Just seen this article on the BBC Sport website...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/37760114Most sports fans in England, Wales and Scotland say they would be comfortable with their club signing a gay player, with only 8% of fans saying they'd refuse to watch their team it makes me wonder why they'd refuse to watch their team simply because of the sexual orientation of someone.
Where does everyone stand on this?
To be honest for me I dont care whether a Player is Straight / Gay / Bi-Sexual or undecided... I dont see why anyone should have to come out in the public advising of their orientation because its none of my business and ultimately if you play well you'll be praised by fans on the pitch, if you dont then you'll receive abuse.
Comments
Personally, I'm with you ForeverAddickted - I don't care about a players sexual orientation, just how well he plays for the team.
he takes it up the ass etc, can see why players wouldnt want to come out as gay.
I agree with Saga Lout that the 8% refusing to attend is hard to believe. I would however expect that to represent (maybe even on the low side) the level of homophobic bigotry that exists in society as a whole.
My main concern, and the reason I expect most gay footballers don't come out, is the level of abuse they would receive from significant proportions of the crowd (especially opposition fans).
On the other hand, if he doesn't like trains.....
If you're one of the 8% then you really should give your head a shake.
Who was it who said "Methinks thou dost protest too much..."?
How about we get all the gay men and all the homophobes in a big room and get them to hug it out?
It is a blight on society, not just the game of football.
If Morgan Fox was to admit he was Gay I'd then want Chris Solly to come out confirming he's straight (Just for clarification).
Ultimately its none of our Business This is probably why there are surveys about this sort of thing from the chants that are sung on the terraces... Is something that will never go I believe and reckon that players shouldnt take it personally... Unless your a complete prick of a Footballer, no chant should ever be taken that way as its just designed (from my view) to put the opposition off and to stop them playing well / winning
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCfq--gLrHM
So black players shouldn't take racist abuse personally?
Of course it is, in part, to put players off but it can also be done as an excuse to voice vile views on people who the chanters consider "less" than them.
I wouldn't be surprised if some players are out to their team mates but don't to go public so that can avoid the attention for themselves and their partner/family.
Sooner or later a gay player will come out while playing and it will be news. And then another and it will still be news, and then another and it will be smaller news and eventually, after a few years or decades, it won't be news at all.
Let's not all get holier than thou, though
Put your hand up if you have sung about holding hands or whether boyfriends are aware their partners are in attendance when playing Brighton. I'll admit I have and I'll also admit I'm not proud of it. Until I had a friend come out about 15 years ago possibly longer, I knew next to nothing about the LGBT community ignorantly and genuinely thought you chose to be gay or not and was completely ignorant. I now have a number of good friends who are homosexual and my opinions and feelings towards them are not altered one bit. They are my friends who happen to be gay.
So to summarise, I couldn't care less if one of our players was gay or bisexual. Same as I couldn't care less if they were a different skin pigmentation to me. Only care about how good a footballer they are.
And as Leroy pointed out, statistically out of the 22 players on a pitch at any given time two of them will be gay or bisexual.
Joey Barton made a good point a while ago about how football changing rooms are quite right wing in the sense that footballers are generally uneducated and ignorant of the world outside of their own bubble but said he didn't believe anyone would be bullied for choosing to come out and be themselves.
If anything I imagine they would get the same sort of stick someone with massive ears would get or someone who has got a bastard haircut. The sort of playful teasing you only do with people you like
Imagine a room full of under educated, young men from council estates. Not exactly the most open and welcoming environment if you feel like you're going to stand out.
As I write this there are 192 people online on this forum - statistically (and very approximately) 20 will be gay, but 20 will be homophobic and 20 will be racists.
My view on the matter is clear yet I'll always respect other people's views and opinions, yes I wouldnt agree with one of the 8% if they posted on here but I wouldnt stone them or condemn them for being disgusting or moan they should get out of the stone age.
Ultimately they have that view for a reason and would love to know why