Homophobia in Sports - Keeping Players in The Closet

JupiterKid · 19-09-2011 07:53PM #1

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 · 19-09-2011 07:55PM

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 · 19-09-2011 07:55PM

Wow...another Paul Galvin thread...

Cill Dara Abu · 19-09-2011 07:56PM

Are you trying to tell us something OP?

Don't be shy.

JupiterKid · 19-09-2011 08:03PM

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 · 19-09-2011 08:06PM

Soccer is kinda gay anyway isn't it?

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

Temptamperu · 19-09-2011 08:08PM

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 · 19-09-2011 08:09PM

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

KnifeWRENCH · 19-09-2011 08:10PM

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 · 19-09-2011 08:10PM

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 · 19-09-2011 08:13PM

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 · 19-09-2011 08:14PM

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 · 19-09-2011 08:15PM

Is that Gooch chap gay?

Lumbo · 19-09-2011 08:16PM

Isn't it John Fashanu?????

yupyup7up · 19-09-2011 08:19PM

Look at Gareth Thomas. I wouldn't slag him

loopyloopylou · 19-09-2011 08:19PM

its in your head

mackg · 19-09-2011 08:20PM

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

Kevin Duffy · 19-09-2011 08:20PM

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 · 19-09-2011 08:22PM

Lumbo wrote: »

Isn't it John Fashanu?????

Justin.

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

Justinus Soni "Justin" Fashanu

Chuck Stone · 19-09-2011 08:26PM

Kevin Duffy wrote: »

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

Sounds kinda self-segregating somehow.

Richard Hillman · 19-09-2011 08:28PM

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 · 19-09-2011 08:30PM

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 · 19-09-2011 08:32PM

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.

19-09-2011 08:34PM

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 · 19-09-2011 08:34PM

Cill Dara Abu wrote: »

Are you trying to tell us something OP?

Don't be shy.

lol, troll fail

Kevin Duffy · 19-09-2011 08:38PM

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 · 19-09-2011 08:38PM

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 · 19-09-2011 08:42PM

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 · 19-09-2011 08:46PM

Carl Lewis, one of the greatest sportsmen ever

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

LH Pathe · 19-09-2011 08:49PM

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 · 19-09-2011 08:49PM

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.

Homophobia in Sports - Keeping Players in The Closet

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