A record number of LGBT athletes are competing in the Rio Olympics, but some of them have already been the targets of homophobic language. When women’s soccer players kicked off the Games on Wednesday, people in the stands yelled homophobic slurs at competitors from the U.S., Australia, and Canada.
According to the Los Angeles Times, people in the stands of Estadio Mineirao hurled the anti-gay term, “bicha,” at women on the field. Until Wednesday, the word has always been reserved for men’s games, local journalists reported, but fans shouted it during the U.S.-New Zealand match as well as the Canada-Australia game.
At least six people on the field that day identified as lesbian, including midfielder Megan Rapinoe and head coach Jill Ellis on the USWNT. Stephanie Labbé, Canada’s out goalkeeper, was also targeted.
What does that say to players who are struggling to come out?
“I don’t think most of those fans would have said that directly to my face. I don’t think they mean it in that way,” Rapinoe said, adding that she was hurt by the word. “But they need to understand that that’s how it’s taken. They need to understand if all of you are willing to do that, what does that say to a gay player? Especially in the men’s game.”
“What does that say to players who are struggling to come out?” she said. But Rapinoe als noted that the slurs opened up an important conversation about different types of discrimination in sports, such as homophobia, sexism, and racism.
“I don’t think that all Brazilians fans or everyone that was there last night is homophobic,” she continued. “But I think that they are complicit in it as long as they’re doing it. FIFA can crack down as much as they want but it’s up to individuals in the stands to not participate in that kind of behavior.”
There are currently 43 out LGBT Olympians, nearly double the number of those who competed in Rio four years ago. Team USA has eight out competitors — all of whom are women. It’s possible that there are many more, but coming out is still a scary process for many athletes, who worry about their safety and losing sponsors.