Are Gays Welcome in Football?

Rooney08 · 06-08-2007, 02:41 AM

I'm gay and I love football.

Although I enjoy watching men in tight shorts going down into hard tackles, I really do appreciate the game and the skill within it.
My friends don't think I have proper passion for the game because I fancy some of the players but that's not true, I respect the game.

Most men like football and women, my love is rolled into one. Lots of stadiums on matchday have anti-gay chants and many insults by football fans use 'gay/fag/homo' as the abusive word in a song or scentence. This may be light hearted banter but it doesn't always feel like that.

With so few footballers admitting to being gay I wonder if homosexuality is not accepted in the professional game.

My question is are gay men welcome in football?

Villa88 · 06-08-2007, 02:47 AM

HAHA, this is funny but gays in sports is always gonna be tricky, especially football, I mean hooliganism is still an issue and drinking never does bring out the best in people, certain Euros are very biased and if you disagree, then why do the European people hate Americans so much? I've been around Europe a lil' bit (not like a stupid tourist mind you) and i was treated horribly at first (especially in London and France).

I was able to make some friends, especially talking football but I felt like I should of gone around calling myself Canadian instead of being an American - I mean: I dislike pres. Bush and am very liberal but I still get branded as a "dumb amurican"
but any who, Europe has many biases to get past and gays I think is one of them, but give it time and it will truly be accepted.

I am sure there are gays in top-flight, they are just afraid of coming out, and understandably so, but i'm sure there are some out there.

Dan · 06-08-2007, 02:48 AM

I don't know if any one read it but here is a link to David James's article in the guardian about the subject.

Guardian Unlimited: Sport blog: Will a gay footballer ever come out of the comfort zone?

He does raise some good points but is also a little naive.

Artur Boruc · 06-13-2007, 12:33 AM

I dont care about gay people as long as they dont try anything on me I will think different of them but I would still accept them.