Why would your sexuality stop you pursuing your dream especially when you don't know that there aren't any gay players in top football. I fully understand why a top gay player wouldn't want to come out but to be put off before you start doesn't sound credible.
Because at 13/14, maybe they look and go, there’s no player playing that is gay. Is that because it’s not welcome for gay players to play at clubs? Is it because bullying. Do they feel uncomfortable at that age sharing changing rooms with other boys? Look at womens team. Only have to listen to how most of them had no role models growing up, had no one to look up to, to mirror. Now suddenly there are women footballers, young girls look and think oh I can be a footballer then. Maybe I’ll try it. Maybe I won’t quit and I’ll carry on. Obviously it’s not the only reason, but i think it’s really ignorant to say just cos someone is gay doesn’t mean they should stop playing. especially as (and I’m gonna make some assumptions) majority of us on here are white straight men.
Just to clarify - you think I'm ignorant because I think it's an odd take from you to think young gay teenagers stop playing because of lack of gay role models?
I think to totally dismiss the idea that the fact there aren’t any gay players in football might put off young boys/teenagers is a bit ignorant yes. Its probably exactly the same for black kids going back 30 odd years when was rare for black players to play top level football. I imagine was a lot of young black kids that felt like they had no chance of reaching the top because of the colour of their skin.
Don’t think you’re ignorant at all. But I think it’s an ignorant thought though. much like you don’t have to be a racist to make a racist comment (Not in any way suggesting you’ve done either of those just for clarification!!)
It's ok JB. I've found out on here that I'm a racist, sexist, gayist, nationalist Brexiteer simply because at my age I must be. If I'd known this earlier I'd have campaigned against myself more vigorously.
Surely that just means they stay quiet rather than choose a different path. Isn't that the whole point of famous people "coming out", to encourages others and shows out doesn't matter?
Clearly its a microcosm of British life. Barring the fact true gammons rarely gain enough fame to be included. The nice thing is faux liberals are just as nasty.
The word racist used in conjunction with the word comment is fine. Racist is both a noun and an adjective.
Yes, but racial and racist are not synonyms. The first applies to any reference to race, whereas the second is exclusively prejudicial.
Obviously they are not. That's another discussion for another day. I was pointing out that 'racist comments' is as grammatically correct as 'racial comments'.
. I don't care if any individual is gay or not. For the gay community, I suspect it is big though. Football is the biggest sport in Britain with lots of eyes on it and it's one of the last barriers where gay people have felt uncomfortable to come out. Business owners, TV stars, musicians, etc... They've all felt comfortable to come out, but for whatever reason football players have felt like the world isn't ready for them to come out. I'm sure for the gay community it will be a big deal when one more barrier comes down and footballers can be openly gay. Depending on who you believe, anywhere from one in ten to one in twenty men are gay or bi... So if footballers followed the same averages as rest of population (which don't know if they do) it would mean at least one gay person on average in every squad.... Yet none are coming out for some reason... Even in 2022 a time when most people don't care if you're gay or not.
because (some) fans will use anything they can to try to hurt oppo players be it race , religion , sexuality etc
plus its not "when you are big" this is about a 15-17 year old who might be playing for millwall, doncaster, cardiff or anywhere up and down the football pyramid where they can be turned upon in the dressing room never mind fans. fear is now normalised. we see this in the absence of players coming out. they hear "nobody cares, nobody wants to know" and equate that to they don't want me to admit it in public cos they don't want to know. TO normalise openly gay players we need more than a couple who've been outed by a tabloid rag. it is in the end taking the decision out of their hands and is another form of abuse.
Kids do it in a playground; glasses, fat, ginger, etc. I got called bald just about every time I played a competitive game, best way to deal with it is to just get on with it. They soon stop when they realise it doesn't make an impact and they don't get the reaction they wanted. Rather than sulking that they called you a name, be proud of what you are and take it as a compliment.
