Homophobia in football

[Happy Face 29]

Laurie Taylor examines some new research about homophobia and football and talks to Professor Ellis Cashmore from Staffordshire University about how fans, players and management respond to the issue. They're joined by writer and broadcaster David Goldblatt who has a strong interest in sport.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00vcptj

[Happy Face 29]

I hadn't listened to it when I posted. The football stuff starts about 15 minutes in and is pretty interesting.

 

90% of fans asked anonymously said that homophobia has no place in football. Quite high. The bloke that did the research says the problem isn't with fans at all, but with the clubs, the agents, the FA and other players.

 

73% of fans said gay players would get stick, but then I don't see how anyone could think otherwise. Black players still get stick and it's been 30 years since they started getting into the professional game.

[Kevin S. Assilleekunt 1]

Wow that's absolutely fascinating

[peasepud 59]

John Anderson always talks about when Justin Fashanu played for the toon and got one of those 12 man baths to himself, while the other 20 players crammed into the other bath.

 

seemingly he was doing breast-stroke (ironic) he had that much space

[Kevin S. Assilleekunt 1]

The vast majority of self-admitted homophobes show signs of arousal when viewing homosexual images, according to scientific study.

[Meenzer 15754]

I follow the Justin Campaign on Twitter (@justincampaign), quite interesting stuff. They rightly picked up on Malouda properly and actively comparing racism with homophobia during the week (http://tiny.cc/6zg6a) - good on him too.

Edited October 24, 2010 by Meenzer

[Guest Tuco Ramirez]

Justin Fashanu he came on at Peterborough in the League Cup didn't he, that was his only game and he got more abuse off the toon fans than the Peterborough fans. Gays are a fact of life, must be difficult being one knowing that most people have something negative to say about them. It's not their fault their queer, the way I look at it is as long as they don't try to bum you, why not treat them like normal people, and they won't try and bum me anyway cos they go for pretty boys. The rumour is that Jonas is gay if he came out properly sadly the way prejudism is I think he'd viewed differently in the dressing room. Imagine telling someone like Joe Kinnear one of his players is bent, it will take two or three more generations before the prejudism cools.

[Happy Face 29]

The way I look at it is as long as they don't try to bum you.

 

There was a gay couple at our table at a do last night and another lad never stopped asking them about their sex life in the crudest terms.

 

He then had the audacity to claim he's ok with the gays as long as they don't rub his nose in it

[Guest alex]

Them gay people are cool I reckon.

[peasepud 59]

He then had the audacity to claim he's ok with the gays as long as they don't rub his nose in it

Is that like rimming?

[Rob W 0]

Them gay people are cool I reckon.

 

 

Jealousy raises its ugly head................................

[Meenzer 15754]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/o...ools?CMP=twt_gu

 

Start from the roots up, I suppose. Can't quite see it working in less salubrious areas though.

[Happy Face 29]

Start from the roots up, I suppose.

 

That's what the Thinking Allowed interviewee was arguing against. No point convincing the powerless minions on the lowest rung of the ladder there's no place for homophobia when the Premier League and clubs refuse to acknowledge the problem.

 

Show racism the red card is widely supported because it's not an issue any more....30% of players are black anyway....only once everyone in the game is in agreement are they raising the issue.

 

Needs a "show homophobia the pink card" scheme to challenge the professional game. How many players/squads would pose holding up pink cards?

Edited October 26, 2010 by Happy Face

[Meenzer 15754]

Aye, that's why I welcomed Malouda's comments last week - not exactly much to cling on to, just an active acknowledgement of something that should be second nature anyway, but it's still more than you usually get in the game.

[Happy Face 29]

Aye, that's why I welcomed Malouda's comments last week - not exactly much to cling on to, just an active acknowledgement of something that should be second nature anyway, but it's still more than you usually get in the game.

 

Aye, I liked the comment "you never expect away fans to support you."

 

A matter of fact acceptance that he and all other players will get abused for whatever reason. While the more offensive abuse should be clamped down on by stewards/bans, it's not a thing that will be eradicated any time soon. Discrimination within the halls of power at clubs can be tackled to a much greater degree though and should be the aim. A gay footballer would be far happier scoring goals against the fans taunting him, than being hounded out of the club by his own manager and teammates and not getting to play the game at all.

[Meenzer 15754]

Tell you what, it feels like hard work when there's cunts like this around. http://bit.ly/9kTjHs

[Holden McGroin 6802]

The Tyler Clementi story in that article is shocking.

[JonTheMag 4]

Not saying that 50 cent isnt a homophobe, but the comment: "If you a man and your over 25 and you don’t eat pu**y just kill your self damn it. The world will be a better place. Lol" could have meant basically "If youre a straight guy over 25 who doesnt eat out his girlfriend youre an asshole"

 

Again, he definitely is a homophobe, but this is just another way of interpreting it

[Nyff 0]

I'm sure it will get better eventually, but only because younger generations are slowly becoming more and more accepting.

 

But with such a high percentage of fans saying homophobia has no place in Football then why don't we hear more about it? Wasn't it Max Clifford who said that he had had a few footballers approaching him about what they should do about being open with their sexuality? And I believe he told them all to stay firmly in the closet...

 

If statistics are anything to go by then there must be gay footballers out there. It would probably take only one Premiership footballer to come out to actually kick start things. Of course he would recieve some stick for it from a select group of fans, but in the wider world a gay footballer would do massive amounts for tackling homophobia in day to day life.

 

Like I say, it will get better, but some people are just so set in their ways (for no real reason) that it is bound to be a tough journey.

[sammynb 3539]

Justin Fashanu would probably disagree with you NYFF.

[Nyff 0]

I would like to think that attitudes have come on just a little bit since then. Even though personal experience doesn't necessarily suggest it has, I still think homosexuality is more widely accepted now than it has been in the past.

[sammynb 3539]

I would like to think that attitudes have come on just a little bit since then. Even though personal experience doesn't necessarily suggest it has, I still think homosexuality is more widely accepted now than it has been in the past.

 

I'd disagree, Justin Fashanu was at the height of his career at a time when male homosexuality was commercially acceptable, just look at the music at the time - The Smiths, Elton John had finally come out, Boy George and friends.

It's more about football being a man's sport - the rest of society can move beyond the bigotries but football seems to cling to its monkey sounds and poofs are puffs Neanderthal ways.

Edited October 26, 2010 by sammynb

[luckyluke 2]

I would like to think that attitudes have come on just a little bit since then. Even though personal experience doesn't necessarily suggest it has, I still think homosexuality is more widely accepted now than it has been in the past.

 

fnarr fnarr

[Meenzer 15754]

Ahh, those enlightened Balkan types...

 

http://www.croatiantimes.com/news/Sports/2...ation_president

[NJS 4418]

Ahh, those enlightened Balkan types...

 

http://www.croatiantimes.com/news/Sports/2...ation_president

 

 

Luckily, only normal people play football

 

One of those macho cultures that wants to scream "we have no puffs" and more so wants to believe it - really fucking sad.