When I Searched for a Female Sports Jersey and Got Earrings Instead
Ever go online with a simple goal, only to be reminded how misogynistic the sports world can be?
Recently, I decided I wanted to rep my favorite female athlete — jersey and all. I hopped onto a few sports retail sites and typed in what I thought was a clear, straightforward search: “female athletes.” What I got instead? A page full of dangly earrings repping male sports teams.
Not a jersey in sight.
Now, I have nothing against earrings (they’re great!), but they’re not what I was looking for. I wasn’t searching for “game day accessories” or “cute fan fashion.” I wanted the same thing fans of male athletes get with a single click: a clean, confident way to support my favorite player with their name across my back.
What’s wild is this: search results still assume that if you’re a woman, you’re more interested in looking femme than being a sports fan. And if you’re shopping for gear to support a female athlete? Good luck. The algorithm often doesn’t know what to do with that.
This isn’t about throwing shade at earrings. It’s about how something as small as a search result can reflect a bigger gap in how female fans — and female athletes — are treated in the sports world.
We show up. We play. We watch. We cheer. We buy the jerseys.
So here’s to the day when typing “female athletes” doesn’t mean sifting through hoops and bangles — unless we’re talking slam dunks.
Not looking for a jersey? Try some of these great ways to rep female athletes:
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