Blackpool footballer comes out as gay
Discussion
KarlMac said:
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.
And highlighted above is part of the problemWhilst 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.
Loving someone of the same sex is nothing to do with what one does with ones body
MC Bodge said:
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???
There are more in the mainstream. Hence why we end up with so many threads about TV channels being all PC. Accusations of people being chosen to tick boxes rather than getting positions and roles based on ability.
I doubt they are nostalgic for the past or happy with the present.
Edited by Driver101 on Tuesday 17th May 13:46
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hstewie said:
hstewie said:OMITN said:
Quite. Maybe daimlerv8 might like to remind himself what married straight man, Graeme Le Saux went through during his career because of the dark ages attitude to sexuality that dominates football….
https://thesefootballtimes.co/2019/01/31/graeme-le...
Now that's a compelling and sobering read.https://thesefootballtimes.co/2019/01/31/graeme-le...
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.
chrispmartha said:
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.
Don't disagree at all. I met him not long after when the Bulldogs played at Headingley in the middle eights and he seemed a top blokeGareth Thomas is probably a more high profile example of a Rugby player coming out.
I know what you mean about idiots - seems to be getting worse there as well in some respects. Used to be a great environment mixing with opposition fans and having a laugh but does seem to be edging towards segregation in the crowds (although this does appear to be a voluntary choice)
As for Gareth Thomas - did he actually come out whilst still playing? If so, it was definitely toward the end of his career (possibly just before he joined Crusaders)
It really shouldn't make any difference whatsoever. But, and I'm sure this has been mentioned before, football fans are quite often not the most intelligent. Tribalism matters. What their mates think of them matters. Not being one of the lads matters.
I remember fans chanting at Brighton fans "we can see you holding hands". Is that funny? Is it clever?
I know of many supporters of my club that are openly very racist, homophobic and outright viciously bullying to other supporters of the club. Not another club, their own club. The club themselves aren't interested and blatantly step back from it whilst still promoting the Kick it Out message.
Football fans are a big part of the problem, but so are the club management. Being heterosexual and 'blokey' is still very much the culture. Certainly in the lower leagues.
I remember fans chanting at Brighton fans "we can see you holding hands". Is that funny? Is it clever?
I know of many supporters of my club that are openly very racist, homophobic and outright viciously bullying to other supporters of the club. Not another club, their own club. The club themselves aren't interested and blatantly step back from it whilst still promoting the Kick it Out message.
Football fans are a big part of the problem, but so are the club management. Being heterosexual and 'blokey' is still very much the culture. Certainly in the lower leagues.
It’s a global sport too. I think people forget sometimes that there are still lots of places where being gay is a serious problem - news like this will ripple across those countries.
Which is not to say it’s perfect in Britain, and there are tons of closeted gay men who are afraid to come out because of their specific circumstances.
Which is not to say it’s perfect in Britain, and there are tons of closeted gay men who are afraid to come out because of their specific circumstances.
A500leroy said:
more over, why are there mens and womens football teams? Why arent they mixed?
Seriously?How do you mean? 5 men and 5 women outfield players, set in the rules? Teams would simply ensure they have the best transgender players in that scenario.
If you mean selecting on merit then teams at the highest level would simply not pick any women. The top female player on the planet would struggle to compete against county level under 15s boys.
272BHP said:
A500leroy said:
more over, why are there mens and womens football teams? Why arent they mixed?
Seriously?How do you mean? 5 men and 5 women outfield players, set in the rules? Teams would simply ensure they have the best transgender players in that scenario.
If you mean selecting on merit then teams at the highest level would simply not pick any women. The top female player on the planet would struggle to compete against county level under 15s boys.
JagLover 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.
Polly Grigora said:
KarlMac said:
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.
And highlighted above is part of the problemWhilst 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.
Loving someone of the same sex is nothing to do with what one does with ones body
I suspect a lot of them "Doth protest too much", more to distance themselves in the eyes of their peers than actually being bothered, and even then its generally just gay men and anal sex they have a problem with, suspect their internet search history would include a lot of lesbian and anal sex, thats if it doesn't actually full on include actual gay male pron.
Life is too short to trouble yourself with who someone else partner up with and what they do in the bedroom, its all just grunting and orifices, whatever floats your boat as long as it doesnt involve anything that hurts anyone else.
JagLover said:
Tyre Smoke said:
Seriously? That's almost misogynistic.
It is an exaggeration but not far short of the truth. Women's football is likely of a similar standard to boys U15 due to the physical demands of the sport. That is why we have separate male and female sections in most sports.
JagLover said:
Tyre Smoke said:
Seriously? That's almost misogynistic.
It is an exaggeration but not far short of the truth. Women's football is likely of a similar standard to boys U15 due to the physical demands of the sport. That is why we have separate male and female sections in most sports.
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