Archive for the ‘Professional sports’ tag
Study: Soccer fans would back gay players
Nearly a quarter of all people playing, coaching or refereeing professional football personally know a gay player, according to new research into attitudes towards homosexuality in the game.
It also finds that almost eight out of 10 fans thought openly gay players would have the same positive effect on football as black players did in the 1980s and 90s when racism in the sport was tackled.
The findings are likely to raise expectations that football will soon follow other professional sports and see a top player come out. In recent years, rugby union, hurling and tennis have seen star players reveal that they are gay while at the height of their careers. But the survey, conducted by the University of Staffordshire, suggested such a move for a professional footballer would not be without risks.
Of the professional players, coaches, managers and referees who know gay footballers currently playing the game, a third believe they would face abuse from other players if they came out. Almost four out of five think they would face hostility from fans.
via Fans say they would back gay footballers who come out | World news | The Observer.
Things are moving on a bit! I mean, soccer really couldn’t be much gayer, but the only reason that’s ok is because the fans think they know the players are very very straight. Of course, not all of them are. They couldn’t be.
We’ve read the Gay Footballer Blog
I love playing football and I don’t mind being gay but sadly those two things don’t mix very well. It’s ridiculous that people form an opinion about you based on your sexuality but in the world of football and sports in general that is still the case especially at the lower levels. If I ever make it to the premier league I promise I will be openly gay…
via One In Eleven
(By the way, you have to read his “Coming Out Letter to My Religious Parents“… it’s perfect and hilarious.)
We’ve also read the story of John Fashanu — the footballer who came out publicly only to be disowned by his brother and then kill himself after being accused of sexual assault in America.
Still, I don’t think it’ll be long before someone with something to lose decides to come out. While there is likely to be some abuse from the stands — and I don’t want to belittle the effects of that (just ask Gareth Thomas) — I think society in general is very ready to be supportive and even to celebrate the footballer who decides to test the waters for everyone else.
