Public Lecture: Social media narratives of being gay in physical education

In this talk, timed to take place in Pride Month 2026, Dr Oliver Hooper presents a digital ethnography which explores how queer men narrate their school physical education (PE) experiences on TikTok.

The presentation reveals how TikTok can be a participatory space where LGBTQ+ users come together to collectively articulate the trauma, disengagement and exclusion they associate with PE through pop culture and personal stories.

Moreover, the presentation demonstrates how – through humour, satire and shared storytelling – LGBTQ+ users form a queer digital public that challenges traditional PE norms and reclaims narratives of belonging.

The talk concludes by highlighting why PE may continue to be perceived as an unsafe or marginalising space for some LGBTQ+ young people and consider what more inclusive approaches might look like in practice.

Speaker

Dr Oliver Hooper, Senior Lecturer in Physical Education and Youth Sport, Loughborough University
Oliver’s research explores young people’s experiences within physical education, health and youth sport contexts with a specific focus on the experiences of marginalised youth. He is particularly interested in ‘youth voice’ and the use of participatory methods to facilitate young people’s meaningful involvement within research. Oliver has published various articles, papers and book chapters in these areas and routinely attends international conferences to present on this work. He has received several awards for his work including most recently being named recipient of the ‘Young Scholar Award’ for 2021 from the International Association for Physical Education in Higher Education (AIESEP).

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