Radio WM

[tomd2103]

Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere, but fair play to him:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42781967

[Clampy]

He travelled on our coach down to an away game with us once as a roving reporter for WM. He seemed a nice enough chap. Fair play to the bloke.

[Scratchins]

I went to a talk he gave last year, an extrovert, bubbly character and a lively night. Very keen on playing football and ambitious to get into TV.  Good luck to him. His only flaw is that he is a mad Albion fan. He said he had met a number of celebrities, Beckham, Prince Andrew etc. but had only once been tongue tied - when he met his absolute hero - Tony Pulis! 

[Richard E]

He does seem a very nice bloke. To be fair any of his team mates who did not have at least an inkling that he is gay must be a bit slow on the uptake!

[Toronto Villa]

He does seem a very nice bloke. To be fair any of his team mates who did not have at least an inkling that he is gay must be a bit slow on the uptake!

Why? Do gay people exhibit obvious traits of being gay? Should they he have been him checking them out in the shower or wearing pink clothing or going on extending shopping trips? I think your views are a bit stereotypical and outdated Richard. Gay people are just like any one of us. That's the whole point in them not noticing, and that's the wonderful thing about his mates not caring one bit. Homosexuality isn't something that necessarily stands out any more than someone who isn't.

[Ads]

What are you on about?

[mrfuse]

He does seem a very nice bloke. To be fair any of his team mates who did not have at least an inkling that he is gay must be a bit slow on the uptake!

Why? Do gay people exhibit obvious traits of being gay? Should they he have been him checking them out in the shower or wearing pink clothing or going on extending shopping trips? I think your views are a bit stereotypical and outdated Richard. Gay people are just like any one of us. That's the whole point in them not noticing, and that's the wonderful thing about his mates not caring one bit. Homosexuality isn't something that necessarily stands out any more than someone who isn't.

 I think that's a little bit harsh, even though I agree with your comments. I'm happy to be corrected if my viewpoint is wrong, but its only human nature noticing certain traits in people that indicates the makeup of a person and I don't mean just specifically in the context of this conversation.

But surely just noticing those traits doesn't make me homophobic unless I act in a homophobic way?  I know what you are saying that by simply acknowledging a difference, I'm in the wrong., But I'm not sure that I am?

Anyway I would just like to say that Richie Anderson is a mate of mine and I thought it was a great Item. I had a chat with him today and congratulated him, hes been really impressed with the comments he has recieved.
He is a big Albion fan, but he is more than happy to chat about the Villa and is very reasonable and constructive about us. When he's in the away end or actually playing its a different matter, ha-ha.

[Damo70]

An old college mate of mine is gay and when managing betting shops I worked with a number of gay guys. They did all have what has been described on here as 'gay traits' in that they all came across as being gay. One thing they all had in common was they were great fun to work alongside, with one exception who was quite a strange guy and very hard to get on with or like. I did however cringe one night when working with a very camp young Asian lad who had just started with the company and a very up front young lesbian. They were working the counter and I was behind my desk.

Her - "So you are obviously gay then"?

He then gave a Catherine Tate style 'gay dear, me dear, no dear, perish the thought dear' style reply

Her - "Still in the closet then mate"?!

I think I popped to shop next door for a few minutes to escape the awkwardness.

[footyskillz]

There's a difference here!! It's more this.
Challenging the perpetuating stereotypes. 

A reminder to us all in how we think and write in language on 2018. We can sometimes word more mindfully. That's 'all' he's on about!!!!

Mainstream media are big social influences so blame this as there seems to be a stereotype of a 'gayman' in scripted reality TV, or TV presenters and often in movies. I'm sure the point will be taken by Richard as he's been influenced to think in such way rather than being homophobic.

It's perhaps in part to media and social influences which cause some to thing all gay men must be camp or effeminate.

We did a debate at university on the positive and negatives of stereotyping.  The kudos is with toronto in awareness and bringing and calling for learning. It's a fair attitude he's calling for so I'm with him on that!

[Toronto Villa]

What are you on about?

I’m on about as a society and culture getting past us expecting gay people to act like how we stereotypically expect gay people to act. That they should exhibit certain characteristics that make them gay. Clearly this young man was like everyone else in his projection and that it wasn’t at all obvious to his teammates. That’s the point. The majority of gay people aren’t overtly gay as often depicted by mainstream society. So I object to the very notion that his teammates were somehow slow on the uptake. Like they should have known. No, they shouldn’t have. It’s personal. I have nothing but immense respect for Richie that he had the courage to declare what is a taboo subject and every bit the same amount of respect for his friends of not giving a shit. Because in the end I suspect that’s all Richie would have wanted.

[saunders_heroes]

I didn’t think Anderson came across a particularly camp (if that’s what people me by ‘acting gay’), but he’s a very brave man for coming out in front of his team mates. There’s still a big problem in football with homophobia and the more people who come out in football the better. Hopefully in 10 or so years the reactions to homophobic chanting will be as frowned upon as they are with racist chanting is in 2018. We’re getting there slowly but surely.

[Richard E]

I didn’t really mean anything by it other than that he has a relatively prominent public profile locally and I don’t think he’s ever made any particular secret of being gay. It was a good feature and he comes across as a top bloke.

[saunders_heroes]

I didn’t really mean anything by it other than that he has a relatively prominent public profile locally and I don’t think he’s ever made any particular secret of being gay. It was a good feature and he comes across as a top bloke.

No worries.

I’d say coming out to your team mates is even worse than coming out in most other environments. The fact that your getting changed and showering naked with them must must be a bit uncomfortable for some, especially Anderson himself. I’m sure they’ll get over it soon enough though.

[Ads]

I didn’t really mean anything by it other than that he has a relatively prominent public profile locally and I don’t think he’s ever made any particular secret of being gay. It was a good feature and he comes across as a top bloke.

That's what I thought you meant. A presenter whose in the public eye and his mates don't know? Didn't think you required the lecture.

People don't know I'm openly a lawyer. It's only when I start feeding on the humans that they realise.

[saunders_heroes]

I didn’t really mean anything by it other than that he has a relatively prominent public profile locally and I don’t think he’s ever made any particular secret of being gay. It was a good feature and he comes across as a top bloke.

That's what I thought you meant. A presenter whose in the public eye and his mates don't know? Didn't think you required the lecture.

People don't know I'm openly a lawyer. It's only when I start feeding on the humans that they realise.

He never told any of his football mates he was gay, and he isn’t particularly camp, so how would they know?