Footballer in gay magazine

[peter w]

That's up to them. But if someone becomes so sensitive to the issue I'd have thought they would be more than just someone on a fans forum asking for an apology. That in itself is meaningless.

[curiousorange]

Getting back on topic, this thread reminded me of that Brass Eye interview with Peter Tatchell, which aside from being highly comedic ("The frog wouldn't come out of the box, would it?"), raises the good point that at that time, MPs rarely declared their sexuality due to fear of ridicule. It was argued that if two or three people came out at the same time, it would cease to be sensationalist news, and I think that's true with footballers. What's interesting is that when Jeremy Thorpe, the Liberal leader, was outed in the 1970's, it was a huge scandal and ended up in a very messy business involving attempted murder. But I have to be honest, I can't remember the first high-profile MP to come out after that, but I'm sure it didn't happen in tandem, as it were.

I would like to think a footballer coming out would be seen as high-profile news for a short while, followed by people just getting on with their lives. But that wouldn't happen. I don't think the player in question would be a pariah, just a target for abuse, largely as an attempt to throw them off their game. I genuinely think the majority of people in the country, and the same majority of fans, couldn't give two fucks who's gay and who isn't.

But I think it's also important to remember that other sports aren't exactly noted for being easier for homosexuals to come out into. I can only think of a handful of players in a number of sports that have announced their sexuality, and most of them were retired before they did so. I don't think there is active hostility in any sport to homosexuality, just that it's such a rare thing it convinces people to keep quiet. But surely nobody could believe there are no gays in British football, just as they can't believe there are so few to come out across the world?

[pauliewalnuts]

Getting back on topic, this thread reminded me of that Brass Eye interview with Peter Tatchell, which aside from being highly comedic ("The frog wouldn't come out of the box, would it?"), raises the good point that at that time, MPs rarely declared their sexuality due to fear of ridicule. It was argued that if two or three people came out at the same time, it would cease to be sensationalist news, and I think that's true with footballers. What's interesting is that when Jeremy Thorpe, the Liberal leader, was outed in the 1970's, it was a huge scandal and ended up in a very messy business involving attempted murder. But I have to be honest, I can't remember the first high-profile MP to come out after that, but I'm sure it didn't happen in tandem, as it were.

What's most interesting about Tatchell is that the 83 Bermondsey election campaign was a truly disgustingly homophobic one waged by the Liberals against Tatchell, really horrible stuff (although in fairness, the Libs / Lib Dems have a long history for really dirty stuff at local level), and their candidate was none other than Simon Hughes, who it later turns out is gay himself.

[curiousorange]

Getting back on topic, this thread reminded me of that Brass Eye interview with Peter Tatchell, which aside from being highly comedic ("The frog wouldn't come out of the box, would it?"), raises the good point that at that time, MPs rarely declared their sexuality due to fear of ridicule. It was argued that if two or three people came out at the same time, it would cease to be sensationalist news, and I think that's true with footballers. What's interesting is that when Jeremy Thorpe, the Liberal leader, was outed in the 1970's, it was a huge scandal and ended up in a very messy business involving attempted murder. But I have to be honest, I can't remember the first high-profile MP to come out after that, but I'm sure it didn't happen in tandem, as it were.

What's most interesting about Tatchell is that the 83 Bermondsey election campaign was a truly disgustingly homophobic one waged by the Liberals against Tatchell, really horrible stuff (although in fairness, the Libs / Lib Dems have a long history for really dirty stuff at local level), and their candidate was none other than Simon Hughes, who it later turns out is gay himself.

Hmmm, didn't know that. I wonder if that was a case of 'doth protest too much' after the Thorpe affair and their leaders getting into bed with the SDP?

[Greg N'Ash]

Possibly veering back into sexual stereotypes here but the people i knew at school in early teen years who later came out as gay wouldn't have been seen dead in the school football team and therefore never had the chance to be scouted further down the line. They were probably put off by the sort of people who did play for the school team which in my school at least was a bit of a clique of the athletic macho types. Mebbe there's not that many of them in football. Mind, rugby was the main sport at our school and hating the bloody game didn't stop me getting selected for the school team every over weekend.

[hawkeye]

Possibly veering back into sexual stereotypes here but the people i knew at school in early teen years who later came out as gay wouldn't have been seen dead in the school football team and therefore never had the chance to be scouted further down the line. They were probably put off by the sort of people who did play for the school team which in my school at least was a bit of a clique of the athletic macho types. Mebbe there's not that many of them in football. Mind, rugby was the main sport at our school and hating the bloody game didn't stop me getting selected for the school team every over weekend.

Now Rugger, if ever there was a game for supressed Homo Sexuals, Zulu warrior and alll that

[Greg N'Ash]

Possibly veering back into sexual stereotypes here but the people i knew at school in early teen years who later came out as gay wouldn't have been seen dead in the school football team and therefore never had the chance to be scouted further down the line. They were probably put off by the sort of people who did play for the school team which in my school at least was a bit of a clique of the athletic macho types. Mebbe there's not that many of them in football. Mind, rugby was the main sport at our school and hating the bloody game didn't stop me getting selected for the school team every over weekend.

Now Rugger, if ever there was a game for supressed Homo Sexuals, Zulu warrior and alll that

oh aye. think one of the team ended up batting for the other side eventually.  As a back row I just didn't like getting pummelled into frozen winter shit by 14 year old forwards with beards - there was some serious over-age shenanigans going on with some of the opposition. Thing is if you didn't turn up they'd come round your house in the minibus and get you out of bed.

Rugby = C***'s game