Gay Footballers...Appreciated or Unwelcome?

[Questions]

They're not *that* unfriendly at all. It's just that most people find this a bit pointless, and I have to say I agree with them.

Appreciated or unwelcome? Colour me totally indifferent to a player's sexuality.

Well then you have in part answered an important question on the subject haven`t you ? In that a footballers sexuality matters not one jot to you - and quite rightly so - and so you`re probably not going to contribute to any terrace chants denigrating any gay players.

I reckon that fans of Brighton might just have a more liberal view on the matter than fans of some other clubs anyway.

 

[beorhthelm]

where's the option, "dont care as long they are good"?

 

[janee]

Posts show those feeling uncomfortable with this subject which shows there is a place for such research

 

[El Presidente]

where's the option, "dont care as long they are good"?

If you fill in the survey, you can put that, I know I did.

 

[Simster]

Well then you have in part answered an important question on the subject haven`t you ? In that a footballers sexuality matters not one jot to you - and quite rightly so - and so you`re probably not going to contribute to any terrace chants denigrating any gay players.

I reckon that fans of Brighton might just have a more liberal view on the matter than fans of some other clubs anyway.

*shrugs*. You're probably right but I'd be amazed if this survey provides anything we don't already know.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

I wrote an article on this recently. May be of some use to you:

Podology :: Sociology Podcasts

Loads of words on there. I like the FA video where is that to be shown, whats the Brighton equaliser clip about I was expecting an ironic 1-1 to the Nancy boys chant.

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

No problem with the survey - Max Clifford, for once, was right with his comments.

 

[Acker79]

I've completed it.

To those asking what use it is, suppose this shows that the majority of fans would be supportiove of footballers coming out, this leads to a player coming out, leads to more coming out and it helps kick homophgobia out of football.

Or as others have mentioned, it simply helps stop someone killing themselves over fear of being outed.

 

[matt]

Fashanu didn't kill himself because he was scared of being outed. He was well and truly out, having sold his story to The Sun 7 years before he committed suicide.

Really, does anyone give a shit in this day and age whether a footballer is straight, gay or Ashley Cole?

 

[matt]

Yeah, none of that Navratilova shit

 

[bha_28]

I dont think it matters what homosexuality they are aslong as they can play

 

[Scampi]

I think professional sport is one of the few places left where homophobia persists (in fact, I'm pushed to think of many other places - the armed forces maybe). Gays can come out in politics, business, the arts and the media but not sport.

I think you may be living a sheltered existence. I worked for a company based in central Brighton. We had numurous gay and lesbian people working for us ranging from Louie Spence flamboyance to David Laws levels of privacy.
Yet still we had a head of HR and directors who would be openly homophobic in meetings and at company functions.

 

[The Large One]

They're not *that* unfriendly at all. It's just that most people find this a bit pointless, and I have to say I agree with them.

Appreciated or unwelcome? Colour me totally indifferent to a player's sexuality.

That may be an attitude prevalent among, say, Brighton fans. It may be the case among a fair whack of fans across the country, but that doesn't follow that all fans welcome homosexuality within football. Or society. And I can think of one or two on here who are insecure enough about their own sexuality to harp on about 'gays' and 'benders' etc.

I think the research would have merit because these figures can possibly be used by football bodies to help shape policy on any 'Stop homophobia' campaigns, much in the same way as 'Give Racism the Red Card' sort of thing.

Of course, it may be that the figures end up saying that there is no problem at all, in which case, it has been worthwhile to point this out.

 

[Questions]

Its nothing to do with whether some fans 'dont care' if a player is gay or not but about the fact that they do not 'come out' for fear of abuse from other supporters and an obvious lack of support from within the game. Max Clifford has said dont stick your head above the parapit wall and thats probably the best advice at the moment if he is generally trying to help an individual but Gordon Taylors stance - seeing he is actually involved with these players - was just typical from within the game.

 

[Gwylan]

I think you may be living a sheltered existence. I worked for a company based in central Brighton. We had numurous gay and lesbian people working for us ranging from Louie Spence flamboyance to David Laws levels of privacy.
Yet still we had a head of HR and directors who would be openly homophobic in meetings and at company functions.

I didn't say that homophobia didn't exist any more, I said that prominent politicians, business people and artists could now come out as gay. That's not to say that every gay person has, because, as you say, there are still pockets of homophobia.

The point is that no footballer has come out as gay (while playing) and that's something that should be addressed. It's crazy in 2010.

 

[Franks Wild Years]

Any footballer would have to very confident and brave to come out, I think, but I really hope that we as fans would be supportive, alas I think Max Clifford has a point.

 

[cyanide-sid]

I can still remember the abuse Laurie Cunningham and Viv Anderson got when they first admitted that they were black.

 

[DJ Leon]

Done.

 

[Wilko]

Loads of words on there. I like the FA video where is that to be shown, whats the Brighton equaliser clip about I was expecting an ironic 1-1 to the Nancy boys chant.

The Brighton clip has absolutely no relevance at all, I just wanted to include it

 

[Scampi]

I didn't say that homophobia didn't exist any more, I said that prominent politicians, business people and artists could now come out as gay. That's not to say that every gay person has, because, as you say, there are still pockets of homophobia.

The point is that no footballer has come out as gay (while playing) and that's something that should be addressed. It's crazy in 2010.

I agree with your last point it is crazy, but part of the problem is the homophobic attitudes still widespread in our society.