IS IT “ABOUT TIME” OR A “FANTASY WORLD?”

FANS, DISCOURSE, AND DECIDING IF “COMING OUT MATTERS” IN WOMEN’S SOCCER

Not Whether But In What Ways

Meghan Ferriter, Ph.D. Lavender Languages 21 15 February 2014

ABBY WAMBACH + SARAH HUFFMAN

+ The Fandom…

TIMELINE & RESPONSES• Late September and earlier - quiet rumblings about engagement -

“discussed” in folksonomic tags or anons

• Bachelor(ette) Party in Vegas -

• Tweets by attendees heading to Hawaii

• SoccerWire, TMZ, & HRC announces wedding with congratulations

• Abby Wambach acknowledges congrats via Tweet

• Abby Wambach gives interview that in part discusses marriage and identity

HRC Tweets (too soon?)

CRITICISM OF THE TIMING

• Was she outed? Why silent?• Reading too much fanfic? Magazine retractions• Tweets: Social Media & Digital lives intersect• Also, not ENOUGH coverage - relegated to gossip not sports

news

BUT, ABOUT TIME

Recurring themes in comments & notes:

•finally

•it’s about time, ladies

•THIS. / what it should be / just being

•(i knew it) / no coming out needed

•“this is brand new information” (sarcasm)

•yay!/ Congrats Abby & Sarah! / so happy/ proud of her

NOT A CASE OF “I’M HOMOSEXUAL…

HEAR ME ROAR”

• Fandom divided on response to Wambach’s interview in which she described herself as not like that, private, levelheaded and comfortable with herself in a society that is “past that* now” - suggesting a post-homophobic society

FAN RESPONSE• Wambach described as: a hero, a role model,

with incredible integrity, too adorable, an awesome human being, literally the best person in the world

• Also as: bullshit comments, belittling, denying, talking about a fantasy world, not being aware of privilege, a load of shit dumped on a community that has supported her and her sport for years…

POST-HOMOPHOBIC SOCIETY BULLSHIT

A FANTASY WORLD

• Pt1: Discussing & experiencing sexuality is as personal as decisions to come out

• Pt 2:“She’s talking about the world the way we want it to be” - we can’t just live

• Pt 3: “She’s OUT” - though Wambach actively resisted this event as “coming out”

LEARNING MOMENTS

LEARNING MOMENTS

LEARNING MOMENTS: POWER & SEXUALITY

#REPRESENTATION WILL ALWAYS MATTER

Both perspectives acknowledge

• the power and significance of being out (or at least to some)

• that it’s a matter of timing and framing (over which they disagree)

• that saying it and doing it are different: language - naming - articulation

• that representation matters - as role models, as “strong women,” as USWNT, for the future

THANK YOU!

Yes Pls #GETINTOUCH

Meghan Ferriter

ferriterm@si.edu

@MeghaninMotion

http://meghaninmotion.com