The Gay Footballer (1 Viewer)

[Slave]

This seems to be picking up a bit of attention. An anonymous Twitter account purporting to be a genuine footballer who will come out in the next two weeks.

If it IS genuine, it seems like a really weird way to do it. But I guess in a sport where being gay is still one of the biggest taboos, there is no established social media etiquette.

 

[dUb]

what a drama queen

 

[octophone]

Plot twist - it's Ched Evans.

 

[Sheena]

what a drama queen

THIS!

Bore off with your publicity. Just be fucking gay and get on with it like the rest of us do.

 

[VoR]

Not that I know any footballers particularly, but you know it's going to be somebody totally underwhelming like the second midfielder for Little Widdling Orient or something.

 

[Rita]

Not even Premiership? Pfft.

 

[lolly]

As long as he's at least reasonably hot and does a jockstrap photo shoot for Attitude, I'm in.

 

[Rita]

Going by the odds SURELY there are a lot more gay footballers out there? I think it’s quite brave to come out when you are involved in such a “macho” sport. Good for him.

 

[dUb]

I agree it's brave to do it but he hasn't done it yet has he. Just this REALLY QUITE PATHETIC teaser campaign. Assuming it's genuine.

 

[lolly]

But he's a PROUD gay man!

 

[Diddy]

It’s a bit Big Reveal Friday isn’t it

 

[octophone]

Bore off with your publicity. Just be fucking gay and get on with it like the rest of us do.

It'll be tied into some promo like the photoshoot lolly has already envisaged to such a high standard that its bound to be a disappointment. Mind you, who amongst us could compete with lolly's mind's-eye...?

 

[Phoenix]

What is this shit?

 

[dmlaw]

I can very much see why footballers are reluctant to come out given how laughably toxic a significant number of football fans are to anything even slightly gay. Its ridiculous given that there must be hundreds of gay footballers just in English professional football.

 

[lolly]

Just read that the last player to come out while playing was Justin Fashanu, nearly THIRTY years ago. Is that right?


I wonder if this approach is to try to tempt a few more players out?

 

[dmlaw]

The last top level English player was Fashanu. There have been a few others either overseas or after they have retired since then but non-one who has still been playing in England. Max Clifford, may he rot in hell, used to say that if a player came to him for advice on managing his coming out, his advice would be not to do it.

 

[Sheena]

None of the point here is moaning about a) whether there are other gay footballers or b) whether it's "brave" (it absolutely is), but I'm sorry, I still fail to see how "out and proud" anyone is who has to go through this kind of shite. He's BLATANTLY been pushed into this by some sort of PR team/ his club's PR team with a "let's make it a positive spin". It's so see-through it hurts, albeit that it likely isn't the poor guy's fault at all, though no doubt he'll get a fuckload of publicity for it and earn way more than he could just playing for a Championship team...

 

[Halli]

If this is real its bloody annoying. Nobody needs a BIG REVEAL

 

[SDF]

Hope he’s hot x

 

[Dark Carnival]

Hope the next photo he posts is of him queening out at a pride somewhere (Bolton).

 

[AGinAg (39)]

He's BLATANTLY been pushed into this by some sort of PR team/ his club's PR team with a "let's make it a positive spin".

Not sure about that. In the modern age of social media we can run our own comings out and announcements.

If this is real its bloody annoying. Nobody needs a BIG REVEAL

I think it does. Football is one of the last great bastions of homophobia in the UK.

 

[lolly]

On a personal level I find it HIGHLY TEDIOUS, but I do think there is a greater good here which kind of trumps my own cynicism.

 

[Halli]

Not sure about that. In the modern age of social media we can run our own comings out and announcements.

I think it does. Football is one of the last great bastions of homophobia in the UK.

No I get that. I just don't think it should be sensationalised in terms of 'who am I?' 'coming soon' etc.

 

[Beverley]

No I get that. I just don't think it should be sensationalised in terms of 'who am I?' 'coming soon' etc.

Interesting - it almost encourages speculation into closeted public figures which isn't v cool.

 

[Halli]

Of course more gay sports people coming out is for the greater good, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth a rich footballer, seemingly with a PR team, is sitting on twitter turning it into a guess who? game when there's people being attacked on buses, protested against and still feel they cannot display emotion in public, and that's just in this, supposedly accepting country.
Surely a sit down, sensible interview, on BBC breakfast, would be more appropriate.

 

[AGinAg (39)]

on BBC breakfast

Do you watch BBC Breakfast?

 

[Nancy]

I can't fucking stand Naga Munchetty.

 

[Sheena]

Not sure about that. In the modern age of social media we can run our own comings out and announcements.

You think a footballer wouldn’t check/ talk with his club first about coming out?

 

[Whatevar]

I think it’s a nonsense

 

[AGinAg (39)]

I think it’s a nonsense

There is that of course.

 

[Rita]

As a Mother of a football daft son if he was gay then I would find it pretty groundbreaking if he had someone to look up to in the sport he adores so much. On the other hand the player is really singling himself out as a “target” as unfortunately the amount of homophobia amongst “ LADS LADS LADS” football fans his life would likely be made a living hell. It really is a difficult one.

 

[AGinAg (39)]

As a Mother of a football daft son if he was gay then I would find it pretty groundbreaking if he had someone to look up to in the sport he adores so much. On the other hand the player is really singling himself out as a “target” as unfortunately the amount of homophobia amongst “ LADS LADS LADS” football fans his life would likely be made a living hell. It really is a difficult one.

Oh times they are a changing. It's overdue that someone breaks the mould. If this is real, I hope he has nerves of steel and not end up in a tragic Justin Fashanu situation.

 

[AGinAg (39)]

I know gay rugby players are a thing, what about in Europe and the US? Are there any out NFL players?

 

[lolly]

I'm sure one of the reasons why it's being managed this way is so that there is a lot of support built up for him before it happens, with the hope that that may fend off some of the homophobia before it happens.

 

[Rita]

Oh times they are a changing. It's overdue that someone breaks the mould. If this is real, I hope he has nerves of steel and not end up in a tragic Justin Fashanu situation.

I really do hope they are. I don’t want to sound negative and really hope first of all this story is not fabricated, and secondly that it does break the mould. In 2019 people should be able to be what they want to be without prejudice, as the old school mindset certainly does seem to be dying out to an extent.

 

[Rita]

I'm sure one of the reasons why it's being managed this way is so that there is a lot of support built up for him before it happens, with the hope that that may fend off some of the homophobia before it happens.

Having been to some major football games with my son (not by choice) some of the disgusting comments coming from fans mouths really is astounding. Nothing is generally done about it either. Usually either racist, homophobic or fascist comments tend to be horribly common at these events and I think it would be difficult to phase out.

 

[AGinAg (39)]

I can almost guarantee that the homophobia (possibly the other prejudices, but I've done less research on those) would not be spouted by the individuals beyond the mob mentality of football crowds. It's kinda the same, when I've hear racism in gay venues - safety in numbers. Otherwise the numbers speak for themselves, homophobia has dropped radically in the last three decades. The most recent polls have seen the numbers plateauing, which is why out footballers are super important. Normalising it within the last great hold of hyper masculinity, is crucial if want to see homophobia continuing to decline.

Although I suspect a cold winter and a very hot summer could help those stats.

 

[D5K]

Are there any out NFL players?

No, there was one who was drafted a few years ago but his career only lasted a season or two. It's a bit like the UK where a handful of players have come out after retirement, but no-one while active.

 

[Rita]

@Ag the issue is that if a football player comes out he may get the odd comment elsewhere, but his bread and butter is the mob mentality of the football ground. It really can’t be good for someone’s mental health to be targeted week in, week out whilst doing your job, which in the small timeframe that a player plays football professionally it is their life, really.

 

[AGinAg (39)]

@Ag the issue is that if a football player comes out he may get the odd comment elsewhere, but his bread and butter is the mob mentality of the football ground. It really can’t be good for someone’s mental health to be targeted week in, week out whilst doing your job, which in the small timeframe that a player plays football professionally it is their life, really.

Then I hope he has nerves of fucking steel. You don't get progress otherwise. If this is real, I hope he's brave rather than stupid.