Most Australians – 80 per cent – have witnessed or experienced homophobia in sport, a study has found.

The study, conducted by research outfit Out on the Fields, also found that 27 per cent of Australian gay men and 17 per cent of lesbians had received verbal threats of harm.

“Unfortunately, no matter what country we looked at, there’s a very significant prevalence of homophobia in sport,” said Erik Denison, spokesman for the internationally successful rugby team the Sydney Convicts.

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“Australia should be proud in terms of the fact that we have the highest participation rates, in any of the English speaking countries, in sport for both gay and lesbian people.

“But then you look at the instances of abuse and homophobia, we’re near the top.”

Homophobia in sport can involve physical assault, abuse, threats of violence and bullying over time.

More than 3000 Australians participated in the survey.

There was also a discrepancy between homophobia between men and women in sport.

Gay men were more likely to be discriminated against, with 34 per cent of gay men and 19 per cent of lesbians saying they have been the victims of bullying in sport over a period of time.

“It really comes down to sporting culture,” Mr Denison said.

“It’s quite a manly man kind of culture, and particularly with gay men perhaps fitting into that mould would be a challenge.

“Coaches, PE teachers really need to say no, homophobia is not acceptable and athletes need to say ‘I’m an ally, I’ll support you’.”

Athletes join the parade

The study coincides with this weekend’s Mardi Gras parade in Sydney, with the leading floats dedicated to fighting homophobia in sports.

The first three floats in this year’s parade centre on the success of elite gay athletes, the commitment by Australian sporting organisations to a more diverse and inclusive sporting environment, and the success of the Sydney Convicts, who last year won the Bingham Cup, the world cup of gay rugby.

The athletes taking part in the parade include Olympians Daniel Kowalski, Jai Wallace and Matthew Mitcham, Sydney Swans’ Nick Smith, Mike Pike and Heath Grundy, NRL’s Paul Langmack, Australian national cricketer Alex Blackwell and teammate Ellyse Perry.

“This fight against discrimination in sport is part of the great civil rights struggle that Sydney’s Mardi Gras has led in Australia for 37 years,” said Ignatius Jones, Mardi Gras’ senior parade creative consultant.

“As long as even one gay or lesbian kid is afraid to play sport, one of Australia’s defining activities, for fear of being denounced, Mardi Gras has a purpose.”

Cricketer wants to help younger gay athletes

Blackwell knows what it’s like to experience homophobia on the field.

“There was a moment where I was made, at a cricket event, [to feel] that perhaps the sport would be better off without someone like me, that perhaps it’s getting better with fewer lesbians in the team,” Blackwell said.

“That moment was very crushing, and it was a very isolated case in the 12 years I’ve been a part of the cricket team.”

From that moment, Blackwell decided to be more open to the public about her sexuality in 2012, wanting to use her experiences to help younger generations of athletes who may be struggling in sports because of who they are.

Blackwell, whose partner is ACT Meteors cricketer Lynsey Askew, said she looked up to Labor Senator Penny Wong, actor and comedian Magda Szubanski, and Cate McGregor, speech writer to army chief Lieutenant General David Morrison.

Ms McGregor is the highest ranking transgender individual in the army, and wrote General Morrison’s now famous words: “The standard you walk past is the standard you accept.”

“These women have really made it clear to me that I really need to do something about some of the issues in sport,” Blackwell said.

“To try and do something about that is a really easy thing to do – to just be myself and start that conversation.”

A lot of the issue centres on casual homophobia and how damaging that can be, not only in sport, but in society and everyday life.

“I think it’s just subtle comments here and there, use of phrases like “that’s so gay” they’re really small things, and offhand comments that aren’t overtly homophobic but it’s how they’re perceived,” she said.

“I think it’s just important for people to ask the question ‘what do you mean by that comment’ – or ‘is that really what you wanted to say’.”