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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Sarah Voss - sexualisation of costumes in gymnastics

63 replies

tumbletastic · 23/04/2021 16:18

Tried searching but couldn't find a thread on this already.

A German gymnast has worn a full body costume to promote safety and comfort in the sport.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56858863.amp

It's was not something I ever really thought too hard about but I'm so glad that this is happening especially for the girls/ women that follow behind. I hope it catches on for those who chose to wear.

No more points deducted for wearing non traditional leotards.

OP posts:
NiceGerbil · 24/04/2021 02:07

True, curious.

NiceGerbil · 24/04/2021 02:12

The options then are

Wear tiny clothes
Wear all covering clothes

It's a reflection of the real life attitudes to women. There was a cartoon with a woman between two men. One covers her, the other one uncovers her. Two sides of the same coin.

In many sports the attire changes through the years. Footballer shorts were v skimpy in the 70s as an example.

I also think the idea that women's sports are optimised when women wear very little while men can do them fine in more clothes is a pretty iffy.

HeirloomTomato · 24/04/2021 02:27

I like the look of that full-length leotard. It's much more sensible. I always disliked the costume inequity in gymnastics. It bothered me to see girls being expected to have such a tight-fitting, revealing costume fitted right in to their crotch when boys just wore shorts and a vest. Why can't the girls wear shorts and a vest? There's just no reason for them to have such tight-fitting clothes but I like the look of the full-body leotard with sleeves and covered legs, like Sarah Voss wear.

Same with ice-skating. Girls in flimsy 'skirts' but basically showing their underwear underneath while the boys wear leggings and vests. I don't know how these traditions started but they need to end.

Jamboree01 · 24/04/2021 04:06

Gymnasts have a pretty limited shelf life once they reach a certain age so the majority of their time in the career spent in skimpy leotards is as children. That’s what concerns me. The boys and young men have always worn very tight outfits too? I know whatever any gymnast wears needs to be practical, but some of the children in particular have to wear very revealing ‘outfits’z

PurplePlain · 24/04/2021 04:19

The new costume shows off (in a good way) how muscular her legs are.

daretodenim · 24/04/2021 04:54

I think gymnasts get points deducted in competition for having any line under their suits, so can't wear bras as well as pants.

The first time I went to a children's gymnastics competition was to watch a friend's son. I felt really uncomfortable with what the girls were wearing. I felt embarrassed actually to be an adult watching preteen girls doing the splits etc. in such skimpy clothing. I'd never seen gymnastics off the TV. Nobody was perving, but it just didn't feel right. I think the girls should wear what they want but the question isn't that, it's why would adults want to watch girls in such little clothing? However, it's even a hard question to ask because there's an implication that everybody watching is perving. I don't think they are at all, I think that you just get totally used to seeing leotards and don't see it with fresh eyes.

For every gymnast on TV, that are literally thousands of girls on a Saturday morning turning up at local gyms for competitions. They're mostly all wearing leotards and have no alternative if they want to keep doing their sport. It's actually ridiculous.

I hope this really opens the way for gymnasts, most of whom across the sport are under the age of consent, to wear something else.

When I saw this news last night, there were lots of supportive comments under the article, plus a sizeable amount by men saying "No point in watching anymore if they wear this". Now, if I were organising a sport at a national level and knew men were watching it for sexual thrills, I'd be wanting to make sure my sportswomen (and girls!) weren't being used sexually, even indirectly, to increase revenues, but were instead being viewed for their talent and skill.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 24/04/2021 08:17

And we still have examples like Venus Williams and her wearing a bloody tutu after having been told her jumpsuit wasn't good enough for tennis!

So many men hankering after female sports always being like that Athena poster!!

murbblurb · 24/04/2021 09:13

@midgedude if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

And if gymnastics deducts points for 'a line under a costume' then that needs stopping right now. I know that sports with an 'artistic' section are always iffy but that could be easily solved.

PurgatoryOfPotholes · 24/04/2021 10:53

When I saw this news last night, there were lots of supportive comments under the article, plus a sizeable amount by men saying "No point in watching anymore if they wear this". Now, if I were organising a sport at a national level and knew men were watching it for sexual thrills, I'd be wanting to make sure my sportswomen (and girls!) weren't being used sexually, even indirectly, to increase revenues, but were instead being viewed for their talent and skill.

Exactly. This IS an issue, and people have to keep the comments turned off on youtube videos of children's gymnastics because of it.

shallIswim · 24/04/2021 17:53

Fabulous. Also the gymnast looks so much stronger and more, well, sporty in the full body suit.

MiddlesexGirl · 24/04/2021 18:00

It looks so much nicer.
I really do hope it's accepted internationally

YellowScallion · 24/04/2021 18:02

The full body suit looks so much better imo, surprised how much tbh

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