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Englands gay footballer..

Do you think it is trepidation of the fans and media reaction that stops a player coming out, or the reaction of team mates?
 
clownfoot said:
Do you think it is trepidation of the fans and media reaction that stops a player coming out, or the reaction of team mates?
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Perhaps a bit of both? Was it on this forum someone posted a fantastic article written by Graeme Le Saux about his experience as a straight player constantly 'derided' as gay by his team mates? I'll try to find it if not.

Times have definitely changed though from when he was playing and I would like to think players nowadays would be much more supportive and frankly happily blasé about a team mate coming out.

This is happening in Italy at the moment, where homophobia is apparently still very rife in the stands and the media:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/serie-a-players-don-pro-gay-rainbow-shoelaces/
 
Mumorn said:
Ashley Cole ‏@TheRealAC3 1h
come on people, sorry to disappoint u but I'm strictly #chicks only

:lol:
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baby-chick-and-an-egg.jpg


Is he hinting at a summer move to Spurs?
 
AberYid said:
So after your OP says you find it ridiculous that in 2014 coming out is such a big deal, in your very next post you post a Liverpool player with a ridiculous haircut, presumably as evidence that he's gay?

Cool.
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I found it ironic too.

So its ridiculous that it is news yet it is on this board

I have always maintained one thing - it is US that makes this news. You dont post a thread that 'X Player is straight' so why do we do it with gay people? Same goes with media attention.
 
DHSF said:
I found it ironic too.

So its ridiculous that it is news yet it is on this board

I have always maintained one thing - it is US that makes this news. You dont post a thread that 'X Player is straight' so why do we do it with gay people? Same goes with media attention.
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The point you’re making is an honourable one and it is fantastic to see so many posters on this forum in unison with their opinion that being homosexual is just not a big deal. However, coming out as a gay footballer is a big deal at present and thus needs to be ‘news’. If it wasn’t a big deal, then gay footballers would be completely open about their sexuality.

Just because the UK has a largely liberal view on LBGT, it shouldn’t mean that we shouldn’t publicise an event like this. It would show us to be a nation that continually leads in its forward thinking and set an example to other countries. I am vociferous in my support for gay rights (again, it’s sad that gay rights have to be discussed, as opposed to, you know, just rights), I have a large gay friend base (a norm when working in the entertainment industry!), and I have seen first-hand the tribulations and abuse they still have to face due to their sexuality in society today.

Hope this hasn’t come across as a patronising or direct attack on your post mate, as I first stated, you are right, it shouldn’t be news. And hopefully we are getting closer to it not making front-page headlines when homosexual footballers don’t feel pressured to hide their sexuality. There is clearly still something institutionally backward within football that is stopping them coming out, because you can be sure as **** that statistically there are plenty of gay men plying their trade on pitches around the country.
 
AuroRaman said:
The point you’re making is an honourable one and it is fantastic to see so many posters on this forum in unison with their opinion that being homosexual is just not a big deal. However, coming out as a gay footballer is a big deal at present and thus needs to be ‘news’. If it wasn’t a big deal, then gay footballers would be completely open about their sexuality.

Just because the UK has a largely liberal view on LBGT, it shouldn’t mean that we shouldn’t publicise an event like this. It would show us to be a nation that continually leads in its forward thinking and set an example to other countries. I am vociferous in my support for gay rights (again, it’s sad that gay rights have to be discussed, as opposed to, you know, just rights), I have a large gay friend base (a norm when working in the entertainment industry!), and I have seen first-hand the tribulations and abuse they still have to face due to their sexuality in society today.

Hope this hasn’t come across as a patronising or direct attack on your post mate, as I first stated, you are right, it shouldn’t be news. And hopefully we are getting closer to it not making front-page headlines when homosexual footballers don’t feel pressured to hide their sexuality. There is clearly still something institutionally backward within football that is stopping them coming out, because you can be sure as **** that statistically there are plenty of gay men plying their trade on pitches around the country.
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Im not patronised dont worry and I welcome your view point. Im a black or white kind of guy and I come from an idealistic viewpoint where everything is normal unless otherwise made out not to be normal. Being gay isnt 'normal' as such and I know im contradicting myself somewhat, but I find it somewhat counterproductive when we continuously highlight differences yet we are supposed to not see things as different.

May I add that my views arent just limited to football but in all walks of life and in all differences be it religion, race or sexuality.

I would like to pose a question though - why should anyone be pressured to come out as gay? It should remain private the same way I dont come out and say announce that im straight or what I do in the bedroom etc although the kelly brook and beyonce threesome I just had to announce.
 
DHSF said:
Im not patronised dont worry and I welcome your view point. Im a black or white kind of guy and I come from an idealistic viewpoint where everything is normal unless otherwise made out not to be normal. Being gay isnt 'normal' as such and I know im contradicting myself somewhat, but I find it somewhat counterproductive when we continuously highlight differences yet we are supposed to not see things as different.

May I add that my views arent just limited to football but in all walks of life and in all differences be it religion, race or sexuality.

I would like to pose a question though - why should anyone be pressured to come out as gay? It should remain private the same way I dont come out and say announce that im straight or what I do in the bedroom etc although the kelly brook and beyonce threesome I just had to announce.
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Really good post mate and thank you for taking mine in the spirit intended. I'll reply to your question as soon as I am in a position to do so.

I wish more people had an outlook like yours. It's really not that hard and I am guilty myself of going into the grey at times.
 
AuroRaman said:
The point you’re making is an honourable one and it is fantastic to see so many posters on this forum in unison with their opinion that being homosexual is just not a big deal. However, coming out as a gay footballer is a big deal at present and thus needs to be ‘news’. If it wasn’t a big deal, then gay footballers would be completely open about their sexuality.

Just because the UK has a largely liberal view on LBGT, it shouldn’t mean that we shouldn’t publicise an event like this. It would show us to be a nation that continually leads in its forward thinking and set an example to other countries. I am vociferous in my support for gay rights (again, it’s sad that gay rights have to be discussed, as opposed to, you know, just rights), I have a large gay friend base (a norm when working in the entertainment industry!), and I have seen first-hand the tribulations and abuse they still have to face due to their sexuality in society today.

Hope this hasn’t come across as a patronising or direct attack on your post mate, as I first stated, you are right, it shouldn’t be news. And hopefully we are getting closer to it not making front-page headlines when homosexual footballers don’t feel pressured to hide their sexuality. There is clearly still something institutionally backward within football that is stopping them coming out, because you can be sure as **** that statistically there are plenty of gay men plying their trade on pitches around the country.
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Very good post.

Western Europe has come a long way, but there's still some way to go and as you say there are other countries that are very much lagging behind and highlighting equality can't be a bad thing.

It's not like this is some ancient social problem that has been eradicated a long time ago. Homosexuality being illegal and being classified as a mental illness is well within living memory. We know being gay is a risk factor for suicide still, let's not pretend this is a group whose rights have been made completely equal.

Obviously if this happens it would be newsworthy, it's never ****ing happened before...

DHSF said:
Im not patronised dont worry and I welcome your view point. Im a black or white kind of guy and I come from an idealistic viewpoint where everything is normal unless otherwise made out not to be normal. Being gay isnt 'normal' as such and I know im contradicting myself somewhat, but I find it somewhat counterproductive when we continuously highlight differences yet we are supposed to not see things as different.

May I add that my views arent just limited to football but in all walks of life and in all differences be it religion, race or sexuality.

I would like to pose a question though - why should anyone be pressured to come out as gay? It should remain private the same way I dont come out and say announce that im straight or what I do in the bedroom etc although the kelly brook and beyonce threesome I just had to announce.
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We're not supposed to see things as different? I must have missed that memo...

Has anyone said that anyone should be pressured to come out as gay?

Why should it remain private? Who are you to make that decision for other people?

And if someone comes out that could perhaps be a role model for an at risk group of (young) people who are you to say that they shouldn't?
 
japenesegardenlover said:
Do not get why everyone is going on and on about a footballer coming out as gay it is the sort of leftist politics instigated by the BBC and the Guardian that I hate. Not that I hate gay people as I really do not. It is wrong to generalise of course but I prefer the gay community to the straight one.

Also do not get the current trend for talking about womens sport and making out like it is men's fault that not enough people watch women's football or that the is not a woman's Sky cycling team when it is clear that particular problem is with women for not watching sport.

Back to the gay thing, hope the is one soon because I can almost hear the crying from the BBC and Guardian reporters from my home. About 10 years ago I was in Brighton and I saw a guy walking on his knees with chains round his neck and a sign on his stomach saying "so sorry" I asked him what was going on and he told me he was saying sorry to the black community for slavery. The fella had tears in his eyes.

I expect next time I go back to see him crawling along on his hands and knees with a football wailing away about the gay community. Honestly I think the ones that go on about the fact that there are no openly gay footballers are worse then ones the accuse of homophobia.
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It's obviously newsworthy, simply because it's so rare and it's in a high profile sport.

Surely you must follow football reporting at least somewhat. This is what gets you? This?

We live in the society of the (perhaps) 24 hour news cycle, we have a ton of media outlets with a ton of journalists with miles of column inches and hours of reporting time to fill. Anything gets reported in football. The amount of shyte journalism about complete non-stories is overwhelming, just look at the Spurs newsnow feed alone and it's a re-hash of insignificant bland quotes done do death. But if someone wants to address a real issue, with real social implications, something actually showing signs of some real improvements in this society you both love and hate (I assume) that's where you draw the line? No, let the football journalists go back to writing bland analysis of boring interviews with overpaid footballers that don't care.

There might be some leftist motivations behind some stories like this, just like there will be some rightist motivation behind some other stories. But most of the media will just be reporting it because it's news and it's easy. It's what they do...
 
There will be a whole new issue with opposition fans singing nasty songs to the player in question. Some will call it banter and others will say it is offensive.
 
LutonSpurs said:
There will be a whole new issue with opposition fans singing nasty songs to the player in question. Some will call it banter and others will say it is offensive.
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Homophobic abuse in football stadiums won't be a new problem and it will be right for the police and football authorities to stamp down hard on it.
 
braineclipse said:
Very good post.

Western Europe has come a long way, but there's still some way to go and as you say there are other countries that are very much lagging behind and highlighting equality can't be a bad thing.

It's not like this is some ancient social problem that has been eradicated a long time ago. Homosexuality being illegal and being classified as a mental illness is well within living memory. We know being gay is a risk factor for suicide still, let's not pretend this is a group whose rights have been made completely equal.

Obviously if this happens it would be newsworthy, it's never ****ing happened before...



We're not supposed to see things as different? I must have missed that memo...

Has anyone said that anyone should be pressured to come out as gay?

Why should it remain private? Who are you to make that decision for other people?

And if someone comes out that could perhaps be a role model for an at risk group of (young) people who are you to say that they shouldn't?
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Youre missing my point entirely... I am stating a point from an idealistic point of view which so happens to be mine i.e. we are all one and the same etc (im sure there is a more accurate term than idealism). Therefore it would stand to reason that if straight people dont come out with their announcement that theyre straight then why should gay people? Im not saying they cant but the whole point im making is that if we continuously highlight differences then those differences will continue to be prominent and ultimately nothing really changes.

You may argue im being naive and id see where you are coming from but I would just call this life really...
 
DHSF said:
Youre missing my point entirely... I am stating a point from an idealistic point of view which so happens to be mine i.e. we are all one and the same etc (im sure there is a more accurate term than idealism). Therefore it would stand to reason that if straight people dont come out with their announcement that theyre straight then why should gay people? Im not saying they cant but the whole point im making is that if we continuously highlight differences then those differences will continue to be prominent and ultimately nothing really changes.

You may argue im being naive and id see where you are coming from but I would just call this life really...
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We're demonstrably not all the same though, there are differences. What should be highlighted, particularly to young people, is that it's alright to be different, that different doesn't mean worse or better, it just means different. Our differences should be highlighted because they're there and (most) people can learn to accept that I believe. Different, but equal - there's no need to try to fit everyone into the same mold.

No, you're not saying that they can't - you obviously can't say that. But you did say that they shouldn't come out as gay. My question still stands, why? And who are you to make that decision for other people?

Your comparison between straight people announcing their orientation and gay people doing the same is not a fair a comparison mate. One group is in an overwhelming majority and will for the majority of the time have their orientation match what other people think it is. Do you see how that's not really comparable to the situation for gay people?

Didn't Ashley Cole announce on twitter just the other day that he's straight? If a straight man or woman thinks that the majority of people around him or her has the wrong impression about their orientation is it really so far fetched that they announce it? That's often the situation gay people find themselves in. If you were in a situation where most of the world around you thought you were of a different orientation, would you really feel no need to announce yourself for who you really are?
 
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