We can be athletic and feminine, but do we want to? Challenging hegemonic femininity in women's sport

More women than ever before are participating in a diverse array of sports. However, at the same time, this popularity accentuates the femininity of t hese sportswomen, protecting the "image" of women's sports. The underlying message is that athleticism and femininity are contradictory, and females h ave to go out of their way to show that they can be athletic and be sociall y accepted. Kolnes' (1995) concept of heterosexuality as an organizing prin ciple in women's sport provides the foundation for understanding the social construction of females in sport. Generally, women who appear heterosexual ly feminine are privileged over women perceived as masculine. Consequences of nonconformity to hegemonic femininity in sport often include sexist and heterosexist discrimination. This leads many sportswomen to emphasize femin ine characteristics to avoid prejudice and discrimination. However, females perceived as too feminine are then sexualized and trivialized, leaving wom en to carefully balance athleticism with hegemonic femininity. However, in less traditional sport settings, females are resisting, challenging, and tr ansforming expectations of hegemonic femininity.