Gay Footballers...Appreciated or Unwelcome? Research

[Barrel of Fun]

I am sure a gay footballer would be appreciated (by most) if he was earning his keep, but unwelcome if he was not.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

A small and possibly irrelevant point

could you do something about the vile colour scheme on this document http://www.topfan.co.uk/summary.doc Green yellow and blue text on a brown background.......

 

[Barrel of Fun]

The Said and Done section of the Observer is a great insight into the world of 'homophobia' for those that do have an influence.

They pretty much cover the topic each week.

Here is one of them...


More PR news
Rio Ferdinand: still trapped in his own personal PR vortex.
a) Backs pro-tolerance campaigns against "racist and homophobic abuse."
b) Promotes luxury property investment in Uganda – where ministers last week warned youths to beware of "European homosexuals" while launching a bill to introduce life sentences and executions for "aggravated homosexuality", plus jail terms for "aiding and abetting homosexuality". "This is serious," says Uganda's ethics and integrity minister James Nsaba Buturo. "We are talking about anal sex. Not even animals do that."

 

[theacademic]

greta debate so far. for those who would like to express an interest please spend 2 minutes completing the survey. Thanks.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

I think the reason no player has come out isn't just about the homophobia involved.

It's possibly also about the gay footballers not wanting to be used as some pawn by the gay lobby.

These chaps probably just love playing football and don't want to get messed up in all the politics and media rubbish that would come with it.

That would be a distraction to their career and game to have to juggle all that would come with their "coming out".

 

[keaton]

You got a better response than the last time

research- homosexual football fans - North Stand Chat

 

[Gwylan]

I think the reason no player has come out isn't just about the homophobia involved.

It's possibly also about the gay footballers not wanting to be used as some pawn by the gay lobby.

These chaps probably just love playing football and don't want to get messed up in all the politics and media rubbish that would come with it.

That would be a distraction to their career and game to have to juggle all that would come with their "coming out".

Don't think that this is true though. All the sportspeople who have come out have said that they hope their example will serve to encourage other gay sports people to follow, Gareth Thomas for example. "Thomas, who confessed in December that he was gay, has urged other gay sportsmen and women to follow his lead and come out – and recently called on top-flight footballers who are gay to “break the taboo” of homosexuality in football by coming out.

He said his experience in rugby league was leading the way for those in sport who were also homosexual but were afraid to come out publicly."

Or ref, Nigel Owens. "Owens hopes his example might help young people who are troubled by their sexuality. 'Since my book came out, I've been replying to messages on Facebook from people who were glad there was someone they could think of as ... a role model. I had an email from a rugby-playing guy in his early 20s who is gay but has been hiding it.'" I've read similar things from other gay sportspeople.

in other words, it's not just for their own peace of mind, the accompanying publicity, far from being a distraction, is an important part of what they're doing.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Don't think that this is true though. All the sportspeople who have come out have said that they hope their example will serve to encourage other gay sports people to follow, Gareth Thomas for example. "Thomas, who confessed in December that he was gay, has urged other gay sportsmen and women to follow his lead and come out – and recently called on top-flight footballers who are gay to “break the taboo” of homosexuality in football by coming out.

He said his experience in rugby league was leading the way for those in sport who were also homosexual but were afraid to come out publicly."

Or ref, Nigel Owens. "Owens hopes his example might help young people who are troubled by their sexuality. 'Since my book came out, I've been replying to messages on Facebook from people who were glad there was someone they could think of as ... a role model. I had an email from a rugby-playing guy in his early 20s who is gay but has been hiding it.'" I've read similar things from other gay sportspeople.

in other words, it's not just for their own peace of mind, the accompanying publicity, far from being a distraction, is an important part of what they're doing.

It depends on what type of a gay chap you are though.

Ignorant people will naturally bunch them all together as being the same.

But from a gay friends attitude I know they all aren't.

He actually can't stand the (in his own words) "parade bitches" such as those in the Gay Mardi Gras over here or I guess more camp members of the gay community.

His attitude is he doesn't need to "come out" because he thinks its a stupid concept. He really is against the whole making a big scene out of being gay.

Conversely a friend of his is rather involved in the whole politics of the gay movement and my mate gos mental when the other bloke starts up with his political spiels.

Gays are no different to other people so there's no need to make a big song and dance about them being gay.

The way it's done sometimes it just comes across as being a attention seeking exercise.

By pushing people out there to make a big deal about coming out all you're doing is actually enforcing in some peoples minds that they are different. And that's counter productive.

 

[Willow]

"Gay Footballers...Appreciated or Unwelcome?"

Appreciated in what way? Like we should be glad to have a gay footballer in the team? What an odd question.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

The fines from football sporting bodies for both homophobic and racist abuse are pathetic.

Castleford were fined £40k for a torrent of abuse directed at Gareth Thomas which is a fair old sum for the club. However, this is being contested along the lines of "the charges against the club are not that there was chanting, they are that the club failed to take its best endeavours to prevent or stop any chanting."

Compare that to £9,800 - Uefa's fine for Croatia after fans at Euro 2008 used Nazi salutes, white power banners and "sickening racist taunts".

 

[matthew]

Done

 

[Gwylan]

It depends on what type of a gay chap you are though.

Ignorant people will naturally bunch them all together as being the same.

That's perfectly true and it's correct that some gays are camp and some aren't (with all shades in between); some love Pride and some don't, some love Judy Garland, some don't etc

But that wasn't what you said in your earlier post. You said "These chaps probably just love playing football and don't want to get messed up in all the politics and media rubbish that would come with it."

My earlier post was to point out that every gay sport person that I've read about says the exact opposite, that they expressly want the publicity to help other young sports people to come to terms with their sexuality. It's part and parcel of their decision, not an unwelcome intrusion.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Done . If there is a phase 3 survey can this be highlighted in the thread topic as I thought at first glance this thread was resurrected from last month.

 

[bhaexpress]

Frankly what's the point of this survey ? Who really cares ? The homophobes will still be homophobes and those of us who don't care still won't care.

 

[theacademic]

seagullsovergrimsby: will do mate. yes this is phase 2. the response in phase 1 was superb. if anyone else has 2 mins they can complete the survey at GAY FOOTBALLERS ... APPRECIATED OR UNWELCOME?

your thoughts are appreciated

 

[philsussex]

done

 

[theacademic]

thanks philsussex.

 

[beorhthelm]

My earlier post was to point out that every gay sport person that I've read about says the exact opposite, that they expressly want the publicity to help other young sports people to come to terms with their sexuality. It's part and parcel of their decision, not an unwelcome intrusion.

i cant help feel that rather proves the point Tyrone makes. this is the one who are willing to and comfortable with coming out, and have used the publicity to promote the issue. others might not want that hassle.

 

[Gwylan]

i cant help feel that rather proves the point Tyrone makes. this is the one who are willing to and comfortable with coming out, and have used the publicity to promote the issue. others might not want that hassle.

I'm not quite sure what you're saying here. If I understand correctly, what you're saying is that the reason that many gay sportspeople don't come out is not the reaction from the players or fans but the attendant media circus.

As I have pointed out, all gay sportspeople have said that they've been perfectly happy with that media circus. Of course, it's possible that many gay players have not come out precisely because of that, but that is what Karl Popper called an unfalsifiable statement, ie one that can't be proved true or false.

We all know that there are gay footballers, rugby players, cricketers etc out there but I have not seen any interviews or any evidence from the non-out ones as to their reasons for not coming out. However, all the facts so far suggest the attendant publicity is not one of the issues.

Of course, what TB said could well be true but the fact that many have not come out doesn't "prove his point" at all - we literally do not and cannot know.