Comments for Should gay players come out? at http://www.wsc.co.uk , comment 0 to 11 out of 11 comments http://www.wsc.co.uk Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:56:09 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.wsc.co.uk/content/view/3792/38/#pc_822 Perhaps one should look the experience of Rugby League player (and Australian to boot), Ian Roberts, who came out during his playing career. In general the public were very supportive and indeed three Sydney RL icons were encouraged to allow their visages to appear on posters as part of an anti-homophobia campaign. I suppose him being 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) and 112 kgs (17 st 9 lbs) and all might have helped. - Gratius Falsius Sat, 15 Aug 2009 12:49:55 +0100 http://www.wsc.co.uk/content/view/3792/38/#pc_810 I agree to, an extent that, a group coming out might help force things. However the examples of Sol Campbell and Graham Le Saux, neither of whom are actually gay, are a cause concern. Perhaps it is because fans know they are probably not gay that they give verbal abuse, and may not do so if they had actually come out. It must be noted that racism is still very much alive in the game. Keith Alexander has said about being stopped from going into certain parts of away clubs as they are only for managers and the presumption is that a black man would not be a manager. I have unfortunately heard comments shouted from the crowd, and at a playing level have seen an Iraqi referee abused for 90 minutes and afterwards by players and spectators alike. Progress has been made but it is still there and would be the same for homosexuals. At present they need not risk any chance of abuse and may be happy to keep it that way. - Lincoln Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:02:52 +0100 http://www.wsc.co.uk/content/view/3792/38/#pc_808 Would love G.Man to tell us if he has any reason not to share showers with gay people? Lincoln and Luke's points, as well as a new report due out from Stonewall, tell me I may be over optimistic. It's really down to the FA to mean what they say about clamping down on this. They have to take leadership on this. Meanwhile, it would be great if other footballers at least were seen to condemn it, especially when their own players become victims, as in the case of Sol Campbell. - Adrian Tippetts Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:46:49 +0100 http://www.wsc.co.uk/content/view/3792/38/#pc_807 But surely, to answer Lincoln's valid point, if a footballer, or preferably a bunch of footballers, came out and it became much more normal for footballers to be accepted as gay then I'm sure that after an initial surge, which they'd more than likely have to withstand unfortunately, the amount of homophobic chanting and singing would decline considerably, as it has done with racist chanting. If most teams ended up having their own homosexual player then the fans of those teams would stop abusing other teams and players because it would become much more accepted, or am I being too optimistic? - tratorello Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:01:37 +0100 http://www.wsc.co.uk/content/view/3792/38/#pc_805 Yes actually. - Paul S Tue, 11 Aug 2009 20:42:24 +0100 http://www.wsc.co.uk/content/view/3792/38/#pc_804 But do you share the showers with them, Paul? - G.Man wants a hyphen Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:55:42 +0100 http://www.wsc.co.uk/content/view/3792/38/#pc_803 Further to the Watford comments, I have seen Brighton play at various grounds around the country from the home end, although have no particular attachment to them. I cringe every time the home fans chant 'we can see you holding hands' and 'does your boyfriend know you are here'. Mild verbal abuse but if it was to be flipped round to singling out race, the fans involved would be ejected and banned and the particular club slated in the papers. Until something like that happens with homophobic abuse, mild as it may be, I doubt any player will be willing to 'come out'. - Lincoln Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:47:43 +0100 http://www.wsc.co.uk/content/view/3792/38/#pc_802 "Gay football teams even play in local leagues, and some clubs, such as Manchester City, are vying to enter Stonewall’s Workplace Equality index employers’ list." There is also a gay rugby club in London - Kings Cross Steelers - who I have played against many times. I've got no problem with them and no I am not gay. - Paul S Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:22:01 +0100 http://www.wsc.co.uk/content/view/3792/38/#pc_801 I should think that if a number of football players came out, that would be encouraging to young homosexuals who are afraid to be out. So while the out gay community requires no such rolemodels, arguably some who aren't out do. And perhaps the existence of a few gay footballers might offer such a person greater protection from being bullied at school. - G.Man wants a hyphen Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:02:27 +0100 http://www.wsc.co.uk/content/view/3792/38/#pc_800 A visit to Vicarage Road, Watford at anytime in the last 30 years would suggest that homophobia is alive and well, at least in the visiting supporters areas. In case you missed it, our life president and Oscar winner, a certain Mr Elton John has been brave and candid enough to have aligned himself with those of a homosexual persuasion (wot, you didn't know?) and visiting supporters feel duty bound to point this out with tiresome regularity. Their creativity leads them to enquire as to which part of Mr John's anatomy might be "bent" and to speculate which other parts might therefore be "up for rent". How we laughed on the Rookery. Not. If Elton suffers this vindictive stupidity - even in his absence -for over 30 years, we can't really expect a player to come out, can we? If we played Eddie Izzard up front, well that might be worth making up a song about. But we wont. We have Danny Graham, worrrrrrrah! Luke Fairweather http://lukefairweather.wordpress.com/ - lukefairweather Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:57:35 +0100 http://www.wsc.co.uk/content/view/3792/38/#pc_799 I think that's shocking, the author should consider himself an abomination in the eyes of God and be ashamed, I mean, how can anyone openly claim to be a PR consultant, it's disgusting. - tratorello Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:57:32 +0100