If a Brighton football player were to 'come out'...

[chucky1973]

Nothing. But you were saying that whatever a player gets up to in his own time is his business, you'd support them what ever. My question was does that apply to what ever they do off it even if it's illegal? Was just using our players current predicament as an example.

my comment was purley based upon "coming out" and I stand by that, with regard to your comment, I would not respect them if they were found guilty and would hope the clubs deals with them appropriatly. I stress IF.

 

[Mutts Nuts]

... what would your reaction be? It's a further point to the Roar tomorrow, and to the Fashanu documentary.

I'm not talking about any particular footballer from any particular club. I find it hard to believe that society has moved on so little since Justin Fashanu came out. Perhaps you feel that, because this is Brighton, supposedly the 'Gay Capital of England', it's almost as though it's down to somewhere like this club to set the precedent.

After the so-called 'embarrassment' of calling the fans' bar 'Dick's Bar', are Brighton fans ready for a gay footballer to come out?

This is all of course assuming that there are any gay footballers at Brighton...

Stupid question why would anyone give a f***, is football suddenly different from any other proffesion

 

[The Large One]

Stupid question why would anyone give a f***, is football suddenly different from any other proffesion

Not 'suddenly', more 'always has been'...

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

my comment was purley based upon "coming out" and I stand by that, with regard to your comment, I would not respect them if they were found guilty and would hope the clubs deals with them appropriatly. I stress IF.

Isn't Purley dangerously close to Croydon?

 

[Rogero]

I would'nt hold it against him .

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

Anyone who voted for anything other than the top two choices is clearly on a fishing trip, or is a moron living in the dark ages.

 

[Common as Mook]

I would'nt hold it against him .

 

[Arthur]

Stupid question why would anyone give a f***, is football suddenly different from any other proffesion

Well it's not a stupid questions as A) there are no openly gay professional footballers as far as I'm aware and B) up until very recently (and no doubt we will on Tuesday night) we as fans have been subject to abuse because there are gay people in Brighton.

I'm sure this club would be more tolerant than most but plenty of people would give a f***.

 

[Man of Harveys]

I would buy the calendar.
















(for my gay mates for Christmas)

 

[Monkey Man]

As a liberal minded screaming hetero I must admit the whole "gay" thing leaves me perplexed.

I find homosexuality pretty unremarkable, and if someone had the idea that I was gay it wouldn't make any difference to my life at all.

I don't get the least bit upset when opposition fans get going with the chanting - it just makes me wonder if they're actually as dimwitted and prejudiced as they're sounding, or whether it's irony, or something else.

But is my opinion less valid than that of a fan/player who is actually gay? Should I be offended on their behalf?

It's just bizarre to me that people get so worked up about the sexuality of others. You might as well take an interest in their favourite breakfast cereal, or their CD collection. It's a brief talking point, but ultimately: so what?

My kids are at the age when they're asking about this and my reply quotes the bus advert: some people are gay. Get over it.

 

[aolstudios]

Anyone who voted for anything other than the top two choices is clearly on a fishing trip, or is a moron living in the dark ages.

look back through the previous pages - there's one poster who's both - as usual

 

[The Large One]

As a liberal minded screaming hetero I must admit the whole "gay" thing leaves me perplexed.

I find homosexuality pretty unremarkable, and if someone had the idea that I was gay it wouldn't make any difference to my life at all.

I don't get the least bit upset when opposition fans get going with the chanting - it just makes me wonder if they're actually as dimwitted and prejudiced as they're sounding, or whether it's irony, or something else.

But is my opinion less valid than that of a fan/player who is actually gay? Should I be offended on their behalf?

It's just bizarre to me that people get so worked up about the sexuality of others. You might as well take an interest in their favourite breakfast cereal, or their CD collection. It's a brief talking point, but ultimately: so what?

My kids are at the age when they're asking about this and my reply quotes the bus advert: some people are gay. Get over it.

Fair points, but...

Opposition fans chanting 'gay' chants at you is not going to hurt you because (a) it's not true and (b) it's not aimed at you personally.

However, as was debated on here quite vociferously recently, when it's spiteful abuse aimed at one person; abuse which under other circumstances might be labelled 'threatening behaviour', that's a different matter.

And it doesn't make any difference whether that person is walking down the street, watching a football match or playing professional football.

 

[Seaber]

Wouldn't bother me at all. If they were one of the first to do so I'd respect their bravery, but hopefully soon this will something that is fairly commonplace and well accepted.

 

[Monkey Man]

Fair points, but...

Opposition fans chanting 'gay' chants at you is not going to hurt you because (a) it's not true and (b) it's not aimed at you personally.

However, as was debated on here quite vociferously recently, when it's spiteful abuse aimed at one person; abuse which under other circumstances might be labelled 'threatening behaviour', that's a different matter.

And it doesn't make any difference whether that person is walking down the street, watching a football match or playing professional football.

I don't disagree with you. I suppose I was just referring to the kind of boring chants I've heard over the years, which seem to be targeted at so many people at once that they lose any ability to offend an individual - or so it seems to me. I may well be wrong.

Where it gets confusing is, for example, a player like le Saux gets abused for being gay, even when he's not. If he complains, could it be argued that he himself was being anti-gay for saying that he's upset by being labelled as a homosexual? Perhaps that's why he seemed to laugh it off - and he did get a lot of abuse.

Not my specialist subject, as you can probably tell. And yes, threatening behaviour of any kind is clearly unwelcome in any walk of life.

 

[The Large One]

Where it gets confusing is, for example, a player like le Saux gets abused for being gay, even when he's not. If he complains, could it be argued that he himself was being anti-gay for saying that he's upset by being labelled as a homosexual? Perhaps that's why he seemed to laugh it off - and he did get a lot of abuse.

Was he upset about being labelled 'homosexual', or because the labelling was abusive?

That one is a case in point - it appears you don't even have to be gay to suffer homophobic abuse...

 

[Danny-Boy]

... what would your reaction be? It's a further point to the Roar tomorrow, and to the Fashanu documentary.


After the so-called 'embarrassment' of calling the fans' bar 'Dick's Bar', are Brighton fans ready for a gay footballer to come out?

This is all of course assuming that there are any gay footballers at Brighton...

I thought there were whole gay TEAMS in Brighton.

 

[Danny-Boy]

As a liberal minded screaming hetero I must admit the whole "gay" thing leaves me perplexed.

I find homosexuality pretty unremarkable, and if someone had the idea that I was gay it wouldn't make any difference to my life at all.

I don't get the least bit upset when opposition fans get going with the chanting - it just makes me wonder if they're actually as dimwitted and prejudiced as they're sounding, or whether it's irony, or something else.

But is my opinion less valid than that of a fan/player who is actually gay? Should I be offended on their behalf?

It's just bizarre to me that people get so worked up about the sexuality of others. You might as well take an interest in their favourite breakfast cereal, or their CD collection. It's a brief talking point, but ultimately: so what?

My kids are at the age when they're asking about this and my reply quotes the bus advert: some people are gay. Get over it.

I think it comes down to the point where YOU are or are not personally affected.

If you were propositioned into paticipating in a homosexual act, and told either that refusal would affect your career, or some other "persuasion" was used I think you might feel differently.

Having said that I've had far more grief from lesbians, as it happens.

 

[Monkey Man]

Was he upset about being labelled 'homosexual', or because the labelling was abusive?

That one is a case in point - it appears you don't even have to be gay to suffer homophobic abuse...

In his case, I don't think he was upset - just bemused. In those days, a footballer reading the Guardian was enough to prompt gay jibes. Perhaps privately he felt differently about it all.

I saw him collapse with what seemed at first to be a broken leg in front of the Stretford End at Old Trafford (corporate freebie!) and the abuse he got from the entire stand as he writhed on the floor was genuinely sickening. Even Schmichael was telling his own fans to pack it in.

 

[perseus]

Drama Queen

Stash him back in the closet. I am not interested.

 

[PHCgull]

If it was Peter Brezovan, I'd be interested