Eight per cent of fans ‘wouldn’t watch team containing gay player’

You make a serious point Benjamin. It's partly down to the media's portrayal of them. I also like your analogy for public opinion.
I'm starting to think that if the media don't like Donald Trump, then maybe he isn't that bad after all.

 

Trump is an anomaly though. He can only be portrayed as a lunatic, racist, misogynistic ****head because he so crudely is all of those things. It's not media spin, they couldn't spin it any other way in his case. It's not like he covers it up particularly well.

 

Agreed, he's an easy target, but a target none the less. This is an interesting slant on it all...
http://johnpilger.com/articles/a-world-war-has-begun-break-the-silence-

 

Not really politics is it? Just minor subject overlap. I'll read that article off line anyway - ta.

 

For clarity, I meant I blame these Trumps & others like them for ****ing up the seasons.

 

Are you claiming the hide and seek champion at our school was gay ? Mind, I haven't seen him for a long time.

 

That's why he was the champion.

 

So John Terry is gay. Who would of thought..Does the "Sun" know

 

This is a subject really close to my heart as a gay football fan and a lot of people's thoughts on the subject show a lack of understanding.

I'm somewhat lucky that I'm very comfortable with myself now. I have a partner who is also a supporter and we rarely if ever hide that we are together.

I loved playing football as a teenager but felt so uncomfortable and that it 'wasn't for me' that I had to stop. Why is that right?

I have recently started playing again and love it but I am frustratingly crap. If I had felt comfortable enough to carry on playing, I know I would be so much better.

This is what this is about. My partner and I watch football a lot these days and play 5 a side together too.

We have never received any negativity.

This is why this is important. It's not about who is gay and who is shagging who.

Unfortunately this is still news because of the fact that no-one visible helps young gay people. It is not showing off or forcing agendas, but about making it normal.

The fact one of the last (few?) English footballers to come out killed himself should shame this country.

 

i think the problem is that the first player to announce he is gay will get so much attention, like ridiculous levels that it's making players far too hesistant to come out

once players eventually do come out, more will not hide it

 

Can't argue with that, but it is something that must happen for the issue to go away. One day it'll become so normal that no-one will bat an eyelid, hopefully.

 

Cheers for posting about your experiences.

Can you elaborate a bit on the things that made you uncomfortable and what sort of things you feel would make it better for others in a similar situation?

 

By all means.

At the time, clear homophobic comments, not being included in decisions being made by the team, being put in the worst positions and not really being given the chance to play.

All stuff that would never bother me now, I'm not particularly precious. But as a teenager going through a tricky time, stuff that really affects your decisions.

Even to have some sort of gay representation in football would have helped me put a stop to that. I appreciate you are always going to have some who feel 'emotion' more than others, but to have someone to point to or use to win an argument always helps.

I also thinks it makes other people, who aren't in the same situation, think more too.

 

I'm sorry to hear about your experiences.

I'm sorry if this sounds challenging, I'm just trying to get it clear in my mind.

How did the homophobic remarks differ from normal lads chat, that tends to focus on whatever bit of us can be caricatured, and how can you be sure that the team selection was based on your sexuality rather than ability, or some of the other types of favouritism that occurs at that level?

 

I assumed you were talking about methane gas affecting the ozone layer anyway
It's these bloody political analysts reading you wrong!

 

What's a 'yst'?

 

I've never heard of him...although I've never heard of a lot of 'popular' celebrities
I'd certainly agree that his sexuality has got nothing to do with his ability to do his job (in court or on TV)

 

Don't worry. I appreciate it is difficult when you aren't in that position. I would never claim to understand completely the effects of transphobia or racism etc.

There is definitely a difference, but you are right, it is difficult to put your finger on it. I suppose the best way to describe it is that when there were jokes about other people, I wasn't included either. I was never part of the 'banter' because I was different and most people laughed at me, not alongside me.

The stuff where I played out of position etc was pretty clear. Because I was designated as 'different', I clearly couldn't play football, so they put me out at left back constantly, even though I am very much right-footed. A few years previous when no-one really took any of this into consideration, I was a half-decent attacking midfielder type in the playground. That clearly all fell by the wayside when people decided I was gay. (I didn't even know then, how on earth did they know?!?)

 

Mind you if playing out of position then meant you became even a quarter decent left back we could do to get you on a contract sharpish!