Queer dancers’ experiences in the dancesport world: exclusion, invisibilisation and assimilation

• Date: 02 May 2024
• Pages: 55-70
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-11-2023-0376
• Published date: 02 May 2024
• Author: Val Meneau

Queer dancers’experiences in the

dancesport world: exclusion,

invisibilisation and assimilation

Val Meneau

Faculty of Cultural and Social Sciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria

Abstract

Purpose –This paper intervenes in the consequences of a myth propagated in academic discourse about the

dancesport world, according to whichhalf of the men in Latin dancesport are gay. I challenge two assumptions

that surround this myth: that cisgender gay men do not contribute to the reification of the heteronormative

gender binary, and that the dancesport scene is inclusive of gay people. These assumptions are based on a

blatant lack of understanding of the position of gay men within the dancesport world –that is, the ways in

which subjects are constituted through the effects of power.

Design/methodology/approach –This work is based on empirical research I conducted in the dancesport

community, including ethnographic and autoethnographic fieldwork, extant documents (e.g. books, blogs,

Judging Regulations) and interviews with experts and participants of the dancesport scene (2021/2022). To

analyse the data, I relied on the principles of dispositive analysis, grounded theory and dance analysis.

Findings –I show that gay dancers have turned to assimilation as their only available strategy. I discuss the

negative consequences of assimilation as a political strategy and how it impacted queer dancers –between

invisibilisation, residual shame and a failure to challenge the heteronormative gender binary. This led gay

dancers to rationalise and perpetrate harm based on the systems of oppression they had internalised.

Social implications –I conclude the paper by highlighting a way beyond assimilation for queer dancers.

Originality/value –This paper addresses a critical gap in research on LGBT þinclusion in dancesport.

Keywords Discrimination, Mixed methodologies, Qualitative, Inclusion, Sex and gender issues, Critical,

Assimilation, Heteronormativity

Paper type Research paper

This paper intervenes in the consequences of a myth that is propagated in academic

discourse about the dancesport [1] world. It states that half of the men in Latin dancesport are

gay. Because some scholars believe it, the quality and relevance of scholarship in dancesport

is judged accordingly. In my [previous work] on the heteronormative gender binary in Latin

competitive dance, I pointed out that the dancesport dispositive is largely interested in

satisfying the male gaze [citation]. One of my reviewers commented that it seemed strange to

use the concept of the male gaze when so many men in dancesport are allegedly gay.

If about half of all professional male competitors in dancesport Latin identify as gay, then

surely that means that about the same number of adjudicators are gay –the primary audience

in dancesport. And if that is the case, why should the dance be designed to please cisgender

straight men and their gaze?

Furthermore, if gay dancers really do make up 50% of the pool of male dancers, the

dancesport scene must be incredibly inclusive. Many famous dancers in Latin dancesport are

Queer dancers’

experiences in

dancesport

55

© Val Meneau. Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative

Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create

derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full

attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://

creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

The research that led to these results was funded by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (€

OAW), from

which I received a DOC Scholarship.

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:

https://www.emerald.com/insight/2040-7149.htm

Received 3 November 2023

Revised 29 January 2024

11 March 2024

11 March 2024

Accepted 14 March 2024

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

An International Journal

Vol. 43 No. 9, 2024

pp. 55-70

Emerald Publishing Limited

2040-7149

DOI 10.1108/EDI-11-2023-0376

gay [2]. It is common to hear long lists of former gay world champions or top trainers, so it is

tempting to believe the rumours of a warm and inclusive dancesport community.

However, I am less interested in challenging the myth itself (since it has already been done,

see Ericksen, 2011, p. 160; Marion, 2008, p. 196) than the assumptions surrounding it, because

this has been done far too little. Here, I challenge two assumptions surrounding the myth:

(1) Cisgender gay men do not contribute to the reification of the heteronormative gender

binary.

(2) The dancesport scene is inclusive of gay people.

These assumptions are based on misrepresentation and a blatant lack of understanding of

gay men’s position within the dancesport world. This paper attempts to provide a context to

help academic discourse move beyond them.

This work is based on empirical research I conducted in the dancesport community,

including ethnographic and autoethnographic fieldwork, participant and non-participant

observations, extant documents (e.g. books, blogs, Judging Regulations), and interviews with

experts and participants of the dancesport scene (2021/2022) [3]. To analyse the data, I relied

on the principles of dispositive analysis, Grounded Theory, and dance analysis.

Here, I assume that the work of demonstrating that, as Ericksen puts it, “sexual identity

aside, the performance is resolutely heterosexual”(2011, p. 160), has already been done. As I

dedicated [previous work] to this topic, I will not spend any more time on it here. This paper

also does not address why queer people get involved in dancesport to begin with, nor what

makes them stay. I am simply looking at their trajectories and how they adapt in the face of

blatant exclusion.

In the paper, I sometimes use “queer”and “gay”interchangeably. Although gay and

lesbian sexualities have historically been associated with queerness, this may no longer be

the case in Western societies. Advances in gay rights have allowed gay people to claim

privileges previously reserved for heterosexual couples, leading to their assimilation into the

new heteronormativity, as described by Allen and Mendez (2018) [4].

In dancesport,however, the expression of homosexuality remains queer in theliteral sense:

it is strangeand disturbing to the heteronormative gender binaryand its hegemony. It is queer

in a differentsense than I am queer in the dancesportworld. As a non-binary person,I challenge

the heteronormativegender binary in a differentway –but some of our experiencesoverlap, so

even though this paper is mostly about gay dancers in dancesport, their experiences may

resonate with mine,and we will need to work together to challenge hegemony.

I begin by reviewing the literature on productive power, domination, and assimilation.

After a short description of my methods, I move on to describe how the dancesport scene

institutionally excludes queerness and how this restricts opportunities for openly queer

people. I then consider the types of violence experienced by queer people who have decided to

stay in dancesport and the necessity to hide their own queerness. I further discuss how this

situation negatively impacts all queer people, as they feel isolated but also perpetrate the

abuses caused by the heteronormative gender binary. I conclude by building a case for

moving beyond assimilation as a political trajectory.

From domination to assimilation

Power as productive

The two myths I seek to challenge here operate based on a lack of understanding of the ways

in which subjects are constituted through the effects of power. According to Foucault, power

relations precede us and produce the subjects embedded in them (Oksala, 2016, p. 475).

Johanna Osaka explains.

EDI

43,9

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