“Aren’t we all a little bisexual?” The Recognition of Bisexuality in an Unlikely Place

The hypermasculine subculture of men’s teamsports has traditionally been characterized by the one-time rule of homosexuality, where one same-sex sexual experience is normally equated with a homosexual orientation. Thus, men have been polarized into sexual identity categories, erasing bisexuality as a legitimate or viable category of sexual identification. However, in this research we examine the perspectives on bisexuality among 60 male soccer players from three strategically selected U.S. universities, showing that these athletes accept bisexuality as a legitimate and non-stigmatized sexual identity. We find that they intellectualize an understanding of bisexuality in highly complex ways. We also highlight that while only a very small minority have engaged in same-sex sexual behaviors, at some level, most players recognize some degree of bisexuality in their own identities. We suggest that these results are a product of increased exposure to and contact with homosexual persons, leading to decreasing cultural homohysteria, finally resulting in increasingly open discussion and complex understanding of sexual behaviors and identities that were once erased or stigmatized in men’s teamsport culture.