LOS ANGELES — Homophobia in sports is worse in the United States than in other English-speaking countries and globally is more acute in team sports than other parts of society, according to a survey released on Saturday.
The "Out on the Fields" study conducted by the sports and entertainment market research firm Repucom found homophobia is common in athletics in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Ireland, with gay and lesbian athletes often hearing slurs from teammates while spectators encounter similar language in the stands.
The report, which focuses on amateur athletics, comes out a year after Michael Sam became the first openly gay player drafted by a National Football League team, although he was later cut.