The concept of toxic masculinity holds that to be truly masculine, a man must be violent, dominating, homophobic, and transphobic. Standing on the Line gives us an insight as to what it is like to be a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and have to face toxic masculinity. It addresses the issue of homophobia in the sports industry. The documentary particularly focuses on the experiences many gay Canadian athletes had on their journey to coming out. Toxic masculinity can drastically impact the mental health of athletes. For instance, hockey player Brock McGillis explains how "everything constantly made me think I was bad or wrong and I tried to suppress it" (57:07). Toxic masculinity can also lead to gay athletes dating more women to appear "straight," which can lead to more anxiety. Furthermore, toxic masculinity can lead to addictive behaviours such as alcoholism. I learned from this documentary that gay athletes are being more accepted and the "death sentence" they get upon coming out is changing. This makes me hopeful and happy that toxic masculinity is being dismantled. The most impactful part of this film to me was when Anastasia Bucsis' chose to come out publicly, and her mom asked, "Why did people have to know?", to which she responds, "I didn't want any child or any teen to go through what I went through." Influential athletes publicly coming out inspires many other young people to do so and be themselves. I give this film 4 stars because it gives the athletes a platform and offers resources to 2SLGBTQIA+ athletic youth who might be going through a hard time due to their sexual orientation. Although the film does a great job of giving an insight into the dismantling of toxic masculinity in the sports industry, I would have liked to see 2SLGBTQIA+ athletes of colour tell their experiences. It is important to give a platform to 2SLGBTQ+ athletes of colour so we can educate ourselves better.
3 Reviews
Great documentary
beatrizvbove5 May 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Wow! What a great movie! It was an incredibly impactful movie - I learned that there are many different experiences of masculinity and that these experiences are shaped by many factors - like culture, race, and sexuality.
They did a great job of showcasing different stories of the athletes who had to overcome significant challenges to pursue their dreams. While all the stories were incredibly touching, Jesse Cockney's stood out to me.
He is a cross-country skier from the Northern Tutchone First Nation in Yukon. He talks about how he had to leave his family and community behind to pursue his passion for skiing and how he had to work hard to overcome the financial and cultural barriers.
I would give this film four stars because it was well-made and thought-provoking - it touched on many sensitive topics but did so thoughtfully and respectfully. An example would be toxic masculinity in sports and how it can impact 2SLGBTQIA+ athletes by creating an unwelcoming environment that's hostile toward them.
They did a great job of showcasing different stories of the athletes who had to overcome significant challenges to pursue their dreams. While all the stories were incredibly touching, Jesse Cockney's stood out to me.
He is a cross-country skier from the Northern Tutchone First Nation in Yukon. He talks about how he had to leave his family and community behind to pursue his passion for skiing and how he had to work hard to overcome the financial and cultural barriers.
I would give this film four stars because it was well-made and thought-provoking - it touched on many sensitive topics but did so thoughtfully and respectfully. An example would be toxic masculinity in sports and how it can impact 2SLGBTQIA+ athletes by creating an unwelcoming environment that's hostile toward them.
Masculinity in Canadian Sports
purklemarkers8 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Standing on the Line, directed by Paul Émile d'Entremont, is a documentary that depicts the struggles of gay and queer athletes in Canada with a focus on toxic masculinity and homophobia. The documentary features the perspectives of professional and amateur athletes and showcases their experiences in coming out while being active in the sports industry.
Toxic masculinity is a term used to refer to traditional cultural manliness that often perpetuates homophobia, dominance, and aggression. Toxic masculinity plays a large role in how comfortable and safe 2SLGBTQIA+ athletes are and feel in the sports industry. Behaviours such as labelling emotions-apart from anger and contentment-as weakness, and portraying 2SLGBTQIA+ members as less-than and sometimes predatory are often associated with toxic masculinity. These attitudes create an unhealthy and dangerous environment that often results in 2SLGBTQIA+ athletes feeling depressed and, in some cases, suicidal due to the intimidation, bigotry, and intolerance they face from fellow teammates. The effects of toxic masculinity may lead to athletes adopting destructive coping habits such as addictions and a refusal to accept one's self. Without intervention or change, 2SLGBTQIA+ athletes may feel trapped or pressured to "fit in" and may themselves contribute to the harmful behaviour to avoid being a "target" of this behaviour.
I learned that everyone's experience with toxic masculinity is different and personal. This film taught me that many professional 2SLGBTQIA+ athletes battle internal conflicts surrounding their sexual orientations. These internal conflicts are caused directly by toxic masculinity and homophobia they face.
I also learned that after these athletes come out whether to just family and friends or publicly, they feel like a weight has been lifted from them. An example of this is when professional speed skater Anastasia Bucsis shared that after she told her parents she was gay she skated a half second faster than her personal best. She shares she has won and lost races within one thousandth of a second, so five tenths is an astonishing improvement. She also states "it was like the weight of the world was lifted off of me. You just feel like you're on top of the world." (35:15).
The most impactful part of the film for me was Brendon Burke's older brother Patrick recognizing his role in adding to homophobic comments and locker room talk aiding in his little brother's discomfort in the same locker room five years later. After recognizing his culpability in continuing homophobic stereotypes and the death of his younger brother in a car accident, he was motivated to help end homophobic stigma in sports. Patrick is the co-founder and president of the "You Can Play Project". The project works to ensure the safety and inclusion for all who participate in sports, including 2SLGBTQIA+ athletes, coaches, and fans. Another part of the film I found impactful was speed skater Anastasia Bucsis' retelling of how she came out publicly in opposition of Russia's anti-LGBTQ laws before she competed for Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. A third poignant part of the film for me was former Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder, David Testo's on camera conversation with his mother where he recounts how he told his mother he was gay, to her disbelief.
I would give this documentary 4 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed how professional and amateur level athletes were featured. I liked how the documentary highlighted what the former professional athletes are doing to help prevent others from facing homophobia and discrimination in the sports industry. An example is the "You Can Play Project", as mentioned above. The documentary also shows Brock Mcgillis (former Ontario Hockey League goaltender) talking with members of the Quebec Major League's Saint John Sea Dogs about how toxic masculinity and homophobia is hurtful. He elaborates on his personal experience and how it hurt him when he was in the league. I also enjoyed how the high school coaches and teachers are helping to prevent homophobia and discrimination in sports. Thanks to their efforts the younger amateur athletes are not experiencing the same frequency of homophobia as the older professional athletes were at their age.
I think this documentary is a good resource to teach and show the effects of toxic masculinity. Others who watch this film, including teachers and coaches, may wish to share this film and may want to get involved with the resources presented in this documentary. I would have liked to see more athletes of colour in this film and their experiences with homophobia and discrimination in Canada.
Toxic masculinity is a term used to refer to traditional cultural manliness that often perpetuates homophobia, dominance, and aggression. Toxic masculinity plays a large role in how comfortable and safe 2SLGBTQIA+ athletes are and feel in the sports industry. Behaviours such as labelling emotions-apart from anger and contentment-as weakness, and portraying 2SLGBTQIA+ members as less-than and sometimes predatory are often associated with toxic masculinity. These attitudes create an unhealthy and dangerous environment that often results in 2SLGBTQIA+ athletes feeling depressed and, in some cases, suicidal due to the intimidation, bigotry, and intolerance they face from fellow teammates. The effects of toxic masculinity may lead to athletes adopting destructive coping habits such as addictions and a refusal to accept one's self. Without intervention or change, 2SLGBTQIA+ athletes may feel trapped or pressured to "fit in" and may themselves contribute to the harmful behaviour to avoid being a "target" of this behaviour.
I learned that everyone's experience with toxic masculinity is different and personal. This film taught me that many professional 2SLGBTQIA+ athletes battle internal conflicts surrounding their sexual orientations. These internal conflicts are caused directly by toxic masculinity and homophobia they face.
I also learned that after these athletes come out whether to just family and friends or publicly, they feel like a weight has been lifted from them. An example of this is when professional speed skater Anastasia Bucsis shared that after she told her parents she was gay she skated a half second faster than her personal best. She shares she has won and lost races within one thousandth of a second, so five tenths is an astonishing improvement. She also states "it was like the weight of the world was lifted off of me. You just feel like you're on top of the world." (35:15).
The most impactful part of the film for me was Brendon Burke's older brother Patrick recognizing his role in adding to homophobic comments and locker room talk aiding in his little brother's discomfort in the same locker room five years later. After recognizing his culpability in continuing homophobic stereotypes and the death of his younger brother in a car accident, he was motivated to help end homophobic stigma in sports. Patrick is the co-founder and president of the "You Can Play Project". The project works to ensure the safety and inclusion for all who participate in sports, including 2SLGBTQIA+ athletes, coaches, and fans. Another part of the film I found impactful was speed skater Anastasia Bucsis' retelling of how she came out publicly in opposition of Russia's anti-LGBTQ laws before she competed for Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. A third poignant part of the film for me was former Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder, David Testo's on camera conversation with his mother where he recounts how he told his mother he was gay, to her disbelief.
I would give this documentary 4 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed how professional and amateur level athletes were featured. I liked how the documentary highlighted what the former professional athletes are doing to help prevent others from facing homophobia and discrimination in the sports industry. An example is the "You Can Play Project", as mentioned above. The documentary also shows Brock Mcgillis (former Ontario Hockey League goaltender) talking with members of the Quebec Major League's Saint John Sea Dogs about how toxic masculinity and homophobia is hurtful. He elaborates on his personal experience and how it hurt him when he was in the league. I also enjoyed how the high school coaches and teachers are helping to prevent homophobia and discrimination in sports. Thanks to their efforts the younger amateur athletes are not experiencing the same frequency of homophobia as the older professional athletes were at their age.
I think this documentary is a good resource to teach and show the effects of toxic masculinity. Others who watch this film, including teachers and coaches, may wish to share this film and may want to get involved with the resources presented in this documentary. I would have liked to see more athletes of colour in this film and their experiences with homophobia and discrimination in Canada.
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