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Openly gay footballers


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I have just watched the BBC news.  I dont often watch it as it a tissue of misreporting and London-centric pishwater, however a wee report was just on about the complete lack of openly gay footballers in Scottish football.  This is a bit sexist as it should state "mens football" as I understad womens football has many a gay women who are happy to be open about it.

 

Anyway, its about time our footballers did feel comfortable enough to reveal (if they wish) there sexuality.  With the amount of young men currently "on the books" at our smashing club it is a statistical likliehood that a number of those men are homosexual or bisexual.

 

The last figure I recall was thon big Justin Fashanu, whom I believe was openly bisexual.

 

I do hope that this last bastion of ignorance is soon broken and I hope that all at our club are accepting when this inevitably occurs.  I couldnt care less what hole people crave, I just hope they are good at football.  A fair discussion to be had fellow buddies.........

 

Time we broke this stupid barrier, time we broke it indeed. 

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No doubt the PC brigade will be on here soon complaining because you haven't mentioned gender neutral. Me I couldn't care what they are as long as they give 100% to the cause, whether they are playing, working or representing the Saints.

 

Interesting thread Tom

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When will it be ok NOT to define someone by their choices in personal life? Why should they be openly gay, hetro, bi? It's their own business. I don't want them to pronounce their sexuality like a badge. I want to see them play well on the park and be normal human beings off it. Their sexual preferences, as long as it doesn't do harm, is their private concern.

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5 minutes ago, Doakes said:

Don't think it would even be an issue at St Mirren. Openly gay people support our club with zero issues, wouldn't be any different for a player. ^_^ Open to all

I agree. I don’t think we’d have issue. 

However, you do frequently hear “get stuck in ya f**king poof” quite a lot, or phrases similar. Need to get rid of that.

 

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2 minutes ago, aldo_j said:

I agree. I don’t think we’d have issue. 

However, you do frequently hear “get stuck in ya f**king poof” quite a lot, or phrases similar. Need to get rid of that.

 

No,.................................. I don't think I've ever heard that. 

I don't think you would ever need to encourage a  homosexual to get stuck in.

 

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People are desperate for an openly gay mens footballer but whilst statistically there are definitely guys out there in the sport who are gay but not comfortable enough to be open about it, I'm not so sure there are as many actively participating in the men's game just now as some seem to think. I think this goes back to decisions made at school age level by individuals. The same level of vitriol doesn't surround lesbianism among young girls as being gay does among young guys and that is a major factor in why there are openly gay women footballers today but not men. 

I'd imagine that most young gay boys/men who are now at the age where they could be playing professionally would have outright rejected the possibility of being put in a really horrible situation of being outed and either drop away from playing early, or more likely, go nowhere near pursuing playing football at any age. 

Young men nowadays are a lot more accepting of others and I reckon as a result of this, in 10-15 years it definitely will be more open in the game. It will be a massive story at first and then, rightfully, folk will give less and less of a shit until it isn't mentioned again, simply because it doesn't have to be as it doesn't make a difference to ability or lack thereof. 

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It could be through fear but maybe gay players in the game have decided that they are not interested in being a poster boy for LGBT issues. Being gay and caring about the politics of LGBT are two different things. Gay people should have no obligation to help other gay people in society any more than anyone else. People should just live their lives IMO.

Personally I watch football to enjoy the sport. I literally couldn't care less which orifice the players enjoy placing their todgers into. It's their life, their bodies, their choices. None of us should care. Nobody should be demanding or persuading anyone to open up about any of this or wailing about the lack of those doing so.

For what it's worth, there are probably dozens of gay footballers in professional football and I bet most of them have friends in the game who know about it and respect their right to privacy.

Edited by oaksoft
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5 minutes ago, oaksoft said:

It could be through fear but maybe gay players in the game have decided that they are not interested in being a poster boy for LGBT issues. Being gay and caring about the politics of LGBT are two different things. Gay people should have no obligation to help other gay people in society any more than anyone else. People should just live their lives IMO.

Personally I watch football to enjoy the sport. I literally couldn't care less which orifice the players enjoy placing their todgers into. It's their life, their bodies, their choices. None of us should care. Nobody should be demanding or persuading anyone to open up about any of this or wailing about the lack of those doing so.

I reacted to the sentiment but the unnecessary graphic description is, IMO, a bit distasteful.

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1 minute ago, stlucifer said:

I reacted to the sentiment but the unnecessary graphic description is, IMO, a bit distasteful.

Quite right too. We can tolerate routinely calling each other cunts but we can't be putting up with distasteful graphical descriptions of sex. 😜

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1 minute ago, cockles1987 said:
2 hours ago, stlucifer said:
When will it be ok NOT to define someone by their choices in personal life? Why should they be openly gay, hetro, bi? It's their own business. I don't want them to pronounce their sexuality like a badge. I want to see them play well on the park and be normal human beings off it. Their sexual preferences, as long as it doesn't do harm, is their private concern.

The wording regarding being open is sometimes misleading as it should be referring to the person not having to hide their sexuality for fear of ridicule, harassment etc etc rather than the way that vegans are reportedly construed as introducing themselves as I'm 'insert name' I'm a vegan.

Feck That! I'm not wanting any feckin' vegans wearing the colours of my favourite club!

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6 hours ago, TediousTom said:

I have just watched the BBC news.  I dont often watch it as it a tissue of misreporting and London-centric pishwater, however a wee report was just on about the complete lack of openly gay footballers in Scottish football.  This is a bit sexist as it should state "mens football" as I understad womens football has many a gay women who are happy to be open about it.

 

Anyway, its about time our footballers did feel comfortable enough to reveal (if they wish) there sexuality.  With the amount of young men currently "on the books" at our smashing club it is a statistical likliehood that a number of those men are homosexual or bisexual.

 

The last figure I recall was thon big Justin Fashanu, whom I believe was openly bisexual.

 

I do hope that this last bastion of ignorance is soon broken and I hope that all at our club are accepting when this inevitably occurs.  I couldnt care less what hole people crave, I just hope they are good at football.  A fair discussion to be had fellow buddies.........

 

Time we broke this stupid barrier, time we broke it indeed. 

Wit ye trying tay say Tam.......  :)  if you come oot so will I  :moony2

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BBC must be devastated that when they cover Scottish Football at the moment it is one of the only programmes on the network where they haven't got an opportunity to show gay couples going about their normal life together. Perhaps next season we'll have some pieces with gay fans going to the match together or BBC will appoint some openly gay male football pundits so that the LGBTQI+ positive discrimination policy at the BBC reaches into its own Scottish Football coverage.

There are plenty of subjects they could be asking the CEO of Hibernian FC about - a manager saying he'd like to knock a fourth official's teeth out, the behaviour of Hibs fans throughout the season, why Hibs are opposed to strict liability as a club, wiill Hibs qualify for Europe next season, transfer targets for next season, and there are plenty of stories on the future of Scottish football BBC could be covering (eg Rangers and Celtic fined a grand total of £7.5k each for players fighting at the end of a really new firm derby compared with the way Clyde are punished for fielding an ineligible player, decent coverage of the relegation battle in the premiership, decent coverage of the Championship as a whole, the search for a new Scotland manager...).

Most people will not care one way or another about players' sexual preferences. The vast majority of fans will be supportive of any openly gay male player in Scotland. Do we have many openly political players in Scotland, or openly religious or openly humanist players. I'm quite sure Hibs fans would mostly want Leanne Dempster to talk about Hibs in the same way as St Mirren fans would get bored after a while if Oran Kearney was to openly talk about his marriage and children in most of his press conferences when fans were wanting to hear about team selections, injuries updates, tactics, transfer targets, future plans for the club.

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Wasn't this instigated by an interview with the Hibs chief exec ?  If she is so concerned about the lack of openly gay footballers in Scotland then perhaps she should have her club lead the way rather than turning it into a problem connected to Scottish football in general. Who gives a flying feck what a players sexual persuasion is !!! 

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If I was a gay footballer in the Premiership in Scotland would I want to declare it? No chance. While my team mates and supporters would probably acknowledge it and move on however the supporters of other clubs would probably make my life hell. Scottish football supporters have in the last few years abused players over disabilities and colour and for decades over religion.

There is no reason to declare it. Family, friends and team mates would know and that is all that matters. Would I really want to be invited onto Sportsound and Off the Ball to give the numpties a target to aim at? And to prove what exactly?

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1 hour ago, Sonny said:

If I was a gay footballer in the Premiership in Scotland would I want to declare it? No chance. While my team mates and supporters would probably acknowledge it and move on however the supporters of other clubs would probably make my life hell. Scottish football supporters have in the last few years abused players over disabilities and colour and for decades over religion.

There is no reason to declare it. Family, friends and team mates would know and that is all that matters. Would I really want to be invited onto Sportsound and Off the Ball to give the numpties a target to aim at? And to prove what exactly?

This is the sad thing..... There are idiots who will victimize people/players and they may be subject to abuse (from a small section of  morons) which is bullshit. People should just be able to get on with their lives.

I agree with most of the posts above, i.e. I couldn't care less if players are gay, straight, bi etc, I care that they are good players, good people and represent my club well. They have a right to a private life outwith footy and a right to have any or no sexual preference (within the law).

There is also no reason for them to come out just to tick boxes for other parties and to be a show pony for that agenda (unless they are willing to and want to to be in that position), as that type of attention it might be as off putting as the abuse.

Gay/Lesbian/Bi/Straight/trans etc etc people are just people.... we are all equal, lets get on with it and accept people for who they are and celebrate good people without having to define them by sexuality.

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3 hours ago, Sonny said:

1) If I was a gay footballer in the Premiership in Scotland would I want to declare it? No chance. 2) While my team mates and supporters would probably acknowledge it and move on however the supporters of other clubs would probably make my life hell. 3) Scottish football supporters have in the last few years abused players over disabilities and colour and for decades over religion.

There is no reason to declare it. Family, friends and team mates would know and that is all that matters. Would I really want to be invited onto Sportsound and Off the Ball to give the numpties a target to aim at? And to prove what exactly?

1) I agree

2) I agree

3)  I agree

 

That is exactly why I felt this subject was worthy of discussion.  It is a sad indictment on the sport we love that such situations exist.  I believe this trail has been blazed in just about every other mainstream sport,

 

I believe we have had openly gay

 

Rugby players

Boxers

Basketball

Tennis

and so on......

 

However the fitbaw is not alone, after a quick google I learned that several American footballers have "come oot" but only after retirement, none apparently during the old playing days!!!!

 

Very sad state of affairs, very sad indeed

 

 

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1 minute ago, TediousTom said:

1) I agree

2) I agree

3)  I agree

 

That is exactly why I felt this subject was worthy of discussion.  It is a sad indictment on the sport we love that such situations exist.  I believe this trail has been blazed in just about every other mainstream sport,

 

I believe we have had openly gay

 

Rugby players

Boxers

Basketball

Tennis

and so on......

 

However the fitbaw is not alone, after a quick google I learned that several American footballers have "come oot" but only after retirement, none apparently during the old playing days!!!!

 

Very sad state of affairs, very sad indeed

 

 

It is Tom and the authorities just pay lip service. If there is a riot do the police just let it happen? No. They cannot arrest everyone but can arrest those they catch. Should be the same at football matches. Just arrest a few of the abusers per game, take their season tickets and ban then for life. Within a season it would stop.

Excellent crowd control cameras should be mandatory at every stadium in the top flight to pick out the abusers which would be more useful that goal time technology and VAR. Ban the idiots.

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19 hours ago, TediousTom said:

I have just watched the BBC news.  I dont often watch it as it a tissue of misreporting and London-centric pishwater, however a wee report was just on about the complete lack of openly gay footballers in Scottish football.  This is a bit sexist as it should state "mens football" as I understad womens football has many a gay women who are happy to be open about it.

 

Anyway, its about time our footballers did feel comfortable enough to reveal (if they wish) there sexuality.  With the amount of young men currently "on the books" at our smashing club it is a statistical likliehood that a number of those men are homosexual or bisexual.

 

The last figure I recall was thon big Justin Fashanu, whom I believe was openly bisexual.

 

I do hope that this last bastion of ignorance is soon broken and I hope that all at our club are accepting when this inevitably occurs.  I couldnt care less what hole people crave, I just hope they are good at football.  A fair discussion to be had fellow buddies.........

 

Time we broke this stupid barrier, time we broke it indeed. 

If you couldn't caare less then why do you need to know?

If someone wants to tell me their sexual preferrence then that is up to them.  If they want to keep it to themselves then i understand that and am largely uninterested as long as it is all legal and victim-free.

 

Anyway, we could do with a Justin fashanu to stiffen up the front line.

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12 minutes ago, beyond our ken said:

If you couldn't caare less then why do you need to know?

If someone wants to tell me their sexual preferrence then that is up to them.  If they want to keep it to themselves then i understand that and am largely uninterested as long as it is all legal and victim-free.

 

Anyway, we could do with a Justin fashanu to stiffen up the front line.

What a player Justin was, wether it was leaning over a defenders shoulder, or calling for it up the channel he never shrugged taking his man on.

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19 hours ago, chalky1 said:

No doubt the PC brigade will be on here soon complaining because you haven't mentioned gender neutral. Me I couldn't care what they are as long as they give 100% to the cause, whether they are playing, working or representing the Saints.

 

Interesting thread Tom

I can't say that I've noticed the "pc brigade" (a police unit?) as being very prominent on this forum.  i cant see why you would feel the need to make that comment.

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