Gays and football

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16722196

Why are there no 'gays' in football, but if there are, why do they remain closeted?

[AB Editor]

I didn't for a second think you'd be able to find perspective on the matter. But I have tried.

Be good or be banished.

Ed.

[Zeuhl]

Repeat offender.

Introducing a serious issue which can quickly be perverted into a childish argument about himself in which he can try and present himself as a persecuted but courageous defender of free speech.

Old Git's job done for the day!

Who would benefit most from monitoring his shenanigans?

A social-anthropologist, a geriatrics-psychiatrist or a script writer?

I suspect the latter - most amusing.

[mickrog]

think the forward line at my club should go gay.......probably only way they will score

[jackthehat]

Hmmmmm...........on the one hand AOG, you are often found to be bemoaning the fact that there are so many gay people intent on 'ramming it down your throat'..........
"Why can't they keep it private?", "Why do they insist on parading their sexuality around? Does it matter?"..........and then on the other, you put up posts like this.

It is entirely because of the attitudes displayed in your first set of questions that the second circumstance arises.

[mickrog]

noooooooooooooo.......not down my throat pleaseeeeeee

[andy-hughes]

Hi jack - was wondering if you were going to pitch in - and hoping you would!

How's it going?

[jackthehat]

..."Thrusting it in your face....". Better, mickrog? LoL

Afternoon, Andy, just escaping the cruel task-mistress of a looming deadline.

[naomi24]

I can't see why this is an issue. If people want their private lives to remain private it's no one else's business.

[mightyWBA]

Exactly Naomi..It doesn't matter.

People should mind their own business.

[jackthehat]

For the benefit of the OP;

One of the fundamental differences between being born black and being born gay, is that if you are black..........you don't have to tell your mother!!

I'll be here all week...........I thanyank yew........! :o)

[andy-hughes]

Nice one jack!!!

[sp1814]

There's a problem with gay footballers coming out.

On the one hand, you'll have people thanking them for taking a stand and showing younger gays that 'it gets better' but o. The other hand you'll have people criticising them and saying, "What you get up to in the bedroom should stay in the bedroom".

Now, the problem with that second point of view is that it's only ever aimed at gay people.

Should David and Victoria Beckham have kept their relationship secret? What about Peter Crouch and Abbey Clancy? Or Jamie and Louise Rednapp?

When these people started dating, they were implying their sexuality.

Gay footballers are effectively barred from doing this. If a gay footballer started dating a chap, he would HAVE to come out. How could he keep it a secret? What about when they want to enter into a civil partnership.

But as to the question of why there are so few openly gay footballers - I would put it down to abject fear, and the love of money.

...and the two are linked. No-one yet knows how Nike would react if a young player they have a £2million sponsorship deal with, came out as gay.

And I don't think any young player wants to be the one person that ALL homophobic jeers get aimed at every week. I'm sure the money would soften the blow...but can you imagine it???

It'd be like walking down the street and having every tenth person scram, "Poof" at you at the top of their voices.

Not sure if I'd hold my hand up for that...

[emmie]

perhaps if anyone on here had watched the programme you would see why they don't. It was undoubtedly the most heartbreaking documentary, and when Justin Fashanu niece Jamal read out the letter he left to his family then you too would have shed tears. It wasn't just about coming out as gay, but that this often moronic macho culture in football can kill off the hardiest spirit with spite and bile.

JJ his niece went to a match in Brighton and the gay fans gets taunted with such witticisms as we can see you holding hands, by thousands
of non gays, why? It may seem harmless to some but heaven almighty why haven't they moved on and stopped all this
They keep it quiet because of the abuse, and likelihood of their careers going down the swanee.

[anotheoldgit]

Thank you sandyRoe for your very kind support.

I have had my hand slapped and made to stand on the naughty step, but to wind this discussion up, I wish to add that I still fail to see why this thread created such a fuss, the subject of Gay footballers was extensively debated on last night's Radio LBC's late night phone-in.

This turned out to be very interesting to listen to, and although there were many different views expressed, and all callers didn't agree with the presenter or even each other, but there was no unpleasantness, nor was the radio station threatened with closure.

But then I don't suppose for decency sake, (even though it was a late night programme) no words such as these would have been allowed, and yet they seem to be quite permissible on AnswerBank.

/// Another point, you seem to think that your a clever person, that arrogance is so obvious but you carry. ///

/// You damn curt ///

That's what I find strange, a four letter word beginning in 'C' and no caution whatsoever, amazing.

[jackthehat]

Do you need to give your rose-tinted spectacles a polish?!?

There is nothing to alert the sweary-word censor or to give a caution about.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/curt

[emmie]

as i said watch the programme if you want to know the answer to your question, and the fact that his own brother more or less disowned him must have brought him so low, enough to finally kill himself.

[Ankou]

"I still fail to see why this thread created such a fuss"

well as with most of your threads it had nothing to do with the issue at hand and more to do with you attemptoing and failing to derail a post. and you used sweary words where none were appropriate or gentlemanly. sir.

[mickrog]

surely curt is an adjective......didnt realise you could call someone an adjective.....i now wait to be educated lol