Is It Really Important For Gay Footballers To Come Out Of The Closet?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2257057/West-Ham-star-footballer-appear-gay-magazine-cover-tries-crush-games-stigmas.html

/// Changes in attitudes within football were highlighted following a recent study by the University of Staffordshire which suggested the majority of fans would welcome players coming out as gay. ///

/// The study, as reported by The Independent, found that 40 per cent of fans blamed clubs and agents for keeping gay footballers under wraps. ///

In my opinion, football has enough problems with racism, without adding homophobia to them.

What do you think, would it be a good thing for gay footballers to 'come out'?

[ummmm]

It would be a good thing if 'all' gay people felt they could 'come out' without being met with prejudice.

[boxtops]

I truly don't understand why people's sexuality has anything to do with their profession. I don't understand why gay people want to let everyone know. I think I'm missing something, I don't make a point of telling people I'm heterosexual. Why?

[China Doll]

It would be good if they could come out if they so wanted to. However, I think there is probably still too much stigma for them to. I suspect that is not just within football though.

[RATTER15]

“I hate the word ‘homophobia’.

It’s not a phobia.

You’re not scared.

You’re just an arsh0le.”

[ummmm]

Boxy, you don't need to tell people you're heterosexual. It will be assumed.

[China Doll]

Yeah but boxy, a lot of sports personalities do make a point of showing off their marriage, wife/partner, holiday shots, new baby etc... Just look at those 'celeb' mags. That's what I mean by if someone chooses to do something like that, then they should be able to do with fear of recrimination.

Otherwise I agree with you, I couldn't give a monkeys about the sexual orientation of the people I work with... in fact, I'd really rather not think about it! ;o)

[RATTER15]

>>then they should be able to do with fear of recrimination

[RATTER15]

Slip up there China?

[boxtops]

Hmmm, I suppose so - but I never look at celeb stuff so I'm not into all that "look at me" stuff.

[China Doll]

Yep Ratter! 'without'!

[sp1814]

boxtops

Do you hide your sexuality from your co-workers?

Do you deliberately refer to your wife as 'my partner' without using the 'her' or 'she' pronouns when you say what you did at the weekend?

Do you have any pictures of her?

If you are not married and went on a date, would you say, "Oh, I'm meeting this girl tonight", or would you say, "I'm meeting this person tonight"?

[Baldric]

As long as they score on a regular basis does it really matter if they're Arthur or Martha?

[jno]

football has enough problems with racism, without adding homophobia to them

I don't think homophobia needs to be added, it's already there; the idea is to dispel it.

[jno]

boxtops may have hidden her sexuality from Nibble, who seems to think he's her partner...

[Gromit]

Players should be able to be themselves and not have to hide.

They should be able to be homosexual, black, ginger, jewish, muslim etc, without having to conceal the fact.

There will obviously be bonehead Sun/Daily Mail readers who will abuse them, but that is life.

It a player scores a lot of goals for the club then most fans would not be bothered what he does in the bedroom.

[sp1814]

Wow - didn't finish off that line, and now it reads really creepy

It should have read:

Do you have any pictures of her on your desk, or wallet, or do you keep her secret.

[sp1814]

AOG

Do you think that straight football players should date women in secret?

Do you object to knowing that straight players are straight?

If not - why the objection to gay players openly having boyfriends?

[Gromit]

The 3 footballers who have appeared on the cover of the gay magazine are hetrosexual. They are not coming 'out of the closet' as you rather old fashionedly call it. They are promoting football, the fact that the magazine's readers are homosexual does not matter to them.

If a homosexual professional player appeared on the magazine cover then your question might have some merit, as it is, it is just your reaction to a sensationalist piece of tabloid nonsense.

[Zeuhl]

/In my opinion, football has enough problems with racism, without adding homophobia to them/

More artful vagueness here I think

Why should gay footballers being open about their sexuality equate to increased homophobia?
And if it did, would that be the fault of the openness or the homophobia.

As the OP often claims to believe in standing up for what he believes even in the face of ridicule from 'the herd', I would have thought he would be supportive of honesty, openness and integrity rather than siding with dishonesty, secretiveness and concealment.

How perverse...