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In the Game: Gay Athletes and the Cult of Masculinity
Eric Anderson is Lecturer on Sociology at Stony Brook University, State University of New York and the author of The True Story of America's First Openly Gay Track Coach .
222 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
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About the author
Eric Anderson
160 books11 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Eric Anderson is Professor of Sport, Masculinities and Sexualities at the University of Winchester, UK. He holds four degrees, has published 17 books, over 60 peer-reviewed articles, and is regularly featured in international television, print, and digital media. Professor Anderson is recognized for research excellence by the British Academy of Social Sciences and is a fellow of the International Academy of Sex Research. His work shows a decline in cultural homohysteria and promotes inclusive attitudes toward openly gay, lesbian and bisexual athletes as well as a softening of heterosexual masculinities.
Eric Anderson is Professor of Sport, Masculinities and Sexualities at the University of Winchester, UK. He holds four degrees, has published 17 books, over 60 peer-reviewed articles, and is regularly featured in international television, print, and digital media. Professor Anderson is recognized for research excellence by the British Academy of Social Sciences and is a fellow of the International Academy of Sex Research. His work shows a decline in cultural homohysteria and promotes inclusive attitudes toward openly gay, lesbian and bisexual athletes as well as a softening of heterosexual masculinities.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 9, 2025
A fascinating read, not just regarding gay men in athletics, but ideas of masculinity, the myth of sport in our culture, and our inability to talk about non-normative identity comfortably, even if one identifies with non-normativity.
I think the thing that has stuck with me most is that not much has really changed in 20 years, especially in the world of professional sports— there is only one active openly gay player in both the NFL and NHL. However, considering the interviews and research Anderson lays out, so many athletes, including professionals, are queer in some regard. It seems that the accepted formula in sport is to accept that your teammates might be or are gay, and to ignore that entirely, and not talk about it.
As a queer person myself, I completely understand the desire to be a part of a space where your sexuality is denied or not talked about— so I’d be curious to see some more research into that, as Anderson only covers it for about a chapter. Yes, it is freeing to be able to come out. Yes, it is true that my identity is queer. But sometimes the internalized heterosexism takes over and you want to be recognized based on merit and have it assumed that you are straight (even if the latter is painful!!). How many athletes are choosing that environment because it allows them to feel “normal”?
I think the thing that has stuck with me most is that not much has really changed in 20 years, especially in the world of professional sports— there is only one active openly gay player in both the NFL and NHL. However, considering the interviews and research Anderson lays out, so many athletes, including professionals, are queer in some regard. It seems that the accepted formula in sport is to accept that your teammates might be or are gay, and to ignore that entirely, and not talk about it.
As a queer person myself, I completely understand the desire to be a part of a space where your sexuality is denied or not talked about— so I’d be curious to see some more research into that, as Anderson only covers it for about a chapter. Yes, it is freeing to be able to come out. Yes, it is true that my identity is queer. But sometimes the internalized heterosexism takes over and you want to be recognized based on merit and have it assumed that you are straight (even if the latter is painful!!). How many athletes are choosing that environment because it allows them to feel “normal”?
January 8, 2026
Heated Rivalry has been popular and i’m looking to sort of understand and describe some of my reservations around it. this is an incredible bit of sociological research done years ago about why there aren’t more out athletes in sports.
In the Game is a study of gay male athletes that argues homophobia is a structural mechanism used to police masculinity in team sports. Anderson shows how locker-room culture, peer enforcement, and institutional norms create a “cult of masculinity” that forces gay athletes to manage identity strategically, delay coming out, or accumulate “masculine capital” to survive.
I thought it was great. It matched with a lot of my own experience growing up in locker rooms. Anderson captures accurately that exclusion rarely shows itself as open violence. It works through jokes, silence, expectations, and the constant pressure to perform a character of masculinity.
Anderson’s concept of “masculine capital” was illuminating: those who are elite in the sport, emotionally restrained, physically dominant, and otherwise indistinguishable from the heterosexual norm are those who have enough capital to weather the transgression imposed by their differentness.
I like heated rivalry, a lot of people really enjoy it if the popularity is anything to judge it by, but in the game gave me sort of vocabulary to talk about the things that disconnected around HR. It’s easy to have cartoon villains that impose homophobia or to focus on the longing and the love scenes, but the actual experience of many queer athletes is markedly different in my experience. Where popular narratives often aestheticize secrecy or frame the closet as romantic tension, Anderson insists on treating it as a disciplinary structure. it is offputting at times to see how the illicitness of heated rivalries affair is more of a backdrop than an actual portrayal. It’s a reinforcement of norms that says “the closet can be sexy” instead of asking ourselves why the closet exists at all. I don’t think this would be a reasonable criticism if the book wasn’t so popular and being held up as a sort of talisman of “great queer media.” I think it’s good that HR out there. But it’s a far distance from real life.
In the Game is a study of gay male athletes that argues homophobia is a structural mechanism used to police masculinity in team sports. Anderson shows how locker-room culture, peer enforcement, and institutional norms create a “cult of masculinity” that forces gay athletes to manage identity strategically, delay coming out, or accumulate “masculine capital” to survive.
I thought it was great. It matched with a lot of my own experience growing up in locker rooms. Anderson captures accurately that exclusion rarely shows itself as open violence. It works through jokes, silence, expectations, and the constant pressure to perform a character of masculinity.
Anderson’s concept of “masculine capital” was illuminating: those who are elite in the sport, emotionally restrained, physically dominant, and otherwise indistinguishable from the heterosexual norm are those who have enough capital to weather the transgression imposed by their differentness.
I like heated rivalry, a lot of people really enjoy it if the popularity is anything to judge it by, but in the game gave me sort of vocabulary to talk about the things that disconnected around HR. It’s easy to have cartoon villains that impose homophobia or to focus on the longing and the love scenes, but the actual experience of many queer athletes is markedly different in my experience. Where popular narratives often aestheticize secrecy or frame the closet as romantic tension, Anderson insists on treating it as a disciplinary structure. it is offputting at times to see how the illicitness of heated rivalries affair is more of a backdrop than an actual portrayal. It’s a reinforcement of norms that says “the closet can be sexy” instead of asking ourselves why the closet exists at all. I don’t think this would be a reasonable criticism if the book wasn’t so popular and being held up as a sort of talisman of “great queer media.” I think it’s good that HR out there. But it’s a far distance from real life.
September 12, 2008
This is absolutely one of THE best books I've ever read! It's a sobering look at the world of male-dominated sports and casts a critical eye on hegemonic masculinity and what that means to gay athletes in the world of sports. This book was written by the first openly gay coach in the world of high school sports. After his own very painful coming out experience, he went back to school and earned his PhD in Sociology and in this book writes eloquently (and thoroughly) about the mechanisms by which gay athletes are made to feel ashamed of their sexuality and fear coming out of the closet for fear of physical assaults from other players.
Though sports (and the military) are the last remaining strongholds of blatant homophobic discourse in a rapidly changing and accepting society, things are not as bad as one would immediately predict. Most of the stories presented from openly gay athletes (from all levels of sport: high school, college, and professional) show acceptance from teammates, not a single case of physical violence, and a retrospective desire to have come out of the closet sooner.
The system is not without problems, however. In order to have a good coming out experience as a gay athlete, certain things have to be in place. Those who usually have the best coming out experiences are those athletes who are the top performers on their teams, who are indispensable despite their sexuality. Lesser athletes do not enjoy this type of leeway. Basically, the more masculine capital a gay athlete has amasses, the easier it will be to come out to teammates and be accepted. That is to say, the more closely a gay athlete resembles hegemonic/orthodox masculinity, the easier will be the experience.
One of the most interesting parts of the book has to do with what is famously termed the "don't ask, don't tell" policy whereby gay players don't talk about their sexuality and their teammates don't ask about it either. Gay athletes tend to see this as silent acceptance (which is better than the outright discomfort that can come with no acceptance at all) and can live with this. But the sad thing is that they are participating in a structure that is actively denying them a voice to allow others to learn about their experiences.
At the end of the book, Anderson even gives a brief "tutorial" for athletes on how to come out to coaches, teammates, and family and how to enlist the proper resources to do it right.
After reading this book, I really want to incorporate more research into such issues into my graduate studies. AWESOME book!
Though sports (and the military) are the last remaining strongholds of blatant homophobic discourse in a rapidly changing and accepting society, things are not as bad as one would immediately predict. Most of the stories presented from openly gay athletes (from all levels of sport: high school, college, and professional) show acceptance from teammates, not a single case of physical violence, and a retrospective desire to have come out of the closet sooner.
The system is not without problems, however. In order to have a good coming out experience as a gay athlete, certain things have to be in place. Those who usually have the best coming out experiences are those athletes who are the top performers on their teams, who are indispensable despite their sexuality. Lesser athletes do not enjoy this type of leeway. Basically, the more masculine capital a gay athlete has amasses, the easier it will be to come out to teammates and be accepted. That is to say, the more closely a gay athlete resembles hegemonic/orthodox masculinity, the easier will be the experience.
One of the most interesting parts of the book has to do with what is famously termed the "don't ask, don't tell" policy whereby gay players don't talk about their sexuality and their teammates don't ask about it either. Gay athletes tend to see this as silent acceptance (which is better than the outright discomfort that can come with no acceptance at all) and can live with this. But the sad thing is that they are participating in a structure that is actively denying them a voice to allow others to learn about their experiences.
At the end of the book, Anderson even gives a brief "tutorial" for athletes on how to come out to coaches, teammates, and family and how to enlist the proper resources to do it right.
After reading this book, I really want to incorporate more research into such issues into my graduate studies. AWESOME book!
October 21, 2008
Having no interest in sports, I was not too excited to read this book that was assigned in my masculinity soc class. However, it provides phenomenal insight on the lives on gay athletes and was a quick and easy read. Recommended for those interested in queer studies as well as those interested in sports.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews