvertently made himself the source of true bias. Now, the real victims of prejudice will be revealed, as his secret is laid out for the world to see.
Svans
2016
4
A story about compromise, 'One On One' follow Alex and Trevor as they work out their relationship on and off the basketball court, after one of them asks the other one to join a waltz class together.
One on One
2010
4
Mark, a new and inexperienced rugby club member, finds himself drawn to Warren, a seasoned first team player. When a series of happenstances at an away fixture lead to a drunken encounter, Mark and Warren unwittingly embark on a romantic affair they struggle to hide from their partners and teammates.
In from the Side
2022
6
Enys works the family farm with his widowed mother and grandmother. An exceptional rugby player, Enys leads his team to the final of The Cornwall Cup, all the while living with the pressures of his fathers legacy and a secret relationship.
Mab Hudel
2022
0