San Diego Loyal walk off pitch in protest over homophobic slur

slyadams

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Last night the San Diego Loyal walked off the pitch at the start of the second half after a team member was called a Batty Boy by a member of the opposition. Landon Donovan (coach of the Loyal) asked the referee and opposing coach to take action, but the referee said he didn't understand what the term meant so couldn't take action and the opposition manager refused to and was caught on camera saying "its part of soccer".

The full story is here: https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/sa...collin-martin-usl-050140214.html?guccounter=1

The coach saying it was part of the game:

Landon's post game comments:

Whilst I would like to think this is a line in the sand that other clubs, and national teams, build upon, I can't see it. However, thankfully, I'm seeing almost nothing but support for the Loyal, including amongst opposition fans.
 

Kentonio

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Good on them. The ref should have taken action, but if they don't then teams need to make these big stands to force the authorities to act.
 
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They did the right thing in approaching the opposition and the ref first. It would have been concerning if they took action without doing that.

But not surprised That the opposition and ref weren’t interested, hopefully this will be a watershed moment.

I wasn’t aware that there was an openly gay player in the league, he’s obviously got an incredible team around him, and the entire team should be proud of the stand they took.
 

slyadams

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So the guy who got the abuse came out a couple of years ago. That’s really brave of him. Fair play to his manager and team for standing by him. Still boggles the mind that not one top flight European player has ever came out as gay (I think?)
Boggles the mind, but is absolutely not surprising. Can you imagine the abuse both from the fans and, seemingly, opposition players? The real shame is not just that they can't come out and speak about it, but you must live a completely fecked up life. How can you have any form of romantic relationship of any kind without fear it would come out?
 

FlawlessThaw

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Ref should have used VAR to look up what "Batty Boy" meant and then sent that homophobic player off.
 

11101

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I am not surprised the referee didn't know what it meant, it's not one you hear that often. A couple of my gay friends do say it's the one slur that really gets to them though. Not sure why.

Quite surprised the coach of Phoenix had the cheek to argue with Landon Donovan over what is 'part of soccer'.
 
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Cloud7

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So the guy who got the abuse came out a couple of years ago. That’s really brave of him. Fair play to his manager and team for standing by him. Still boggles the mind that not one top flight European player has ever came out as gay (I think?)
The “banter” from fans in European football is downright vile at times. Added to that, the press that delves into every little fragment of a player’s life, even to the point of completely making up stories (eg Zaha and Moyes daughter), and in particular the UK press, would have an absolute field day with it. It’s not surprising to me that no top flight player in Europe has come out as yet. A lot of attitudes around football are still stuck in a century or so ago.
 

Cloud7

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I am not surprised the referee didn't know what it meant, it's not one you hear that often. A couple of my gay friends do say it's the one slur that really gets to them though. Not sure why.
It’s origin is Jamaican, and in general mostly used in the Caribbean, so it’s not exactly something your everyday person in America might be aware of.

Our attitudes to homosexuality in this chunk of the world are truly terrible. We’re making good developments in a lot of areas, but our attitudes towards sexuality are really lagging behind. It’s actually still considered an insult by many to call someone gay; See Shannon Gabriel angrily asking Joe Root if he “likes boys” during the England tour of WI.
 

limerickcitykid

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Sure. Just seems crazy that not one professional currently playing the game has come out. Especially with Europe supposedly being a more progressive, less conservative region than the US.
Football fans are most definitely not more progressive than football fans in the US though. On the whole sure, but the whole is irrelevant because none of the anti-gay people in the US will watch football or even know who the likes of Collin Martin or Robbie Rogers are. Your average fan in USA is a young educated person who is socially accepting. The average fan in the UK is basically a middle aged overweight alcoholic who swears and does wanker gestures all match thinking they’re hard men. It’s two wildly different cultures.
 

krautrøck

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Sure. Just seems crazy that not one professional currently playing the game has come out. Especially with Europe supposedly being a more progressive, less conservative region than the US.
Well, the ball is in Ronaldos court.
 

Pogue Mahone

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Football fans are most definitely not more progressive than football fans in the US though. On the whole sure, but the whole is irrelevant because none of the anti-gay people in the US will watch football or even know who the likes of Collin Martin or Robbie Rogers are. Your average fan in USA is a young educated person who is socially accepting. The average fan in the UK is basically a middle aged overweight alcoholic who swears and does wanker gestures all match thinking they’re hard men. It’s two wildly different cultures.
That’s interesting. So would it be harder for an NFL/NBA player to come out as gay than it is for an MSL player?
 

HTG

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Great reaction. That’s how to be an ally.
 

RoadTrip

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That’s interesting. So would it be harder for an NFL/NBA player to come out as gay than it is for an MSL player?
Speaking only for the NFL, the few games I’ve been to in the States, fans at the stadium actually do support their team and this culture of hurling insults at the opposition, whilst does happen sometimes, is not anywhere near as prominent.

You don’t have chants about opposition teams in the same way. Or players.

I also think it would matter who came out. If it’s a QB, you can expect a different reaction to most other positions because of their prominence.

On the topic of the SDL though, they did everything the right way. Despite I’m sure being very angry and upset they went to the opposition coach and ref first. And then took the right step of taking action when common sense didn’t take hold.
 

limerickcitykid

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That’s interesting. So would it be harder for an NFL/NBA player to come out as gay than it is for an MSL player?
I don’t follow NFL or NBA tbh so I’m no expert but I’d say it would be. There was an NBA player and there have been NCAA DI players come out and they’ve all received positive reactions although there have been negative comments and stuff surrounding them too. There is a big macho type environment with American football so I’d imagine it’s only inevitable there would be homophobic slurs. Former players have come out and accused coaches of being homophobic. It’s a sport who breed fans that label soccer as gay. So I don’t think it would be the best environment for a gay person when those are the type of people you’re dealing with.

But as rpitroda says the stadium chants and stuff I don’t think you’d see like in European football. Like when the entire Leeds end chanted about Dean Henderson being a pedo. I don’t think you’d get stuff like that. But more comments from players and coaches or mass twitter insults and the like. You’d also have those southern anti-gay hate groups doing demonstrations and marches too, but I don’t think you’d see them in the actual stadium.

MLS is a lot lower level so it doesn’t attract the attention of crazy attention seeking homophobes like the NFL would.
 

diarm

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How annoying are the commentators in that first clip!

You have a camera on the two coaches and referee and the ability to record a really important discussion but you decide to talk all over it. Melts.
 

Ibi Dreams

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How annoying are the commentators in that first clip!

You have a camera on the two coaches and referee and the ability to record a really important discussion but you decide to talk all over it. Melts.
Yeah it's annoying, can still make out a lot of it though. Fair play to Donovan, he obviously took it very seriously while the other coach didn't care at all
 

Cheimoon

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I am not surprised the referee didn't know what it meant, it's not one you hear that often. A couple of my gay friends do say it's the one slur that really gets to them though. Not sure why.
I don't know the term either, but I don't think that's a good reason not to act. (Which you're not saying, I know.) Why would the player and entire team make up outrage? You'd have to assume they're right and the term is serious insult. Or at least ask anyone else. Simple dismissing the concern out of ignorance makes no sense to me.
I don’t follow NFL or NBA tbh so I’m no expert but I’d say it would be. There was an NBA player and there have been NCAA DI players come out and they’ve all received positive reactions although there have been negative comments and stuff surrounding them too. There is a big macho type environment with American football so I’d imagine it’s only inevitable there would be homophobic slurs. Former players have come out and accused coaches of being homophobic. It’s a sport who breed fans that label soccer as gay. So I don’t think it would be the best environment for a gay person when those are the type of people you’re dealing with.

But as rpitroda says the stadium chants and stuff I don’t think you’d see like in European football. Like when the entire Leeds end chanted about Dean Henderson being a pedo. I don’t think you’d get stuff like that. But more comments from players and coaches or mass twitter insults and the like. You’d also have those southern anti-gay hate groups doing demonstrations and marches too, but I don’t think you’d see them in the actual stadium.

MLS is a lot lower level so it doesn’t attract the attention of crazy attention seeking homophobes like the NFL would.
Kinda like what you're saying, there is quite the cultural difference between leagues. The NBA tends to be very progressive - see all the BLM stuff everywhere arounds the courts the past few months. NFL is on the other side of that spectrum. I am not sure where the MLS stands, but somehow in my mind they're fairly progressive. That probably influences player decisions on coming out.
Well, the ball is in Ronaldos court.
Don't you think that joke might be a little inappropriate in this thread?
 

krautrøck

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Don't you think that joke might be a little inappropriate in this thread?
Why? It is not even a joke though, I mean sure it is supposed to be in a light-hearted way, but I'm also being serious.
 

krautrøck

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That’s even worse.
Hoping that someone of Ronaldos stature and following, who is now idol to literally generations of fans, would "come out" and what it would mean for the acceptance and normalization of non-heteronormative views of sexuality is even worse?
 

HTG

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Hoping that someone of Ronaldos stature and following, who is now idol to literally generations of fans, would "come out" and what it would mean for the acceptance and normalization of non-heteronormative views of sexuality is even worse?
No. But claiming certain people are gay is. Especially if the claim is based on some stereotypes of how people seem to think gay people act and look.
That shit doesn’t help.
 

gajender

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No. But claiming certain people are gay is. Especially if the claim is based on some stereotypes of how people seem to think gay people act and look.
That shit doesn’t help.
Well said and this is exactly the thinking which makes harder for people to come out by some how associating certain traits and behaviour with sexual orientation.
 
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reelworld

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Just read about this in twitter and got the utmost respect for Donovan.
Sad thing is that their team was also the subject of racist slur from opposition in the previous match.
 

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Hoping that someone of Ronaldos stature and following, who is now idol to literally generations of fans, would "come out" and what it would mean for the acceptance and normalization of non-heteronormative views of sexuality is even worse?
If you put it that way, it's fine. ('It would be great if a superstar like Messi or Ronaldo would come out as gay. That would really make a difference.') But Ronaldo is often called gay because of his appearance and his care for his looks, and that's problematic, as @HTG and @gajender pointed out - and your post strongly seemed to take that angle.
 

dumbo

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It's likely considered more extreme than other slurs due to it often being used in the context of threats and violence, popularised by Jamaican dancehall.
 

mazhar13

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I posted this in the "MLS 2020 Season" thread, but I think it's more applicable here.
San Diego were also involved in a similar incident last week. Javier Ontiveros of LA Galaxy II said a racial slur to Elijah Martin of San Diego. Not everyone caught on to it, so the match continued until the end. The final result was 1-1, but after learning about the incident, San Diego forfeited the match in support of Elijah Martin. Their reason was that they didn't want to be a contribute to a match where a racial slur was thrown out without any consequence.

Ontiveros received a 5-match suspension from the USL soon after. For their match against Phoenix Rising, San Diego came together with their opponents to plan on a stoppage at the 71st minute. They would then come together and hold up a banner to encourage people to speak up and act against incidents like last week (and worse). For a Rising player to then throw a homophobic slur and the head coach to then dismiss it as not a big deal is a big kick in the nuts to San Diego.
 

SecondFig

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Huge admiration and respect to Donovan and the entire club for walking off last night, and for "walking off" last week too, despite having finished the game (and drawing). Would love to see more clubs following this example and actually properly standing up against homophobic and racist abuse - instead of tacking a badge onto the kit and pretending that's enough
 

sewey89

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Absolutely brilliant. They're getting the positive reaction and recognition that this deserves too. The week before they did the same because one of their players was racially abused I believe?

Seem to have a great team and a great coach in Landon Donovan. Really is refreshing to see. Hope it makes a difference
 

ChaddyP

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Jamaicans need to start understanding that our language is known much more than we think. Embarrassing times.
 

Foxbatt

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It is crazy. The referee said he heard the word but did not know the meaning of it. The opposing coach said it is not racists. The player and the coach should be thrown out and fined.
 

One Night Only

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Know this isn't related exactly to this incident.

But I have a question, if you say to a gay player:
"feck off ya fairy" is that then a homophobic slur?

However, what happens if ya say "feck off ya fairy" to a heterosexual player?

Genuinely curious. Same sentence, however can be construed different ways because of who it was said to? I know "people shouldn't talk shit" but it really is part of the game (talking shit, not racist shite or homophobic shite)