Homophobia in Sports - Keeping Players in The Closet

JupiterKid

This is an issue that needs to be aired but for some reason threads on this seem to end up getting locked pretty fast.:rolleyes:

It's obvious that professional sports is rife with homophobia and anti-gay sentiment and it's bloody sad. Only a tiny handful of professional sportspeople have come out - such as Donal Og Cusack in GAA Hurling, Gareth Thomas and Ian Roberts in Rubgy, Anton Hysen in Football, Matthew Mitcham in Diving, Martina Navratilova, Amelie Mauresmo and Billie Jean King in Tennis and Graeme Obree in Cycling.

Soccer expecially seems very homophobic. Look at what happened to Justin Fashanu after he came out in the early 1990s.:(

Isn't it high time that sports fans - especially football supporters - took a long look at themselves and copped the f*ck on?

krudler

now now everyone knows sharing a shower or bath with a team of mucky men after a game of rubbing up against each other is as straight as it gets.

TheZohanS

Wow...another Paul Galvin thread...

Cill Dara Abu

Are you trying to tell us something OP?

Don't be shy.

JupiterKid

Cill Dara Abu wrote: »

Are you trying to tell us something OP?

Don't be shy.

Nope...just that I love to watch sports and support teams - and as a gay man I'm angry that more gay players aren't out of the closet. Sports seems to be the last bastion of rank bigotry and homophobia and it's pathetic.

I think most of the homophobia comes from the supporters - not the players or the management. But just look at the amount of homophobic comments made by senior figures in soccer and it's depressing.

Football has a long, long way to go in this regard.:(

Chuck Stone

Soccer is kinda gay anyway isn't it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xLn-X8YJRg

Temptamperu

Chuck Stone wrote: »

Soccer is kinda gay anyway isn't it.

All those men in tight short shorts sweating and hugging each other at every chance they get followed by a soak in the group tub. Nah nothin gay about that.

im invisible

I for one am appaled and offended by the ignorence in your post OP... Its Jon Fashanu

KnifeWRENCH

Seems like football isn't as homophobic as it's made out to be: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/sep/21/gay-footballers-research

JupiterKid wrote: »

Isn't it high time that SOME sports fans - especially SOME football supporters - took a long look at themselves and copped the f*ck on?

FYP. Tarring all sports fans with the same homophobic brush is disingenuous and lazy.

4leto

I think it is changing as gay acceptance becomes more mainstream, perhaps the culture of the macho manly sports are the last bastion of homophobia. But in the last few years that has even began to change, with the high profile admittance by the people in the OP. I think it is only a matter of time before a soccer star player outs himself.

Remember it s not that long ago in this country and most of the western world when gay was a criminal offence, it was in my short life time. So in time the rest of the culture will follow whether the homophobes like it or not.

artanevilla

im invisible wrote: »

I for one am appaled and offended by the ignorence in your post OP... Its Jon Fashanu

It's Justin Fashanu.......

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

Cill Dara Abu wrote: »

Are you trying to tell us something OP?

Don't be shy.

I think I see what you did there. Implied he was something HILARIOUS like gay?

Oh and look at the next post, he's not even denying it, hilarity continues.

temply

Is that Gooch chap gay?

Lumbo

Isn't it John Fashanu?????

yupyup7up

Look at Gareth Thomas. I wouldn't slag him

loopyloopylou

its in your head

mackg

Making huge generalisations is not the best way to argue against discrimination.

Kevin Duffy

I know of two gay football teams and a gay rowing club in Dublin and that's without being particularily interested in the issue or participating in either sport, so I'm guessing there plenty more and the exclusion and homophobia is probably a bit exagerrated.

Thrill

Lumbo wrote: »

Isn't it John Fashanu?????

Justin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Fashanu


Justinus Soni "Justin" Fashanu

Chuck Stone

Kevin Duffy wrote: »

I know of two gay football teams and a gay rowing club in Dublin

Sounds kinda self-segregating somehow.

Richard Hillman

I hear that gaa player gets dogs abuse. Its probably harder being a goal keeper and being so close to the riff raff behind the goals.

PK2008

JupiterKid wrote: »

as a gay man I'm angry that more gay players aren't out of the closet. (

Why would you care if a footballer comes out as gay or not, its football not a support group. I couldn't care less what the sexual preference of any sports person is....

Do you really care OP or are you just looking for a crusade?

Kevin Duffy

Chuck Stone wrote: »

Sounds kinda self-segregating somehow.

You could be right. Maybe I'm wrong about the homophobia and they find it easier to enjoy the sport in that environment. Ok, I give up, haven't a clue what the reason is or if the OP is right.

Nigel Owens, the Welsh International rugby union referee is gay. I've been to many games which he has reffed and never once heard any homophobic slurs thrown at him. And that's saying something seeing as he is a ref and open to all sorts of abuse.

krudler

Cill Dara Abu wrote: »

Are you trying to tell us something OP?

Don't be shy.

lol, troll fail

Kevin Duffy

Edz87 wrote: »

Nigel Owens, the Welsh International rugby union referee is gay. I've been to many games which he has reffed and never once heard any homophobic slurs thrown at him. And that's saying something seeing as he is a ref and open to all sorts of abuse.

That might be a reflection of the fact that in rugby at all levels, refs just don't get abuse. I wonder would an English Permier League ref find the same tolerance?

Flincher

The law of averages would dictate that there are a lot of gay people playing elite sport, but I dont see why they all have to come out of the closet. I know the likes of Gareth Thomas felt they were doing some good by coming out, and that is well and good, but in my view, sexuality is a personal thing and if a player chooses not to publicly come out, well that is their own business.One lad on our soccer team is gay, most of us know, its not an issue. He doesnt need to broadcast the fact that hes gay. He says himself its not a defining characteristic. Hes just one of the lads who is into his soccer and goes for a few pints with us now and again. I imagine there are elite sports people who do the same.

Richard Hillman

Kevin Duffy wrote: »

That might be a reflection of the fact that in rugby at all levels, refs just don't get abuse. I wonder would an English Permier League ref find the same tolerance?

Why English Premier League ref? Why not a LOI ref, Bundesliga ref, Serie A ref?

temply

Carl Lewis, one of the greatest sportsmen ever

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jamJ4-C_TME

LH Pathe

JupiterKid wrote: »

Isn't it high time that sports fans - especially football supporters - took a long look at themselves and copped the f*ck on?

isn't it time that gay sporting folk took a look at their long hard selves when in the showers and copped the f*ck off

.. look there's defined physiques and nudity aplenty in and around dressing rooms, it's no wonder us men's men don't want to be taken the wrong way.

Kevin Duffy

Richard Hillman wrote: »

Why English Premier League ref? Why not a LOI ref, Bundesliga ref, Serie A ref?

Because it's the league we're most exposed to in Ireland. It has plenty of coverage here and the general abuse referees get is very obvious.

Buceph

Edz87 wrote: »

Nigel Owens, the Welsh International rugby union referee is gay. I've been to many games which he has reffed and never once heard any homophobic slurs thrown at him. And that's saying something seeing as he is a ref and open to all sorts of abuse.

I have, once, at Muzzer. Some drunk knobheads yelled something. They were quickly told to shut the **** up and threatened with forceable removement from the grounds by their surrounding fans.

Nigel Owens seems a decent sort. I've talked to him a few times on twitter. Typical Welsh boyo, very proud of where he is from, big sports fan and very proud of his achievements and deservedly so. He's one of the few refs I'd go out of my way to buy a pint for actually.

py2006

I think its more the abuse from the stands the clubs are worried about. It might be well known and accepted within the club and I am sure most of their fellow players are aware and accept it.

Shreddingblood

Yeah homophobia in sports is a bit gay.

mickydoomsux

I remember when that GAA lad came out a while ago every fan of the GAA i spoke to about it called him either "the faggot" or "the queer" and were pretty much disgusted by it.

JupiterKid

People might ask why should gay sportspeople be out and that's it's a "private" matter - I loathe this point of view.

With straight sportspeople - you get to hear plently about their private lives - the WAGS, the "celeb" life, gossip etc. Yet gay players are supposed to remain closeted? Talk about a case of double standards!

Also, from the perspective of being good role models to young gay people struggling with coming to terms with their sexuality, it's a good thing to have out and proud sportsmen and women who can be those role models. So many youngsters look up to sports stars as role models.

Indeed gay rugby international player Gareth Thomas said last year - "I want to be the gay role model that I never had." He also talked about how if his coming out might have prevented suidices among gay youth, he was happy.

It's important that gay men and lesbians are represented - and openly so- in professional sport.

Will I Amnt

py2006 wrote: »

I think its more the abuse from the stands the clubs are worried about. It might be well known and accepted within the club and I am sure most of their fellow players are aware and accept it.

Exactly.Why give opposing fans a stick to beat you with.
Football fans especially pounce on any little thing they can to get at players.Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard get dogs abuse for being fat even though neither of them are even slightly overweight compared to the average person.
They would have a field day if they found out someone was gay.

krudler

temply wrote: »

Carl Lewis, one of the greatest sportsmen ever

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jamJ4-C_TME

aside from the whole cheating thing

temply

krudler wrote: »

aside from the whole cheating thing

they were all as bad as eachother i think back then

starbelgrade

FIFA have done a lot over the years to address the issue of racism in football - both on the pitch & in the stands.

They haven't done the same for homophobia. And I'm not sure that will change until the likes of Fernando Torres come out of the closet & make a proud stand for gay men in football.

JupiterKid

cambo2008 wrote: »

Exactly.Why give opposing fans a stick to beat you with.
Football fans especially pounce on any little thing they can to get at players.Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard get dogs abuse for being fat even though neither of them are even slightly overweight compared to the average person.
They would have a field day if they found out someone was gay.

That should never be used as an excuse to keep gay players in the closet. If clubs and teams wouldn't allow players to come out because of fear of homophobia among the fans, then no progress would ever be made.

A few truly brave people and clubs have to step forward. The only professional openly gay soccer player is Swede Anton Hysen (son of former Liverpool player Glenn Hysen), and he only plays for a third division trem in Sweden. It's a very sad state of affairs.

Kevin Duffy

cambo2008 wrote: »

Exactly.Why give opposing fans a stick to beat you with.
Football fans especially pounce on any little thing they can to get at players.Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard get dogs abuse for being fat even though neither of them are even slightly overweight compared to the average person.
They would have a field day if they found out someone was gay.

Morally lazy, bankrupt, cowardly, pathetic argument.

deisedave

JupiterKid wrote: »

This is an issue that needs to be aired but for some reason threads on this seem to end up getting locked pretty fast.:rolleyes:

It's obvious that professional sports is rife with homophobia and anti-gay sentiment and it's bloody sad. Only a tiny handful of professional sportspeople have come out - such as Donal Og Cusack in GAA Hurling, Gareth Thomas and Ian Roberts in Rubgy, Anton Hysen in Football, Matthew Mitcham in Diving, Martina Navratilova, Amelie Mauresmo and Billie Jean King in Tennis and Graeme Obree in Cycling.

Soccer expecially seems very homophobic. Look at what happened to Justin Fashanu after he came out in the early 1990s.:(

Isn't it high time that sports fans - especially football supporters - took a long look at themselves and copped the f*ck on?

Yes because every football supporter is homophobic. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Wtf you on about

Cianos

JupiterKid wrote: »

That should never be used as an excuse to keep gay players in the closet. If clubs and teams wouldn't allow players to come out because of fear of homophobia among the fans, then no progress would ever be made.

A few truly brave people and clubs have to step forward. The only professional openly gay soccer player is Swede Anton Hysen (son of former Liverpool player Glenn Hysen), and he only plays for a third division trem in Sweden. It's a very sad state of affairs.

afaik the manager of Sankt Pauli is openly gay.

Dotrel

starbelgrade wrote: »

FIFA have done a lot over the years to address the issue of racism in football - both on the pitch & in the stands.

They haven't done the same for homophobia. And I'm not sure that will change until the likes of Fernando Torres come out of the closet & make a proud stand for gay men in football.

He should ask Ashley Cole to stand proudly beside him on that day.

Dotrel

Cianos wrote: »

afaik the manager of Sankt Pauli is openly gay.

St. Pauli is a different culture entirely to most football clubs and fans.

Thrill

Kevin Duffy wrote: »

Morally lazy, bankrupt, cowardly, pathetic argument.

Didn't you propose pretty much the same argument, only about premier league refs instead of players?

geetar

deisedave wrote: »

Yes because every football supporter is homophobic. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Wtf you on about

what hes on about is sportstars having to hide their sexuality from the public for fear of abuse, ridicule, loss of fame and losing their place on their sports team.

quite clear really. hes not suggetsing that all fans are homophobic, but rather that the air of homophobicy in sports prevents well respected sports stars to hide their sexuality.

Kevin Duffy

Thrill wrote: »

Didn't you propose pretty much the same argument, only about premier league refs instead of players?

No, not even close. You might want to read what I actually wrote.

Will I Amnt

Kevin Duffy wrote: »

cambo2008 wrote: »

Exactly.Why give opposing fans a stick to beat you with.
Football fans especially pounce on any little thing they can to get at players.Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard get dogs abuse for being fat even though neither of them are even slightly overweight compared to the average person.
They would have a field day if they found out someone was gay.

Morally lazy, bankrupt, cowardly, pathetic argument.

Like it or not that's the way it is.

yawha

JupiterKid wrote: »

With straight sportspeople - you get to hear plently about their private lives - the WAGS, the "celeb" life, gossip etc.

These are awful, awful, awful role models for straight young people.

You want homosexual versions of these vacuous tools?