First openly gay footballer coming out on Sunday apparently

[Meade's Ball]

Why would anyone care ? Much ado about nothing.

Will somebody please ban this obvious gay-hater from attending the Albion dinner party please? Passing me the place on table Caldesooper on which i shall astonish and entertain in a semi-slathering state, grasping at his thin but previously unmeddled-with beard!

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

I really dislike this mindset that almost DEMANDS to know whether someone is gay or not. There will be gay footballers, I imagine their friends and family know in most cases.....why should they have to tell the public?!

Does someone who works for Tesco's have to "come out" to Tesco Customers?

 

[smeg]

What is strange to me about this thread is it implies that gay people in all other walks of life are "out"!! I work in London in a corporate environment where gay people are most definitely not "out". people assume and there is conjecture but clearly there is still an issue in society about being gay, not just in football but generally. Brighton may have openly gay people, as does Blackpool and some parts of London but I think you will find once you move outside of these areas that attitudes are slightly different. I'm not for or against anything here, it's just an opinion.

 

[Guinness Boy]

There was a thread around the time that The Albion Roar did their homophobia episode that discussed just this. The first big name still playing will be a big deal to the media but I suspect (or hope) that the vast majority of fans won't care a jot. Whoever it is they ARE brave (and a bit newsworthy) because they are happy to take the media attention on their shoulders. I would expect it to lessen with each subsequent announcement. As such this is only ever a good thing. However, the real test will not be how it is received in the stands but in the dressing room.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I really dislike this mindset that almost DEMANDS to know whether someone is gay or not. There will be gay footballers, I imagine their friends and family know in most cases.....why should they have to tell the public?!

Does someone who works for Tesco's have to "come out" to Tesco Customers?

They absolutely shouldn't HAVE to but if they are very famous they may find the pressure of hiding it impossible? If you play for England you are going to get invited to things like film premiers and be photographed all round town by the paps. There's always a bit of fnarr fnarr if there's a leggy blonde lady in tow but what if there was always the same bloke? I don't think anyone in the public eye should be made to hide their partner away. Equally they're free to do so if they want. I'm not really disagreeing with you BTW, just adding to the point.

 

[Gullflyinghigh]

I really dislike this mindset that almost DEMANDS to know whether someone is gay or not. There will be gay footballers, I imagine their friends and family know in most cases.....why should they have to tell the public?!

Does someone who works for Tesco's have to "come out" to Tesco Customers?

No-one demands to know anything, I think that anyone in football that wants to be openly gay and not 'live the lie' (that is, to actually go out in public with a bloke and not pretend he's a mate) has to 'come out' beforehand as it's the only way to try and control what will inevitably, and sadly, be a big story in the red tops.

If they were 'caught' by a photographer instead of announcing it themselves then there would be a whole saga of is he/isn't he and the subsequent questions that'd follow.

Surely, of the two scenarios, the first is the most preferable?

 

[Albion Robster]

Its not going to be Ashley Cole:

Ashley ColeVerified account‏@TheRealAC3·
come on people, sorry to disappoint u but I'm strictly #chicks only

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Will somebody please ban this obvious gay-hater from attending the Albion dinner party please? Passing me the place on table Caldesooper on which i shall astonish and entertain in a semi-slathering state, grasping at his thin but previously unmeddled-with beard!

Rumbled. If only you had purchased tickets for the Moderators Ball - you too would have been drawn out of the hat and eligible to fondle the Spaniard's growth.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Its not going to be Ashley Cole:

Ashley ColeVerified account‏@TheRealAC3·
�������� come on people, sorry to disappoint u but I'm strictly #chicks only ����

Nice that he felt he had to confirm it though. What a c**t of a man he really is.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

How can you be "Openly Gay " if you haven't already come out ? Only saying like....

If you haven't made any big announcement but haven't made any attempt to hide it?

 

[Keeping The Dream Alive.]

It's Kevin Nolan , he was bought up with five sisters and was always in mood for dancing.

yess, yessss, yesss yessss yessss yesss yesss yyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssss...that..was a goal

 

[dazzer6666]

No-one demands to know anything, I think that anyone in football that wants to be openly gay and not 'live the lie' (that is, to actually go out in public with a bloke and not pretend he's a mate) has to 'come out' beforehand as it's the only way to try and control what will inevitably, and sadly, be a big story in the red tops.

If they were 'caught' by a photographer instead of announcing it themselves then there would be a whole saga of is he/isn't he and the subsequent questions that'd follow.

Surely, of the two scenarios, the first is the most preferable?

It's either this, or someone has been 'outed' by someone else to a Red-top and as posted earlier the individual has been told they're going to publish regardless........

It's all very sad frankly. I work in an office environment (which includes openly gay people) where an individual's sexuality is utterly irrelevant to how they do their job, their promotion propects or how they are treated by colleagues. That said attitudes have changed massively in the last 30 years in my industry (there is no doubt being thought of as being gay would have led to jokes, insults and ridicule in the 80s), along with I think much of society. IMHO the somewhat tribal nature and general culture of football and it's followers (generalisation of course) will however mean that any reason to single someone out for attention will be seized upon - we all remember Fash being whistled at after he came out. This has largely gone away for black players now (at least in the UK - unlike Eastern Europe for example) but I don't expect it to be a lot different if a current player comes out, other than presumably that the police/stewards will have to try to arrest anyone doing so.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

No-one demands to know anything, I think that anyone in football that wants to be openly gay and not 'live the lie' (that is, to actually go out in public with a bloke and not pretend he's a mate) has to 'come out' beforehand as it's the only way to try and control what will inevitably, and sadly, be a big story in the red tops.

If they were 'caught' by a photographer instead of announcing it themselves then there would be a whole saga of is he/isn't he and the subsequent questions that'd follow.

Surely, of the two scenarios, the first is the most preferable?

Of course this is the case. I hope someone in football does have the courage to come out as it will do a lot of good. I take comfort from the fact that whilst there was initially a media frenzy regarding Tom Daley it very quickly died down and few people give a shit now. We're moving in the right direction but there is still someway to go especially in football.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Nice that he felt he had to confirm it though. What a c**t of a man he really is.

Very much this.

 

[Giraffe]

Its not going to be Ashley Cole:

Ashley ColeVerified account‏@TheRealAC3·
come on people, sorry to disappoint u but I'm strictly #chicks only

Is it just me who finds that a very typical Ashley Cole act. "chicks only". How very manly. Good grief he is loathsome isn't he.

 

[Tooting Gull]

Does someone who works for Tesco's have to "come out" to Tesco Customers?

They do if they shop at ASDA

 

[vegster]

If you haven't made any big announcement but haven't made any attempt to hide it?

So they are part-time gay ie, gay at work but not when they get home or vice- versa ?

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Does anyone here NOT know someone who's gay?

Football is ridiculously behind the times. I think we'll be amazed how little banter they get.

Having said that, the predictive text on my phone doesn't offer the word 'gay'

 

[Guinness Boy]

It's either this, or someone has been 'outed' by someone else to a Red-top and as posted earlier the individual has been told they're going to publish regardless........

It's all very sad frankly. I work in an office environment (which includes openly gay people) where an individual's sexuality is utterly irrelevant to how they do their job, their promotion propects or how they are treated by colleagues. That said attitudes have changed massively in the last 30 years in my industry (there is no doubt being thought of as being gay would have led to jokes, insults and ridicule in the 80s), along with I think much of society. IMHO the somewhat tribal nature and general culture of football and it's followers (generalisation of course) will however mean that any reason to single someone out for attention will be seized upon - we all remember Fash being whistled at after he came out. This has largely gone away for black players now (at least in the UK - unlike Eastern Europe for example) but I don't expect it to be a lot different if a current player comes out, other than presumably that the police/stewards will have to try to arrest anyone doing so.

When he played for us against Norwich their fans sang 'he's black, he's bent, his a**e is up for rent, Fashanu' at him. Charming eh? This was before he officially came out. Tragically, for Justin he was an open book. Perhaps this coming out, even if it is really an outing, would help protect a future such case because the poor bloke's life was tragic.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I assumed Palace already have a player who is pretty openly gay - unless turning up at an NBA game with a male friend from another Premier League club in identical his-and-his outfits is some other sort of signal.

Does it really matter ? His skills as a footballer is what really counts.