Gay footballers about to come out

[Prevenger17]

Are you comparing the civil rights movement with gay fan groups at football matches? Wow back atcha.

But seriously, the point I appear to be struggling to make is that by creating an identity gives the haters a target. If all ginger Everton fans formed a group and sat together in the pub and in the grounds, at some point they would get taunted. Now a group of gay football fans is not as visually identifiable but you can guarantee that some level of taunting or abuse would eventually take place if, for example, some knuckle-dragger gets wind that he's sat next to a gay fan group.

Protest groups and fights for rights are a whole world away from what I'm talking about.

I think the point is that gay players and, to some extent fans, feel the need to conceal it, and go to great lengths to do so. There is definitely a homophobic element to football that hasn't been addressed simply because nobody has come out. There are hundreds of thousands of footballers plying their trade over Europe and not a single gay man apart from that Swedish second division chap and Hitzlsperger? Nonsense. They have plenty to fear by coming out and it shouldn't be the case.

I do agree that gay people shouldn't be under any pressure to come out and it's none of anybody's business, but you can't help but feel that their silence is being imposed more through intimidation than motivated by a personal sense of privacy. We need a couple of gay lads to get out there, soak up the initial abuse until some homophobic flutes are identified, stadium bans dished out and a message sent that it won't be tolerated. A couple of years down the line, gay people playing football is completely normalized and nobody gives a crap anymore. That's where we want to be.

People coming out in football shouldn't be a big deal, but the fact that it evidently is means we need to confront the issue, not tell homosexuals that their methods of concealment aren't up to scratch.

 

[flibbyflob]

Who cares?

Yes there will be a minority of knuckledraggers from every club who think it is funny to chant stuff but that will soon die down and I would hope people forget that it is a gay footballer they are watching and just a footballer.

When I check the cricket scores I don't think of the lad at Surrey as the gay cricketer when he has scored runs or failed, he is just another player. If anyone has an issue with a footballer coming out then they are the ones with the problem.

 

[bignev23]

It's Biffos like yous arguing all night about it that make it a big deal.

 

[Elong]

It's Biffos like yous arguing all night about it that make it a big deal.

I was bored at work to be honest and had no real interest in it lol

 

[Prevenger17]

It's Biffos like yous arguing all night about it that make it a big deal.

Not really though?

 

[bignev23]

I was bored at work to be honest and had no real interest in it lol

Haha I suspected as much.

 

[bignev23]

Not really though?

If I was a gay prem footballer I wouldn't make it public just because of the amount of fuss it would create, I really couldn't be arsed with everyone debating the subject.

 

[Prevenger17]

If I was a gay prem footballer I wouldn't make it public just because of the amount of fuss it would create, I really couldn't be arsed with everyone debating the subject.

Right, but all things being ideal, there shouldn't be a fuss. We need to get the fuss out of the way until players can ply their trade in a fuss-free utopia.

 

[bignev23]

Right, but all things being ideal, there shouldn't be a fuss. We need to get the fuss out of the way until players can ply their trade in a fuss-free utopia.

Exactly this, it shouldn't even be worthy of a thread on a football forum really yet alone national news papers but I understand were not at that point yet and there needs to be pioneers so to speak that get us to that point but if it was me I would rather not bring myself into the limelight.

 

[Prevenger17]

Exactly this, it shouldn't even be worthy of a thread on a football forum really but I understand were not at that point yet and there needs to be pioneers so to speak that get us to that point but if it was me I would rather not bring myself into the limelight.

It would take a brave individual to be the first. You're right in a sense, all our debating means absolutely zilch. When it comes to it, it's down to gay footballers to tackle the issue, soak up that sadly inevitable barrage of abuse to begin with until the whole issue is normalized. For what it's worth, if I were a gay footballer, I wouldn't do it either. Much respect to the man who does.

 

[Harryflashman]

Front page of a tabloid , follow up reporting in every paper and 14 pages on what almost every poster says isn't a big deal .

I've no interest , other than mild noseyness in who it may or may not be. However the response indicates it is a big deal , there is a huge amount of interest . The player who comes out will almost certain get pelters from the opposition crowd. If it's policed properly then maybe it'll decrease but sat in a boozer or on an away bus and Henderson has come out can you honestly say you don't believe he'll be given loads ? Gerard got real stick for years over a rumour over his missus but you think a load of lids wouldn't use it against a RS player ?

It's sad that in 2015 it's an issue but the existence of this thread & the fact we don't have an openly gay top flight player shows it clearly is.

It's a tough call for any player and you'd have to think a long time over coming out , doing so at the end of your career opens doors into the media whilst generally reducing the abuse you'll face . Sadly the issue won't become accepted as just another part of normal life until players feel happy to come out , it's a chicken and egg scenario

 

[Whistlin' Dixie]

Why do they have to come out? It's just sex, ffs. Might as well start doing interviews every time the next big star pops his cherry.

I'm not saying they should hide it from family and friends, but why drag it into the media?

Because they HAVE to be 'in your face' abar it. To me & you (And most other people) it's no biggie. Tell that to the gays, and it's 'bigotry' because you're denying them the right to be in your face telling you that they're gay.

Starving them of the attention they crave, see?

Oh, apologies @dead_soft , I said 'The gays' again. I'm a right bigot, me...

Meanwhile, those doleites are, every one of them, still screwing the system, ask CH5 or the dailies excess, heil etc...

Tomorrow's headlines:

"Doleites are still scum, but elton john is gay...and he doesn't claim".

"Hooray for BRAVE gay footballers; death to benefit scrounging doleites."

'Bigotry' ffs. Get over yerselves.

 

[sageyefc]

Said Luke Shaw and today hes come out and tried to deny it

 

[tommye]

Who's arsed?

 

[Bruce Wayne]

It would take a brave individual to be the first. You're right in a sense, all our debating means absolutely zilch. When it comes to it, it's down to gay footballers to tackle the issue, soak up that sadly inevitable barrage of abuse to begin with until the whole issue is normalized. For what it's worth, if I were a gay footballer, I wouldn't do it either. Much respect to the man who does.

Is it inevitable? There are gay athletes in a host of other sports and no one bats an eyelid. Society has moved on I would have thought. There's a much bigger problem with sexism in football than there is homophobia imo. Can you imagine a female official or coach?