Gay Footballers...Appreciated or Unwelcome?

[Mackenzie]

I found it an interesting exercise to put my thoughts on the subject into words on a page. Max Clifford was right to advise what he did imo, knowing the abuse we suffer as a crowd supporting Brighton, imagine being the focus of all that hatred.

 

[Acker79]

maybe, but in a world of many Max Clifford like publicists, i find it difficult to believe they can all be paid off. and isnt that effectively blackmail, paying someone to not release information about you?

No. People hire max to work for him. They don't pay him not to reveal their secrets, they pay him to help avoid other people revealing secrets. Sometimes it is using the courts to protect privacy, innocent parties, sometimes it's about controlling the story by arranging exclusive interviews.

He is like a footballers agent, but instead of negotiating with the club, he negotiates with the media/law courts on behalf of the footballer.


I don't see what the upside is to another publicist revealing the secrets. Say I've hired Max to stop a secret getting out, if his rival Cliff Maxord reveals the secret what does he get out of it? No one is going to want to hire someone who has revealed secrets. I wouldn't want to work with the guy who exposed my secrets just to win my custom, so he doesn't get more work, just a bad reputation.

 

[bhaexpress]

Nothing to stop you organising a 'Proud to be hetro day' Frankie baby.
Sort it out and I might march with you and even hold your hand.

That's my point, as I don't see any reason to celebrate my sexuality why would I want to ?

 

[Questions]

That's my point, as I don't see any reason to celebrate my sexuality why would I want to ?

Its a throwback to the days when Tom and others were feeling just a little pissed about it all.

So sit back and watch as they close all our clubs
Arrest us for meeting and raid all our pubs
Make sure your boyfriend's at least 21
So only your friends and your brothers get done
Lie to your workmates, lie to your folks
Put down the queens and tell anti-queer jokes
Gay Lib's ridiculous, join their laughter
'The buggers are legal now, what more are they after?'

Sing if you're glad to be gay
Sing if you're happy that way

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Shut it you FREAK!

It's a fair cop - I'll come quietly.

 

[beorhthelm]

I don't see what the upside is to another publicist revealing the secrets. Say I've hired Max to stop a secret getting out, if his rival Cliff Maxord reveals the secret what does he get out of it? No one is going to want to hire someone who has revealed secrets. I wouldn't want to work with the guy who exposed my secrets just to win my custom, so he doesn't get more work, just a bad reputation.

i personally cant see the upside to reveling anything to the media except the money. oh, wait, thats quite a good reason for many...

if you've hired Max to keep your secret (in the processes telling him it... seems odd route to go, but i go with it a bit), how does that prevent some other publicist getting the story and releasing it? does Max vet and veto what kiss and tell the News of the World prints? if glamour model girlfriend comes home to find star striker boyfriend in bed with a fella, you think she isnt going to tell that story? or the footballer seen in a hotel with a chap, where the porter know who he is?

the only thing that counts for reputation in the media world is how big a story you can generate.

 

[bhaexpress]

Its a throwback to the days when Tom and others were feeling just a little pissed about it all.

So sit back and watch as they close all our clubs
Arrest us for meeting and raid all our pubs
Make sure your boyfriend's at least 21
So only your friends and your brothers get done
Lie to your workmates, lie to your folks
Put down the queens and tell anti-queer jokes
Gay Lib's ridiculous, join their laughter
'The buggers are legal now, what more are they after?'

Sing if you're glad to be gay
Sing if you're happy that way

Frankly it's hardly an issue in this country now given the fact that we have openly gay MPs and Clergy. It's obviously still a big problem in many countries agreed. The US amazes me as whilst most of their politicians will at least acknowledge the 'Pink Dollar' they still have so much intolerance although that's not just a matter of sexuality but race, religion and a host of other things that career bigots like to get upset about in order to make them feel superior. If people want to have a Gay Pride day let them but as I say, why do you feel the need to remind people of who and what you are ? Where is Tom Robinson these days anyway ? Looking after his son ?

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

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

 

[Wilko]

That's my point, as I don't see any reason to celebrate my sexuality why would I want to ?

That is because hetrosexuality has always been accepted. If your sexuality had been shrouded in negativity and oppression for many years and slowly it had (at last) become more accepted do you not think that is something to celebrate?

 

[Wilko]

Well that raises a whole new set of issues, I've supported gay issues on here before such as gay pride etc, but i dont particularly want to see physical displays of affection like kissing and handholding in public from gay men, i dont want my six year old asking me ' why are those two men kissing each other daddy ? '.

What would be wrong with saying 'They are kissing because they love each other'?

Seems a reasonable response to me.

 

[thebazillionaire]

Well after deliberating about commenting on this thread, albeit it may be a little of the the subject track a little, but it was me, after a forum meeting a few years(3 i think now) i spoke to Dick Knight about adding something in the Match Programme along side the Kick Racism out of football by adding a similar thing with Homophobia, he said he would look at this issue, and to his absolute credit, he done it within weeks of me speaking to him.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

survey filled in.

 

[KneeOn]

I have completed the survey.

@ FDM's Gloves: Personally I think your comment about northerners is as you stated a generalisation. This issue was recently debated on our messageboard and I would say views were generally very tolerant.

I think it is about time players did come out and then the issue could be dealt with once and for all. I'm sure you will get the odd idiot shouting homophobic abuse but the vast majority of football fans in this country couldn't care less.

I have to tread very carefully when wording stuff like this.

From a purely sociological point, with what i've been taught this year for AS, the north are far more working class than the south, industrially speaking. A lot more blue collar jobs than here, and a lot less white collar jobs than here.

This, sociologically speaking, is reason for a marginal and slight difference in tolerance levels. I'm not goign to suggest that the north is purely homophobic, but it is more... likely to be triggered becasue of some of the values and norms held by a minority of the people, because they are associated with the working class and are a behavioural transfer.

This is a purely sociological point that has been put together using very harsh teachings from college.

 

[KneeOn]

Well that raises a whole new set of issues, I've supported gay issues on here before such as gay pride etc, but i dont particularly want to see physical displays of affection like kissing and handholding in public from gay men, i dont want my six year old asking me ' why are those two men kissing each other daddy ? '.

Errrr... because they are in love.

For me the issue isn't what gender is doing what with which gender. Its about love and that it comes in many forms and that diversity should be celebrated. I'm sure a gay person who has had a child previous to coming out finds it equally as distressful or off putting or awkward when you're holding your wifes hand, because for them its not normal.

Also, you're using what is called the DSN model for psychopathology, when talking about this whole normal thing.

Look at it another way. FFA, which is Failure to Function Adequately. Does being gay stop you from working, and living and functioning adequately? no.

Or the DIMH, which is deviation from the Ideal state of mental health. Self actualization. Some would say NOT holding hands, showing basic forms of a physical relationship (which is the base of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, where the idea of self actualization comes from) is in its self not normal because it means people who are gay cannot fulfill a basic need and even if every other need as you move up the hierarchy is fulfilled, they won't be self actualized.

Its more complicated than "the norm is the most/most common".

EDIT: i'm not saying you think that being gay is anything to do with psychopathology. Just applying the gay debate and your reasoning as to why you don't want to see physical signs of homosexual love to other ways of looking at what you consider to be "not normal behavior" and this underlines criticisms of diagnosis of mental health and how people view society in general

 

[Nappy thrower]

I have no problem with gay footballers but i wouldn't have there name on the back of my shirt though.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

I have no problem with gay footballers but i wouldn't have there name on the back of my shirt though.

Moronic comment. What difference does it make.

The captain of the 5 a side team I play in is gay. It doesn't make a blind bit of difference.

 

[thebazillionaire]

I have no problem with gay footballers but i wouldn't have there name on the back of my shirt though.

Er, how does that work inside your head then?
now replace gay with black.....ridiculous !!!

 

[Nappy thrower]

Moronic comment. What difference does it make.

The captain of the 5 a side team I play in is gay. It doesn't make a blind bit of difference.

Your reply was moronic pal.Do a poll and i bet you will be suprised by the results.

 

[Les Biehn]

What if there are two gay footballers on the same team and they fall in love? Then one of them scores a goal and without thinking they kiss on the pitch. This then leads to a passionate embrace and they then end up having sex on the pitch. I for one am not willing to risk kids seeing that, especially kids showing gay tendencies who have been forced to go to football by their Dad to 'straighten' then out and may then think they want to try this.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Your reply was moronic pal.Do a poll and i bet you will be suprised by the results.

I always get player names on my shirt. I would imaginet that I've probably had a gay player on there aswell... the odds are quite good. What difference does it make if a player is gay or not? It wouldn't change my opinion of them. If you feel differently, ok, but in all seriousness, why?