Thomas Hitzlsperger comes out.

Exactly what devlin said.

In a logical world it shouldnt mean a thing. But in this silly world of ours it is still sadly an issue for many.

 

One of the reasons guys come out after their career has finished is because they probably don't want the sheer abuse they would get from away fans.

 

Aye that would be a pain in the *.

 

Players already get that for a variety of reasons.

Yer ugly, yer *, yer burds a munter, yer a bit rapey etc...

and the worst one of all, yer a mad jaffa.

 

A lot of it is healthy banter. "Steve Bruce, he's got a big fat 'ed", etc. Homophobic ones would force the FA to rightly fine the club and punish the fans

 

Let the people sing!

 

Homophobic chanting is akin to racist chanting.

 

The Fuhrer would not have approved.

 

Very true.

 

Fair play, can see why he made it public so as maybe help others going through the same thing, a door/closet has been open

 

And racist chanting is all but stamped out in this country.

Same would happen with this if players were openly gay, clubs would be fined and it would eventually cease.

My point was though that players get abused all the time for a variety of reasons, you need to have a thick skin to be a professional footballer.

Not coming out for fear of being slagged is daft.

 

Its always made out like its a big deal in Football like theres loads hiding it but do people not just think that theres not that many?

Like the same as does anyone know a gay joiner, scaffolder or bricklayer? compared to gay office workers and gay personal trainers or barbers/hairdressers.

 

Just found out he had a trial at is da fuq!!!

 

A but so would the boaby and they handle that no bother

 

Are you having work done on your house?:bbpd:

 

:smiley-laughing002:

 

The Indian Chief, The Biker, The Construction Worker, The Cowboy, and the Cop ....... YMCA

 

I agree, ILTC. I also think a climate has been created that doesn't really exist. I don't think fans, for the most part, would give a * about players being gay. You might have the odd remark from the usual * but I sincerely doubt there'd be songs from opposition fans attacking the player for his sexuality. Not in this country anyway, maybe it's a different issue elsewhere. It would reflect very, very poorly on their club and their fans would be ostracised. The issue - non-existent though it is - is never going to be tackled if players don't come out. I think the work done to eradicate racism has cleared the way for that. Homophobia - like racism - wouldn't be tolerated by most supporters.

 

I think it's a little bit different though in the sense that you don't "come out" as black or Asian or whatever. It's just obvious what you are. It gives you a large, visible community to which you can look to for support. If you're gay, the only way you can get to that community is to come out. At a certain point, they must think "why deal with it at all?" And while it's true that racist chanting has all but been stamped out, read the news dealing with race relations and compare it dealing with gay marriage. There's no "debate" about interracial marriage like there is about gay marriage. On this very forum you have people say things about the LGBT community that they would never, ever say about any racial or ethnic group. I think you're simplifying it way too much.

 

Good article by Le Saux.

http://reflectionsasia.wordpress.co...-saux-how-gay-slurs-almost-wrecked-my-career/