Research Information System
Gender Issues, vol.43, no.1, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)
Hegemonic masculinity persists as a distinct form of masculinity inherent in sports. Even the attempt by women to enter football, which is considered a domain exclusive to men, is perceived as a “crime.” The present study aims to demonstrate the hegemonic masculinity discourse produced on Twitter against Lale Orta, a woman who was appointed as the president of the Central Refereeing Committee (MHK) of football in Turkey. Lale Orta, recognized as one of the most significant female figures in Turkish football, is notable for being one of Turkey's first female football players and referees, as well as the first female president of the Central Refereeing Committee. In this context, analyzing the discourses directed at Lale Orta holds particular importance. In the study, 7298 posts about Lale Orta on Twitter were analyzed through qualitative content analysis, and 5 football fans were interviewed to support these data. The results of the study revealed that the majority 83.53% of the tweets against Lale Orta consisted of abusive language (n = 2145), threats (n = 486), and exclusionary/hegemonic discourse (n = 3465). The remaining tweets consist of objective content (n = 1202). The participants also stated that the discourses produced on Twitter are translated into expressions during football matches, especially in the form of abusive chants. In conclusion, the present study found that the online hegemonic masculinity discourse originating on Twitter against women professionals in Turkish football has manifested into a widespread reaction in stadiums. In this context, the study is significant as it demonstrates how discourses originating in digital public spaces like Twitter continue and find expression in stadiums, where large crowds come together. Additionally, the findings of the study hold importance for contributing to the relatively limited body of research on digital hegemonic masculinity in Turkey. The originality of the study lies in being one of the first to examine the reflections of discourses produced on social media in stadium settings in Turkey. In this regard, it contributes to the field by enhancing research on digital hegemonic masculinity and sports.