LGBT Athletes, Changing Social Contexts and the ‘Sports Media’

Introducing the edited collection, this chapter is structured into three main sections. First, I outline the role of the sports media, briefly outlining its historical roots, before then examining its centrality prominence and importance for contemporary sport—particularly at elite level. Second, I discuss the liberalizing of attitudes toward sexual minorities in the Western world, and how this has also reflected in sport in recent years—resulting in the increase of openly LGBT athletes. I then outline how the sports media are integral to the framing of LGBT athletes, arguing that they both reflect and facilitate this process. Finally, I provide some information about the edited collection, what the book examines, and a discussion of the organization of the book.