Gay Footballers

[sam_]

I'm not on hear much so this may have come up already, just ignore if it has.
So say one of the players from the prem to the blue square came out as gay, how would you all react to it? I would have no problem at all, doesn't make a difference in my opinion. But imagine a gay player was against us in a match, would you give him grief or not?
Discuss

[cambgull]

Someone's sexuality makes no difference to me. If he plays well, then great. If not, then he's a poofter! Of course I kid, but you will find the only people who will pick on someone because they're gay are usually total idiots, Jeremy Kyle contestants and EDL supporting scumbags.

[AustrianAndyGull]

I have slightly conflicting views Sam. Firstly, like Luke says, the sexuality of a person is irrelevant and i haven't got any issues with a gay footballer so it isn't a problem for me.

Secondly, and here is the controversial bit. I happen to think that there hasn't been a more tolerant time for a footballer to reveal he is gay then in the year 2012. The vast majority of people will have no problem with it and the ones that will are complete morons. Sadly, there will be homophobic abuse aimed at any gay footballer by these primates just as they would abuse someone for the colour of their skin or anything else they deem worthy of throwing at players. That's just the way it is so there will always be a small element that will hurl abuse.

My controversial point is that i am actually disappointed why gay footballers won't 'come out' as it were as they would get nothing but support and today's society is a damn sight more accepting than it was 20 or even 10 years ago. They have a perfect opportunity and platform to stop living a lie and get on with their careers being the person they know they are and i'm not saying they are weak for refusing to reveal their sexuality but certainly if they feel strongly about their identity and are proud of it then why wouldn't they? Those that have a problem with them just show how immature they are.

[chunkygull]

i personally would not have a problem with it. i would not heckle or barrack or give abuse. i am sure i heard on the radio last week there is a footballer recently who has retired then come out.this got them talking about justin fashanu.

i remember when we had justin fashanu here in 1991-92. he had come out in the national papers not long before and was looking to rebuild his football career after a history of knee problems. he had been a big name and a million pound player in the early 80's.

he did get some stick from fans from other teams but it was not merciless or constant from what i remember.he did get a few choice chants and when he touched the ball some fans would just go woooooohooooo or wolf whistle at him.he probably at the time got just as much stick, if not more for being black.

he scored a few goals from what i remember and although not dynamic put in some good performances and held up and laid off the ball well. this helped to silence the crowd a bit also. fash did play up to the crowd a bit, either by gestures, answering back or wiggling.

torquay fans took to him a bit i felt because he had been a big name at one time and it was quite a shock signing. the gay thing just sort of came with it and gained a bit of extra press. he scored the winner against exeter once and i remember a chant about him being a bender. a torquay fan near me who was from an older generation and probably not the open minded type shouted out he may be a bender, but he's our bender, come on justin! so no real problems from our fans point of view.

mike bateson put up with justins "fash the flash" antics off the field for most of his time here because he was gaining us publicity.although he cost us a fair bit in wages and expenses.

fash even had a fling with julie goodyear who was bet lynch (a legend) in coronation street. we had a match where she walked around the pitch waving to the crowd and the pop sang the corrie tune and "get your t!ts out for the lads" back to her. next day there were photos from the torquay dressing room and julie scrubbing justins back in the bath all over the front pages of the sun newspaper.this prompted a few to suggest it was all a publicity stunt, asking the question, "i thought he was gay".

i have just found this really good article which gives a brilliant account of the torquay/fashanu situation and tells it much better than me. spot on.

http://inbedwithmaradona.com/journal/20 ... nited.html

[happytorq]

I don't know if this was in response to Robbie Rodgers coming out the other day, but regardless; it's timely.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21479520

If the response from fans and players (including Joey Barton, perhaps surprisingly) was anything to go by, a gay player would not have much of a problem. I'd imagine most fans and players would accept him with little issue. Of course you're going to get a few fans who make a big deal of it, but the simple fact is that society has moved on, and sooner or later football will catch up.

[stevegull]

The sad fact is that fans WILL yell stuff at a gay footballer. I think that's undeniable. It's just whether the person is happy to stomach the odd shout from the stands that calls them a 'poofter' or whatever else they decide to say.

However - and I may be looking at this the wrong way - I just don't think there are actually that many gay footballers. Just because a certain percentage of the population is gay (I have no idea what the percentage is, but let's call it 10%) that does not guarantee that 10% of footballers are gay. Football just may not interest that section of society and so they don't get into football. I think that a perfectly legitimate thing to say. It's like saying that, say, Americans prefer baseball to football. It's a fact. That part of society TENDS to have those interests or views.

There probably are some more footballers who have refused to 'come out' but I don't think there's this huge undercurrent and coverup that some sections of the media appear to be suggesting in a terrible attempt to appear the most 'pro gay'.

[chunkygull]

I don't know if this was in response to Robbie Rodgers coming out the other day, but regardless; it's timely.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21479520

If the response from fans and players (including Joey Barton, perhaps surprisingly) was anything to go by, a gay player would not have much of a problem. I'd imagine most fans and players would accept him with little issue. Of course you're going to get a few fans who make a big deal of it, but the simple fact is that society has moved on, and sooner or later football will catch up.

thats who they were talking about on the radio. all involved were saying it was sad he had to retire from the game so he could come out.

there would be a quite a bit of stick to start with from supporters of opposition teams towards gay footballers but as with racism it is one of those sad things that happen and the only way to beat it is not to empower the morons. the way to beat them would be to ignore them if you can, and get on with your game and win. like i said before read this-

http://inbedwithmaradona.com/journal/20 ... nited.html

as we have said before though in the politics thread on the topic of gay marriage why do a lot of gay people feel it neccesary to "come out" and make a big deal about telling everyone, and making sure everyone knows
they are gay. you dont get hetrosexuals shouting about it and going on about being straight they would be called homophobic.

i appreciate gay or homosexual people can feel trapped by pretending they are something they are not. however, do the people most of us have to deal with in everyday life, or work with etc know much about our private lives. i bet some hetro people get up to some freaky stuff behind closed doors, doesnt mean everyone has to know about it.

as long as your nearest and dearest know who you are and still love you for it who gives a monkeys.get on with your life and stuff the rest of them.

[stevegull]

Very good points Chunky.

No one is demanding that John Terry confirms he's straight. (probably for obvious reasons... bad example). It's almost like people are saying when you sign your first youth contract at a club you must state your sexuality just so everyone knows. Accountants aren't made to tell the press when they're gay, why should footballers?

[AustrianAndyGull]

Robbie Rodgers? He sounds like a cartoon spaceman!

[chunkygull]

well coincidentally this one has just popped up on my broadband providers homepage tonight, seems like there may well have been a few past footballers "in the closet". not that it matters. but have a look -

https://www.talktalk.co.uk/news/uk/arti ... ler/79313/

[Colorado Gull]

I would have no problem with it, it wouldn't concern me, if someone's gay they're gay and that shouldn't change just because a footballer has 'come out'. The only one thing that would annoy me would be if the footballer who has 'come out' starts to show everyone that he is gay (like a Louie Spence). For example, if he scores and celebrates by doing some sort of camp remark, that would annoy me. Yes ok you're gay, but you don't need to show the world that you are. Just carry on with the way you are, the only change is you are attracted to the same sex.

[happytorq]

thats who they were talking about on the radio. all involved were saying it was sad he had to retire from the game so he could come out.

technically, he hasn't officially retired - he's just "taking a step back" (whatever that means). He did complain a few weeks back about his MLS rights being held by Chicago (long story), so I wouldn't be surprised if the fact that he didn't want to go to Chicago was just another reason for him to stop playing for a while. I think he'll make a return eventually - probably in MLS. Hes actually a pretty decent player - scored in Klinsmanns first US game, against Mexico.

[chunkygull]

just been reading a bit about the robbie rogers story and found a few paragraphs from our pfa's very own gordon taylor.

Gordon Taylor, chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association, told Press Association: 'I'm pleased that he's come out for his own sake. We do have players who've said that, while they are gay, they don't feel comfortable enough to come out.
'It's not dissimilar to many black players, and we need to create a safe environment for them on and off the field. If there is abuse, that needs to be dealt with by all the football family.

'It's no bad thing that he's been brave enough to come out. We know of players who are playing who are gay who've not had that confidence as yet. But, as the rest of the world becomes more civilised, hopefully that will come.'

Taylor added that the PFA remains committed to programmes of education on all topics relating to discrimination, but that the issue is one that needs to be tackled by society as a whole.

'There needs to be a feeling that there is a comfortable environment for everybody,' he said. 'We're aware through our sporting chance clinic that players who deal with such issues at the moment feel they would be targeted and the attention would no longer be on them as a footballer.

'That's a real challenge. But the game has to be up to that. If we're going to claim to be the major sport in the world, both in terms of spectators and participation, then we've got to use that to create a better example.'

some interesting stuff.

yet again though, apart from family or those who really matter why the great need to go on about it and tell everyone what your sexuality is. a lot of gay people go about their daily lives and dont have to shout about it. they are what they are and they just get on with it like everyone else. if people suspect they are gay and ask them, they may tell or they may not. people should have more important things to think about than whos doing what with who etc.

when a lot of gay people say "its who i am" "i cant hide it", great, get on with your life, be who you are, if people ask are you gay, it is your choice to answer the question. other than that though just get on with it like everyone else does.