Blackpool footballer comes out as gay
Discussion
Pieman68 said:
The only rugby player that I could name that came out whilst still playing was a guy called Keegan Hirst - played rugby league for Batley at the time before playing in Super League for Wakefield. The support he received from the vast majority was overwhelming
Keegan is a great guy, with RL being a very working class 'manly' sport it was a very brave thing to do, however RL is also actually quite progressive with these things - first sport to have a black captain in the national side and black coach so him coming out whilst still playing was recieved well and I don't remember him getting any abuse at the games I saw him play in. Not that RL is totally without its idiots though!Gareth Thomas is probably a more high profile example of a Rugby player coming out.
Sheets Tabuer said:
...will he continue to use the same changing rooms?
This is exactly the reason why this story is big news. Too many people without a clue which makes the world less inclusive for people of any minority.The only positive is that every generation appears to become more enlightened so I hope when my children are older (they are 4 and 8 at the moment) this wouldn't make headlines.
Only 4 pages in and we've got people taking the time to tell us they don't care. People that want to pretend that homophobia no longer exists. People who fear sharing areas gay people. Telling gay people to deal with it or get out. Others using it to channel their bitter stereotypes and making homophobia out to be a football issue and having a go at football.
Homophobia is still a massive thing. It's no better that people are using it as their vehicle to attack football. It's much like when the BBC appointed a black actor as Dr Who. It was a direct reason to attack the BBC. A storm is kicked up and the real issue skirted around.
Homophobia is still a massive thing. It's no better that people are using it as their vehicle to attack football. It's much like when the BBC appointed a black actor as Dr Who. It was a direct reason to attack the BBC. A storm is kicked up and the real issue skirted around.
Edited by Driver101 on Tuesday 17th May 10:28
Polly Grigora said:
Often football fans innit
He's gotta be so macho
The funny thing is that, as someone with little interest in football, whilst athletic and skilful, modern professional football doesn't strike me as being particularly "macho" (whatever that now means). He's gotta be so macho
You would hope that most people now realise that being attracted to the same sex doesn't stop somebody playing sports against the same sex, or the opposite sex.
I would suggest anyone saying ‘so what’ or ‘who cares’ takes half an hour to scroll through the replies to Blackpool’s official announcement and the subsequent replies to other clubs endorsements.
Whilst in the UK we’re a community that supports people and their personal choices a lot of sports are increasingly international and unfortunately this brings a lot of attitudes that are best left behind.
My own club (Sheffield United) are owned by a Saudi prince, and following our social media teams endorsement of the statement the replies were full of Saudis calling out the owner and asking him to ‘correct this behaviour’.
I agree, who cares what someone does with their body. They aren’t hurting anyone else and if it makes him feel more confident and happy in himself then all credit to him. But not all of the wider football world agrees, which is why statements like this matter.
Whilst in the UK we’re a community that supports people and their personal choices a lot of sports are increasingly international and unfortunately this brings a lot of attitudes that are best left behind.
My own club (Sheffield United) are owned by a Saudi prince, and following our social media teams endorsement of the statement the replies were full of Saudis calling out the owner and asking him to ‘correct this behaviour’.
I agree, who cares what someone does with their body. They aren’t hurting anyone else and if it makes him feel more confident and happy in himself then all credit to him. But not all of the wider football world agrees, which is why statements like this matter.
KarlMac said:
My own club (Sheffield United) are owned by a Saudi prince, and following our social media teams endorsement of the statement the replies were full of Saudis calling out the owner and asking him to ‘correct this behaviour’.
Some Saudis appear to live by (or are expected to) a very different code to many in modern Europe.Driver101 said:
Only 4 pages in and we've got people taking the time to tell us they don't care. People that want to pretend that homophobia no longer exists. People who fear sharing areas gay people. Telling gay people to deal with it or get out. Others using it to channel their bitter stereotypes and making homophobia out to be a football issue and having a go at football.
Homophobia is still a massive thing. It's no better that people are using it as their vehicle to attack football. It's much like when the BBC appointed a black actor as Dr Who. It was a direct reason to attack the BBC. A storm is kicked up and the real issue skirted around.
I don't think it is a case of pretending homophobia no longer exists. Perhaps they think that by putting their point of view online they might reduce, even if slightly, the support for those who are homophobic and, again slightly, show those who are gay that the majority of people don't regard them as lesser in any way.Homophobia is still a massive thing. It's no better that people are using it as their vehicle to attack football. It's much like when the BBC appointed a black actor as Dr Who. It was a direct reason to attack the BBC. A storm is kicked up and the real issue skirted around.
Edited by Driver101 on Tuesday 17th May 10:28
I policed Brighton for more than a dozen years and my impression was that the vast majority of residents and workers couldn't give a proverbial. There was a minority for whom it seemed to be an affront, and a smaller minority who would attack gays, presumably as proof of their manhood. Overall though, it was just something that was of no concern to most people.
I took a witness statement from a chap at his home address. There was another bloke there. When I took the form to the incident room, a sergeant asked if they were a couple. I asked why he wanted to know, and he said there was a box to tick for anti prejudicial treatment. I said I didn't know. To me it lacked importance, but my bad I suppose as my force was concerned about its treatment of those who might receive prejudicial treatment, and, albeit more so, to limit the chances of being criticised by the Home Office.
My feeling is that we, the population at large, should say, on threads like this, that they are disgusted by the prejudice shown by certain sections of the public precisely because such prejudice still exists. I met a number of people who were gay - overtly and covertly - in my time in Brighton and regarded a few as friends. I will continue to point out, on threads such as this, that prejudicial behaviour is not the norm for people in my circle. I'd do that for anyone I regarded as a friend who was subject to prejudice.
Eric Mc said:
The sad tale of Justin Fashanu shows what a problem this has been in the world of football.
And even in 2012 his brother was claiming he wasn't gay, just "attention seeking", despite the reason for his suicide being related to an allegation of assault on another male, and taking his life after visiting a gay sauna:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/9149569...
Johnnytheboy said:
MC Bodge said:
Johnnytheboy said:
dundarach said:
I long for the day when no-one cares about such things...
Sadly it seems to be going the other way in some respects.
MC Bodge said:
Johnnytheboy said:
MC Bodge said:
Johnnytheboy said:
dundarach said:
I long for the day when no-one cares about such things...
Sadly it seems to be going the other way in some respects.
Driver101 said:
MC Bodge said:
There is surely far more acceptance of sexuality in the UK now than there ever has been
Is there? Crime figures show it is quickly going the wrong way.
Crime figures don't tell the whole story about anything.
Derek Smith said:
Is football still in the dark ages?
There have been encouraging signs, I think it's fair to say- albeit a couple of decades behind the curve. Those saying 'who cares', 'nobody cares' etc would do well to inform themselves on the nature and scale of the problem which exists. The Le Saux article linked earlier in the thread is a good place to start.
Coming out is a significant step for the individual and in the context of the sport of Football, can still only be viewed as a brave and bold thing to do- especially aged 17 and at the beginning of a professional career. It won't be long before he is subject to homophobic abuse in what is now a very public forum. I hope the clubs and the regulatory authorities are ready to come down hard on it.
ETA: and everybody has a role to play in ensuring that offenders are dealt with. The commitment from the sport that it is unified against racial and homophobic prejudice needs to be borne out by everybody.
Edited by HustleRussell on Tuesday 17th May 11:51
MC Bodge said:
Driver101 said:
MC Bodge said:
There is surely far more acceptance of sexuality in the UK now than there ever has been
Is there? Crime figures show it is quickly going the wrong way.
Crime figures don't tell the whole story about anything.
The crime figures do tell a big story. It's also what I hear from my gay friends. They feel homophobia is worse than it has been for a long time and getting worse.
Work has become a more civilised place. I'm sure the disciplinary procedures in place are often the reason people quell some of their views and behaviour.
Driver101 said:
This is a thread about sportsmen being uncomfortable about being openly gay.
The crime figures do tell a big story. It's also what I hear from my gay friends. They feel homophobia is worse than it has been for a long time and getting worse.
Work has become a more civilised place. I'm sure the disciplinary procedures in place are often the reason people quell some of their views and behaviour.
This is a thread about a sportsman being openly gay. The crime figures do tell a big story. It's also what I hear from my gay friends. They feel homophobia is worse than it has been for a long time and getting worse.
Work has become a more civilised place. I'm sure the disciplinary procedures in place are often the reason people quell some of their views and behaviour.
Gay people are vastly more prominent and in the mainstream now than ever before.
Surely gay people are not nostalgic for the past???
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