Black tights: Women, sport and sexuality

by Laura Robinson

Genres: Nonfiction

248 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Simon Wang · Rating 4 out of 5]

god i love laura robinson truly a goated sports journalist

really thoughtful second wave feminist look at the place of women in sports in the late 90s and early 2000s. talks a lot about abt individual choices vs collective rights

covers tons of different angles!! sex testing, sexuality, body image and disordered eating, the exploitation of the global south, title ix, ontario charter, etc.

[Barbara McVeigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Via second-wave feminist analysis, Laura Robinson examines the struggles women face in sport. Black Tights is a well-researched, well-written book.

Robinson looks at the following issues:
1. Denying the Whole Woman: patriarchy/sexism, funding, sex testing, homophobia
2. Exploiting the Whole Woman: representation in the media, , sexual abuse, eating disorders, sponsorships
3. Restoring the Whole Woman: the struggle for talented girls playing on boys’ teams; the Scandinavian example

For examples from the book, see quotes in my progress updates.